ἐπʼ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ἐπʼ

   ep

   upon
2. sentence🔊 οὕτως δὲ φιλοτιμούμενον εὐαγγελίζεσθαι οὐχ ὅπου ὠνομάσθη Χριστός ἵνα μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ

   HOU-tōs de phi-lo-ti-MOU-me-non eu-ang-ge-LI-dze-sthai oukh HO-pou ō-no-MA-sthē khree-STOS HI-na mē ep al-LO-tri-on the-ME-li-on oi-ko-do-MŌ

   thus and making it my ambition to preach the good news not where was named Christ so that not upon another's foundation I build

Exegesis

The hina clause hina mē ep allotrion themelion oikodomō {ἵνα μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ | hína mē ep allótrion the-mé-li-on oi-ko-do-mō} expresses purpose or intended result: ‘so that I might not build on another’s foundation’. The present subjunctive oikodomō highlights ongoing, potential action that Paul intentionally avoids, while the prepositional phrase ep allotrion themelion ‘upon another’s foundation’ uses allotrion to emphasize prior work belonging to someone else. In translation, the participial construction is rendered as a finite clause (“I make it my ambition”) for clarity, while the hina clause is preserved as a purpose clause (“so that I do not build”), maintaining the logical relationship between Paul’s evangelistic strategy and his desire not to intrude on the foundational ministry of other workers.

Root and etymology

epangellomai🔊 ἐπαγγέλλομαιepsilon–pi–alpha–gamma–gamma–epsilon–lambda–lambda–omicron–mu–alpha–iota

“to promise, announce”

• 🔊 ἐπαγγελίαepangeliapromiseHebrews 6:13
• 🔊 ἐπαγγέλλομαιepangellomaito make a promiseActs 2:39