ἐπι-τᾰγή G2003
A command or authoritative directive, especially a divine or apostolic injunction
The noun ἐπιταγή denotes a formal command or authoritative order, rooted in the verb ἐπιτάσσω ('to command upon'). In the New Testament it appears exclusively in Paul's letters and Titus, carrying the weight of divine or apostolic authority. Paul carefully distinguishes between what he says κατ᾽ ἐπιταγήν ('by command,' 1 Cor 7:6) and what he offers as personal counsel, revealing a finely calibrated sense of apostolic versus merely advisory speech. In Titus 2:15, the word shades into the broader notion of delegated authority itself.
2. authority — The delegated right to command, shading from the act of commanding into the standing authority behind it. At Titus 2:15 Paul tells Titus to 'exhort and rebuke with all authority' (μετὰ πάσης ἐπιταγῆς), where the word denotes not a single command but the authoritative posture from which commands flow. Spanish 'autoridad' and English 'authority' capture this institutional, ongoing sense, distinguishing it from the specific-directive meaning found elsewhere. 1×
AR["سُلطانٍ"]·ben["কর্তৃত্ব"]·DE["Befehl"]·EN["authority"]·FR["Befehl"]·heb["סַמְכוּת."]·HI["अधिकअर."]·ID["wewenang."]·IT["epitagēs"]·jav["kwasa."]·KO["권위-로"]·PT["autoridade."]·RU["властью"]·ES["autoridad"]·SW["mamlaka"]·TR["yetki."]·urd["اختیار-سے"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. command — A directive or injunction issued with binding authority, particularly from God or an apostle. Paul uses this sense to mark the source of his apostleship ('by the command of God our Savior,' 1 Tim 1:1) and to qualify certain teachings as not originating from divine command (1 Cor 7:6, 7:25). The consistent rendering across languages — Spanish 'mandato,' French 'commandement,' German 'Befehl' — confirms the semantic core of authoritative directive. In Rom 16:26 the mystery of the gospel is made known κατ᾽ ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ αἰωνίου θεοῦ, grounding revelation itself in a divine command. 6×
AR["أَمرٍ","أَمْراً","أَمْرٍ","أَمْرِ"]·ben["আজ্ঞা","আদেশ","আদেশের।"]·DE["Befehl"]·EN["command"]·FR["Befehl","commandement"]·heb["מִצְוַת","פְּקֻדַּת","צִוּוִי","צִוּוּי"]·HI["अअदेश","आज्ञा","आज्ञा-के"]·ID["perintah","perintah."]·IT["comando","epitagēn"]·jav["dhawuh","perintah","perintah.","prentàh","prentèh"]·KO["명령","명령-을","명령을"]·PT["mandamento","mandamento.","o-mandamento"]·RU["-вечного","повелению","повелению.","повеления"]·ES["mandato"]·SW["amri","amri."]·TR["buyruğu","buyruğuna","emir"]·urd["حکم"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπι-τᾰγή, ἡ, (ἐπιτάσσω) ={-ταγμα}, LXX+2nd c.BC+; imposition of taxes, αἱ ἐ. τῶν εἰσφορῶν Refs 1st c.BC+ __2 especially of oracles or divine commands, κατ᾽ ἐπιταγήν Refs; κατ᾽ ἐ. τοῦ θεοῦ NT