Word Study for G2004 (ἐπιτάσσω)

epitássō /ep-ee-tas'-so/ Ask about this word

Meaningto arrange upon, i.e. order

KJV usagecharge, command, injoin.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of epitássō — 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 epitássō, represented by G2004, is defined as to arrange upon, i.e. order, charge, command, or injoin. It appears 11 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. This term signifies a direct and authoritative order that expects compliance, stemming from a position of power or recognized right.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G2004 is frequently used to demonstrate Jesus's supreme authority. He commandeth even the winds and water, which in turn obey him Luke 8:25. This authority extends to the spiritual realm, where with authority G1849 and power G1411 he commandeth unclean spirits, and they come out G1831 (Luke 4:36, Mark 1:27). The word is also used in human contexts, such as when a king commanded an executioner to behead John the Baptist Mark 6:27 or when the high priest Ananias commanded those present to smite Paul Acts 23:2. In Philemon, Paul acknowledges he has the boldness to enjoin Philemon but chooses instead to appeal to him Philemon 1:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of authoritative command:

G1849 exousía: This word for authority or delegated influence is often the basis from which a command is given. It is used to explain how Jesus commandeth the unclean spirits, demonstrating that His orders stem from inherent mastery Mark 1:27.
G2008 epitimáō: Meaning to rebuke or censure, this term is used in parallel with G2004. Jesus rebuked the foul spirit before he gave the charge for it to come out of the man Mark 9:25.
G5219 hypakoúō: As the direct counterpart to a command, this word means to obey or heed an authority. It highlights the effect of Christ's commands, as both natural elements and spiritual beings obey him (Luke 8:25, Mark 1:27).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2004 is centered on the nature of divine authority.

Dominion over Nature: Christ's ability to command the wind and water reveals his sovereignty over the created order, a power belonging to God alone Luke 8:25.
Authority over the Spiritual Realm: The word underscores Jesus's absolute power over demonic forces. He does not negotiate but simply commandeth them, and they are compelled to obey Luke 4:36. Even the demons recognize this power, as they besought Him not to command them into the deep Luke 8:31.
Models of Human Authority: The use of G2004 in human interactions illustrates different forms of authority, from the absolute decree of a king Mark 6:27 and the command of a master to his servant Luke 14:22 to the apostolic authority Paul possessed to enjoin fellow believers Philemon 1:8.

Summary

In summary, G2004 is more than a simple verb for giving an order. It is a term that defines the very structure of authority, both divine and human. Through its use, scripture illustrates Christ's unparalleled dominion over creation and the spiritual world, distinguishing His inherent power to command from the delegated or assumed authority of men. It conveys the force of an order that is not to be questioned, but obeyed.

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 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

ἐπέταξεν
ἐπιτάσσει
ἐπέταξας
ἐπιτάξῃ
ἐπιτάσσω
ἐπιτάσσειν

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 Mark and Luke (4 verses each); never once in the other 23.

Mark

Luke

Acts

Philemon

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, by grammatical form, 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.