Exploring the Meaning of Epicheireo in Greek

ἐπιχειρέω means “to attempt,” describing the act of taking something in hand as a deliberate undertaking. It appears in Luke’s opening statement about composing an ordered account and twice in Acts in contexts where people set about a course of action connected to the name of Jesus.

Root and Related Words

ἐπιχειρέω is connected with ἐπί (epi), “upon/to/against” (Strong’s G1909), and χείρ (cheir), “hand” (Strong’s G5495). Together these related elements evoke the idea of putting one’s hand to something—engaging a task as an intentional enterprise rather than a passing thought.

Occurrences

“Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,” (Luke 1:1)

Here the word sits inside Luke’s explanation for why he is writing. The action is framed as an organized literary project: people have “undertaken” (attempted) “to set in order a narrative.” The attempt is not a spontaneous remark but a structured effort aimed at arrangement and clarity. The phrase “Since many have undertaken” also places Luke’s work in a wider field of prior attempts, implying that writing such a narrative was a recognized task that others had already set out to do. In this setting, “to attempt” carries the weight of beginning a significant work and committing to its execution.

“preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.” (Acts 9:29)

In this scene, the narrative describes outspoken public activity—“preaching boldly,” “spoke,” and “disputed”—followed by hostility: “they were seeking to kill him.” The contribution of “to attempt” belongs to the movement of initiative and opposition embedded in the verse: the preaching and disputing are not neutral actions but steps taken with purpose in a contested environment. The word’s force is felt as an attempted course of action that invites consequences. Within a single sentence, the verse moves from deliberate speech “in the name of the Lord Jesus” to the counter-attempt of others “seeking to kill him,” so “to attempt” sits naturally amid competing intentions and escalating stakes.

“But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”” (Acts 19:13)

Here “to attempt” is explicit in a self-assigned venture: “took on themselves to invoke… the name of the Lord Jesus.” The attempt is described as a chosen practice by “itinerant… exorcists,” directed toward “those who had the evil spirits.” The wording portrays an intentional assumption of authority—an effort to employ “the name of the Lord Jesus” as part of an invocation formula: “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” In this context, “to attempt” highlights the transition from observing what is associated with Paul’s preaching to trying to reproduce the action themselves. The attempt is not merely to speak words but to perform an act of invocation “over” afflicted people, setting their initiative within a concrete encounter where speech is treated as an operative act.

Sense and Usage

Across these passages, “to attempt” consistently marks more than an inner wish; it is a step into action with a defined aim. In Luke 1:1 the aim is compositional—producing an ordered narrative about “those matters which have been fulfilled among us.” The attempt is oriented toward arrangement (“set in order”) and communication (“a narrative”), so the word fits a measured, careful undertaking.

In Acts, the same sense of purposeful initiative appears in settings of conflict and power. Acts 9:29 places deliberate speech “in the name of the Lord Jesus” alongside the hostile intention of opponents, so the attempt is an entered course that draws out other actors’ counter-purposes. Acts 19:13 presents an attempt that is self-initiated and practical: taking upon oneself an act of invocation “over” those with evil spirits. In both, the word keeps its focus on the act of setting about something—starting an enterprise—while the narrative context supplies the tension: resistance in one case, and a charged spiritual situation in the other.

The three uses together show that “to attempt” can describe undertakings in different domains—writing, public disputation, and ritual invocation—yet in each, the attempt is framed as intentional engagement with a task that carries implications beyond the moment. The word naturally aligns with verbs of speech and ordering (“set in order,” “spoke and disputed,” “invoke… saying”), since in these scenes the attempt is carried forward through words that aim to accomplish something: telling an account, persuading in debate, or exerting authority through an adjuration.

Imagery

The imagery suggested by ἐπιχειρέω in these verses is the imagery of taking up a work and pressing it forward. Luke 1:1 pictures the attempt as arranging material into an orderly account; Acts 9:29 pictures attempted proclamation that meets lethal opposition; Acts 19:13 pictures an attempt to act “over” afflicted people by invoking a name. In each scene, the word stands at the threshold where intention becomes a concrete undertaking.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).