Lexical Definition

‎ἐφίστημι‎ ephístēmi (ef-is'-tay-mee) to approach ^G:V
from ‎ἐπί‎ and ‎ἵστημι‎

--assault, come (in, to, unto, upon), be at hand (instant), present, stand (before, by, over).

• to stand upon, i.e. be present (in various applications, friendly or otherwise, usually literal)

Abbott-Smith

ἐφ-ίστημι [in LXX for נָצַב ni., שִׁית, נָתַן, etc. ;]
1. causal in pres., impf., fut., 1 aor., to set upon or by, set up, etc. (Æsch., Hdt., Arist., al).
2. Intrans. in mid, and in pf. and 2 aor. act.;
(a) to stand upon;
(b) to be set over;
(c) to stand by, be present, be at hand, come on or upon: Lk 2:38 10:40 20:1, Ac 6:12 12:7 22:13, 20 23:27, II Ti 4:2; c. dat. pers., Lk 2:9 24:4, Ac 4:1 23:11; c. dat. loc., Ac 17:5; seq. έπί, c. acc, Ac 10:17 11:11; of rain, Ac 28:2; of evils impending, c. dat. pers., I Th 5:3; seq. έπί (Wi 6:9), Lk 21:34; of time, II Ti 4:6 (cf. κατ-, συν-εφίστημι).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἐφίστημι,

Ionic dialect ἐπ-:

__A causal in present, imperfect, future, and aorist 1 (also in the later perfect and pluperfect ἐφέστᾰκα, ἐφεστάκειν [ᾰ], see below 11.1, VI. 2):
__A.I set, place upon, τεῖχος τείχει [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.II set over, μ᾽ Ἀπόλλων τῷδ᾽ ἐπέστησεν τέλει [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, βουλὴν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς εὐκοσμίας [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be appointed, instituted, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__A.II.2 bring in, ἡ τύχη ἐπιστήσασα Ῥωμαίους [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; Φίλιππον ἐ. τοῖς πράγμασι to let him have a hand in the business, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__A.II.3 bring in, cause, occasion, κατάπληξίν τισι [Refs 1st c.BC+]; κίνδυνον, ἀγῶνά τινι, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__A.III set up, establish, ἀγῶνα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with accusative et infinitive, ordain, prescribe, ὁ νόμος ἐφίστησι τὰ λοιπὰ κρίνειν τοὺς ἄρχοντας [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐπιστήσατε quid facere debeamus, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__A.IV set by or near to, ἐπιστήσαντες κύκλῳ τὸ σῆμα ἱππέας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially place in rear, of troops, τὴν φάλαγγα τούτοις κατόπιν ἐ. [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__A.V stop, cause to halt, ἐπιστῆσαι τὸ στράτευμα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν ὁδόν, τὴν πορείαν, [Refs 1st c.BC+]; ἐ. τὴν ὁρμήν check it, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τὴν διήγησιν interrupt it, [Refs]; check, ἔμμηνα [Refs 1st c.AD+] having halted, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be checked, stopped, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἐὰν ἐφίστηται ἡ κοιλία [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__A.VI ἐφίστημι τὴν διάνοιαν κατά τι, περί τινος, fix one's mind upon it, attend to it, [Refs 5th c.BC+] absolutely, give attention, τούτοις ἐπιστήσαντες [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἐπιστήσασι μᾶλλον λεκτέον one must speak with more care and accuracy, [Refs 4th c.BC+]ad Them.265b; ὅτι.. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__A.VI.2 with accusative person, arrest the attention of, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ἐπιστῆσαί τινα ἐπί τι call his attention to, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τοῦ καιροῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διήγησιν ἐφεστακότος ἡμᾶς ἐπί τι having led us to.., [Refs]: hence, object, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__B intransitive in middle and passive, ἐφίσταμαι, aorist 1 ἐπεστάθην [[Refs 5th c.BC+], with perfect, pluperfect (Aeolic dialect pluperfect 3rd.pers. singular ἐπήστᾱκε [Refs 2nd c.BC+]pluperfect 3rd.pers. plural ἐφεστάκεον [ᾱ] [Refs 4th c.BC+], and aorist 2 active: (the causal tenses are not found in [Refs 8th c.BC+], the middle or passive only in imperfect ἐφίστατο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; elsewhere always aorist 2 or perfect active with Epic dialect infinitive ἐφεστάμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—stand upon, τεῖχος.. ῥύατ᾽ ἐφεσταότες [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.2 to be imposed upon, μόχθων τῶν ἐφεστώτων ἐμοί [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.3 stand on the top or surface, τὸ ἐπιστάμενον [τοῦ γάλακτος], i. e. cream, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. καθάπερ ὀρρὸς [γάλακτι] [Refs 1st c.AD+]; of vapour, form, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__B.II to be set over, ἐφίσταται πύλαις [Refs 5th c.BC+]participle, ὁ ἐφεστηκώς the person in authority, the officer in command, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ἐφεστῶτες, Ionic dialect οἱ ἐπεστεῶτες, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.III stand by or near, ὣς πυκνοὶ ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας, ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially of dreams or visions, appear to, εὕδοντι ἐπέστη ὄνειρος [NT+8th c.BC+]: absolutely, stand by, [NT+5th c.BC+]; without hostile sense, ἐπέστης [NT+5th c.BC+]; of troops, to be posted after or behind, κατόπιν ἐ. τοῖς θηρίοις [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__B.III.2 in hostile sense, stand against, τὰ φρονέοντες ἐφέστασαν ἀλλήλοισιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; appear before, of an army, ἐπὶ τῇ πόλι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; come upon suddenly or by surprise, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so of events, etc., αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐ. ὄλεθρος [NT+2nd c.BC+]
__B.III.3 metaphorically, of events, spring upon one, occur, πρίν μοι τύχη τοιάδ᾽ ἐπέστη [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in perfect, impend, be at hand, τὸν ἐφεστηκότα κίνδυνον τῇ πόλει [NT+4th c.BC+]; of a more remote future, to be in store, lie in wait for, κῆρες ἐφεστᾶσιν θανάτοιο [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B.IV halt, stop, as in a march, ἄλλοτε καὶ ἄλλοτε ἐφιστάμενος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.V fix one's mind on, give one's attention to, σφαγῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπί τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπιστάς absolutely (i.e. τοῖς πράγμασι), [Refs]
__C aorist 1 middle in causal sense, set up, τὰς θύρας [Refs 5th c.BC+]; set, post, φρουροὺς ἐπεστησάμην [Refs]; τέλος ἐπιστήσασθαι, Latin finem imponere, [Refs 5th c.BC+]present is once so used, τοῦ με τήνδ᾽ ἐφίστασαι βάσι; why dost thou cause me to halt? [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.2 ἐπιστησάμενος, intransitive, having been ἐπιστάτης, [Refs]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Luke.2.9 ☩ Acts.22.20 ☩ Luke.2.38 ☩ 1Thess.5.3 ☩ Luke.21.34 ☩ Acts.28.2 ☩ 2Tim.4.6}