ἐπάνω G1883
Above, over, upon (spatial position); also 'more than' in comparative expressions of quantity or degree
Epano functions primarily as a spatial adverb and preposition meaning 'above' or 'on top of,' placing one thing over another. A star rests epano where the child lay (Matt 2:9), a city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14), and garments are placed epano a donkey (Matt 21:7). The word also extends into comparative territory: the perfume could have been sold 'for more than' three hundred denarii (Mark 14:5), and Christ appeared to 'more than' five hundred at once (1 Cor 15:6). Spanish captures both senses with 'sobre/encima de' for spatial and 'más de' for comparative.
Senses
1. above — Above, over, upon — indicating spatial position where something is higher than or resting on top of something else. The star came to rest epano the place where the child was (Matt 2:9), a city set epano a hill cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14), and authority is exercised epano cities (Luke 19:17, 19). Spanish 'encima de' and 'sobre,' French 'au-dessus de,' and German 'über' all consistently render this spatial-positional sense across the seventeen occurrences. 17×
AR["الَّذي-فَوقَهُ","عَلى","عَلَى","فَوقَ","فَوقَهُ","فَوْقَ","فَوْقَها","ما-فَوقَهُ"]·ben["-উপরে","উপরে"]·DE["oben-auf","über"]·EN["above","on","on-top-of","over","over-","upon"]·FR["au-dessus","au-dessus-de"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר-עָלָיו","מֵ-עַל","מֵעַל","מֵעָלֶיהָ","מֵעָלָיו","עֲלֵיהֶם","עַל","עָלֶי-הָ","עָלָיו","שֶׁמֵּעָלָיו"]·HI["ऊपर"]·ID["atas","di atas","di-atas","di-atasnya","yang-di-atasnya"]·IT["sopra"]·jav["ing-inggil","ing-nginggil","ing-nginggilipun","ingkang-wonten-nginggil","wonten-ing-inggiling","wonten-ing-nginggil","wonten-inggil","wonten-inggiling","wonten-nginggil","wonten-sanginggil"]·KO["-위에","~위에","위-에","위로","위에"]·PT["acima","em-cima","sobre","sobre-"]·RU["выше-","на","на-","над","над-","поверх"]·ES["encima","encima-de","sobre"]·SW["Ole","ana-wajibu","juu","juu-","juu-ya","juu-yake","karibu-naye","wao","yeye"]·TR["üstünde","üstüne","üzerinde","üzerindeki","üzerine","üzerlerine"]·urd["اوپر","اوپر-","اوپر-والی","پر-اوپر"]
Matt 2:9, Matt 5:14, Matt 21:7, Matt 23:18, Matt 23:20, Matt 23:22, Matt 27:37, Matt 28:2, Luke 4:39, Luke 10:19, Luke 11:44, Luke 19:17 (+5 more)
2. more than — More than, in excess of — used comparatively to indicate a quantity or degree exceeding a stated measure. In Mark 14:5, the ointment might have been sold 'for more than' (epano) three hundred denarii, and in 1 Corinthians 15:6, the risen Christ appeared to 'more than' (epano) five hundred brothers at once. Spanish 'por más de' and the shift from spatial to quantitative in both passages show how the 'above' metaphor naturally extends to surpassing a number. 2×
AR["بِأَكْثَرَ-مِنْ","لِأكثَرَ-مِن"]·ben["উর্ধে","বেশি"]·DE["oben-auf"]·EN["for-more-than","to-more-than"]·FR["au-dessus","au-dessus-de"]·heb["יוֹתֵר-מִ-","לְ-יוֹתֵר"]·HI["उपर","से-अधिक"]·ID["lebih-dari"]·IT["sopra"]·jav["langkung-saking"]·KO["-보다-더","이상"]·PT["acima-de","por-mais-de"]·RU["более","больше"]·ES["por-encima-de","por-más-de"]·SW["zaidi-ya","zaidi-ya-"]·TR["beş yüzün üstünde","üzerinde"]·urd["سے-زیادہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπάνω [ᾰ], adverb, (ἄνω) above, on the upper side or part, Refs 5th c.BC+; with Article, ὁ ἐ. πύργος the upper tower, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 as preposition, with genitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. γεγονότες κακίας having risen superior to.., Refs 1st c.AD+ set over, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __3 before, in front of, with genitive, LXX; in the presence of, τινός Refs 4th c.AD+ __II above, in a book, ἐν τοῖς ἐ. εἴρηται…