Word Study for G1904 (ἐπέρχομαι)

epérchomai /ep-er'-khom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐπί and ἔρχομαι

Meaningto supervene, i.e. arrive, occur, impend, attack, (figuratively) influence

KJV usagecome (in, upon).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of epérchomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word epérchomai, represented by G1904, means to supervene, i.e. arrive, occur, impend, attack, or to influence. It appears 10 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. The term denotes more than a simple arrival; it signifies an event or influence coming upon someone or something, often with significant and transformative results.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G1904 describes several types of impactful arrivals. It is used for the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit, which will come upon the disciples to give them power Acts 1:8 and which came upon Mary, resulting in the conception of Jesus Luke 1:35. The word also carries a sense of impending doom or judgment, as seen in the warning of "miseries that shall come upon you" James 5:1 and fearful events coming on the earth Luke 21:26. In a physical sense, it can describe an attack, where a stronger man will come upon another to overcome him Luke 11:22, or the arrival of adversaries, as when Jews came thither from Antioch and Iconium to persecute Paul Acts 14:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which G1904 appears:

G1982 episkiázō (to cast a shade upon... to invest with preternatural influence): This word is used alongside G1904 to describe the divine event of the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary, where the power of the Highest will overshadow her Luke 1:35.
G2983 lambánō (to take... get hold of... receive): This word is linked to the promise of the Holy Spirit, where believers will receive power after the Spirit has come upon them Acts 1:8.
G3528 nikáō (to subdue... conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory): This is a direct result of G1904 in the context of conflict, where a stronger one will come upon his opponent and overcome him Luke 11:22.
G991 blépō (to look at... beware, take heed): This word serves as a command to be vigilant against a negative outcome, urging believers to beware lest a prophesied consequence come upon them Acts 13:40.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1904 is significant, highlighting key scriptural themes.

Divine Intervention and Empowerment: The word is central to understanding the active work of the Holy Spirit. His coming upon believers is not a gentle presence but an empowering event that enables them to be witnesses Acts 1:8 and facilitates God's miraculous purposes, such as the incarnation Luke 1:35.
Impending Consequence: G1904 is frequently used to warn of unavoidable consequences, whether for the unrighteous who will face miseries James 5:1 or for all who dwell on the earth during end times events Luke 21:35. This underscores the theme of accountability.
Spiritual and Physical Conflict: The term illustrates the reality of opposition. It is used in a parable of spiritual warfare Luke 11:22 and to describe the literal arrival of enemies who come with hostile intent Acts 14:19, showing that to "come upon" can be an act of aggression.

Summary

In summary, G1904 is a dynamic term that describes an impactful arrival. It is not merely about movement from one place to another but about an external force, person, or event supervening upon a situation with undeniable effect. Whether it signifies the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, the inescapable arrival of judgment, or a hostile attack, epérchomai consistently points to a moment of significant, often life-altering, change.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 10 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 2×
2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Genitive Singular Neuter 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Future Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Feminine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 10 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke and Acts (4 verses each); never once in the other 23.

Luke

Acts

Ephesians

James

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.