Word Study for G2010 (ἐπιτρέπω)

epitrépō /ep-ee-trep'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐπί and the base of τροπή

Meaningto turn over (transfer), i.e. allow

KJV usagegive leave (liberty, license), let, permit, suffer.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of epitrépō — 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 epitrépō, represented by G2010, means to turn over or transfer, signifying allowance. It is translated as to "permit," "suffer," "let," or to "give leave, liberty, license." It appears 22 times across 18 unique verses, establishing its role in contexts of authority and permission.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G2010 consistently appears in situations involving a grant of permission from a higher authority. A Roman centurion gave Paul liberty G2010 to see his friends Acts 27:3, and later gave him licence G2010 to address a crowd Acts 21:40. When Joseph of Arimathaea wished to take the body of Jesus, Pilate gave him leave G2010 John 19:38. The word is also used for requests made to Jesus, such as when a disciple asked, "suffer G2010 me first to go and bury my father" Matthew 8:21. Conversely, it is used to denote restriction, as when Paul writes, "I suffer G2010 not a woman to teach" 1 Timothy 2:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the scope of what is or is not permitted by G2010:

G5293 hypotássō (to subordinate; reflexively, to obey): This is presented as the required alternative to an action that is not permitted. Women are to be under obedience, as it is not permitted G2010 for them to speak in church 1 Corinthians 14:34.
G630 apolýō (to free fully, i.e. (literally) relieve, release, dismiss... or (specially) divorce): Moses suffered G2010 the Israelites to put away their wives, an allowance for a specific action Matthew 19:8.
G190 akolouthéō (to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple)): A man expresses his desire to follow Jesus, but first asks for permission (let G2010 me) to attend to a family matter Luke 9:61.
G831 authentéō (to act of oneself, i.e. (figuratively) dominate): This action is explicitly forbidden, as Paul does not suffer G2010 a woman to usurp authority over the man 1 Timothy 2:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2010 is significant, highlighting principles of authority and submission.

Divine Sovereignty: The word underscores that all human actions are ultimately subject to God's will. Paul makes his plans conditional, stating he will visit "if the Lord permit" 1 Corinthians 16:7 and that certain actions will be done "if God permit" Hebrews 6:3.
Concession to Human Weakness: G2010 is used to describe an allowance that is not part of God's perfect will. Jesus explains that Moses suffered them to divorce their wives specifically "because of the hardness of your hearts" Matthew 19:8.
Ecclesiastical Order: The term is used to set boundaries for conduct within the church. It establishes that some actions are not permitted G2010 in order to maintain a structure of obedience and silence 1 Corinthians 14:34.

Summary

In summary, G2010 is a crucial term for understanding biblical concepts of authority. It is not a word of universal freedom, but rather one of delegated or granted liberty that operates within a clear structure. Whether it is a Roman official giving license, Jesus suffering a request, or an apostle submitting plans to the will of God, epitrépō consistently shows that permission is something to be given by a recognized authority.

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 19 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 6×
Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 5×
Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 2×
Present Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×

Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
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.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
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 18 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (5 verses); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

1 Corinthians

1 Timothy

Hebrews

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.