ἐπιστέλλω 1 aorist ἐπέστειλα; properly, to send to one a message, command (Herodotus and following); ἐπιστολάς, to send by letter, write a letter, Plato, epistles, p. 363 b., hence, simply to write a letter (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 3, 1 b.): τίνι, Heb_13:22 (Clement of Rome, 1Co_7:1-40; 1Co_1:1-31 [ET]; 47, 3 [ET]; 62, 1 [ET]; and often in Greek writings); to enjoin by letter, to write instructions: Act_21:25 R G T Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading; followed by τοῦ with an infinitive expressing purpose (cf. Winers Grammar, 326 (306); Buttmann, 270 (232)): Act_15:20.

ἐπιστέλλω epistellō 3x to send word to, to send injunctions, Act_15:20 ; Act_21:25 ; to write to, write a letter, Heb_13:22

ἐπι -στέλλω , [in LXX : 1Ki_5:8 Neh_6:19 ( H7971 ), Jdt_15:4 , 1Ma_10:25 ; 1Ma_12:7 ; 1Ma_13:18 (in each case with v.l . ἀποσ -) * ;] 1. to send to . 2. to send a message by letter, to write word ( MM , Exp., xiv): c. dat. pers ., Act_21:25 , Heb_13:22 ; seq . τοῦ , c . inf ., Act_15:20 .†

ἐπιστέλλω [page 245] For the meaning send, send to, cf. P Amh II. 33 .35 ( c. B.C. 157) αὐτόν τε πρὸς ἡμᾶς μετὰ φυλακῆς ἐπιστείλατε , P Oxy II. 276 .13 (A.D. 77) παριληφέναι πα [ρ ]᾽ αὐτῶν τὰς ἐπισ [τ ]αλείσας ( sc. ἀρτάβας ) α [ὐτ ]οῖς . The general use of the verb, however, is in connexion with sending a letter or other written communication, as in P Par 61 .2 (B.C. 156) τῆς πρὸς Δωρίωνα ἐπιστολῆς τὸ ἀντίγραφον ὑπόκειται· νομίσαντες οὖν καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπεστάλθαι , σκοπεῖτε ἵνα μηδὲν παρὰ ταῦτα γίνηται , ib. 63 .185 (B.C. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 34) ἐν τοῖς περὶ τούτων [ἐπ ]εσταλμένοις χρηματισμοῖς , in the communications we have sent to you dealing with these matters (Mahaffy), P Fay 26 .4 (A.D. 150) πρὸς [τὸ ] ἐπισταλὲν ἡμεῖν ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐπίσταλμα , BGU IV. 1081 .5 (ii/iii A.D.) εὖ ποιήσ [ει ]ς ἐπιστείλας ἡμεῖν περὶ τῆς σῆς ὑγίας , P Fay 133 .13 (a letter iv/A.D.) μοι ἐπίστειλον , send me word. From the usage of the word in official documents the meaning readily passed over into instruct, enjoin, as in Act_15:20 (RV marg.), Heb_13:22 : cf. e.g. P Ryl II. 121 .18 (ii/A.D.) ἀξιῶ [ἐ ]πισταλῆ [ν ]αι τοῖς τῆς [π ]όλεως γραμματεῦσι [ἐ ]πίτροπον αὐτῷ καταστα [θῆ ]ναι , I request that an order be sent to the scribes of the city for the appointment of a guardian for him (Edd.), P Fay 31 .20 ( c. A.D. 129) διὸ προσαγγέλλωι ὅπως ἐπισταλῆι τῷ τὸ γραφεῖον Θεαδελφείας συνχρημα [τίζ ]ειν μοι ὡς καθήκει , I therefore give notice, in order that instructions may be sent to the director of the record office of Theadelphia, duly to join me in the transaction of the business (Edd.), P Strass I. 5 .16 (a decision of the prefect A.D. 262) ἐπ ]ισ [τ ]ελῶ τῷ στρατη̣[γ ]ῷ , P Oxy IX 1194 .8 ( c. A.D. 265) δύναται ἐπισταλῆναι τῷ στρατηγ [ῷ τ ]ὰ̣ δέοντα , the proper measures can be communicated to the strategus, and hence in BGU I. 144 ii. 3 (iii/A.D.) ἐπεστάλ (η ) ὑπὸ ἐμοῦ , virtually = he was confirmed by me in a certain office. See further Laqueur Quaestiones , p. 16 f. where it is shown that in letters written by Roman Emperors or Magistrates ἐπιστέλλω is always = write rather than send, e.g. CIG III. 3835 .4 ἐπέστειλα αὐτῷ δηλῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα ὅλον . ἐπέστειλα δὲ Ἑσπέρῳ τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ , and cf. P Hamb I. p. 77 for the ending of ἐπιστάλματα , official acts or decisions in letter form, with ἐπιστέλλω , or ἐπέστειλα , or ἐπιστέλλεταί σοι . With this the NT usage cited supra corresponds : cf. also Act_21:25 ΰ .

ἐπιστέλλω fut. -στελῶ "to send to, send as a message or letter", Hdt. , attic:—absol. "to send a message, write word", Eur. , Thuc. "to enjoin, command", τινί τι id=Thuc. ; τινά τι Xen. ; also, ἐπ. τινὶ or τινὰ ποιεῖν τι Soph. , Xen. :—so, in Pass., ἐπέσταλτό οἱ . . c. inf., he "had received orders" to do, Hdt. ; ἐπέσταλται τί τινι a matter "has been committed" to one, Aesch. ; τὰ ἐπεσταλμένα "orders given", id=Aesch. "to order by will", Xen.

ἐπι-στέλλω [in LXX: 3Ki.5:8 Neh.6:19 (שָׁלַח), Jdth.15:4, 1Ma.10:25 1Mac 12:7 1Mac 13:18 (in each case with seel. ἀποσ-) * ;] __1. to send to. __2. to send a message by letter, to write word (MM, Exp., xiv): with dative of person(s), Act.21:25, Heb.13:22; before τοῦ, with inf., Act.15:20.† (AS)