Lexicon :: Strong's G1985 - episkopos

ἐπίσκοπος, -ου, ὁ, (ἐπισκέπτομαι), an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent; Sept. for פָּקִיד, Judges 9:28; Nehemiah 11:9, 14, 22; 2 Kings 11:15, etc.; 1 Macc. 1:51. The word has the same comprehensive sense in Greek writings from Homer Odys. 8, 163; Iliad 22, 255 down; hence, in the N. T. ἐπίσκ. τῶν ψυχῶν, guardian of souls, one who watches over their welfare: 1 Peter 2:25 ([τὸν παντὸς πνεύματος κτίστην κ. ἐπίσκοπον, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 59, 3]; ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ προστάτης τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χρ., ibid. 61, 3; [cf. Sir. 1:6]), cf. Hebrews 13:17. specifically, the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church; Vulg. episcopus: Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7; see πρεσβύτερος, 2 b.; [and for the later use of the word, see Dictionary of Christian Antiquities under the word Bishop].

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's