ἐπιχειρ-έω,
(χείρ)
I
1. put one’s hand to, οἱ μὲν δείπνῳ ἐπεχείρεον Od. 24.386, cf. 395; πηδαλίοις Ar. Eq. 542.
2. put one’s hand to a work, set to work at, attempt, τῇ διώρυχι Hdt. 2.158; δρησμῷ ἐ. attempt an escape, Id. 6.70; τῇ ὁδῷ Id. 7.43, cf. E. Ba. 819; τοῖσι βασιληΐοισι Hdt. 3.61; τυραννίδι Id. 5.46; ἔργῳ τοσούτῳ Id. 9.27; λόγοις, τέχνῃ, Pl. Phdr. 279a, Grg. 521d, etc.; τοῖς ἀδυνάτοις X. Mem. 2.3.5, cf. Isoc. 5.41, etc.
3. less freq. c. acc., μεγάλα ἔργα Thgn. 75; δίκαιον πρᾶγμα Pl. Cri. 45c, Phlb. 57b: - Pass., to be attempted, Th. 4.55, 6.31, X. Cyr. 6.1.41, etc.; τὸ ἐπιχειρούμενον the thing attempted, Pl. Lg. 746b.
4. c. inf., endeavour, attempt to do, Hdt. 3.38, 65, 9.42, Ar. Ra. 81, Th. 2.40, etc.: c. fut. inf., J. BJ 6.7.3: - Pass., ἃ τὸ πρῶτον ἐπεχειρήθη πραχθῆναι Pl. 337d, cf. Id. Ti. 53a,al.
5. ἐπειχειρήθη c. dat., an operation was performed, τῇσιν αἱμορροΐσι Hp. Epid. 5.20.
II make an attempt on, attack, τινι Hdt. 1.11, 26, 190, Th. 3.94, Ar. V. 1030, etc.; πρός τινα Th. 7.21; ἐπί τινα Pl. Mx. 241d (but ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος διαφθοράν with a view to.., Arist. Pol. 1315a24); εἰς τὰς σατραπείας D.S. 14.80: abs., Hdt. 5.72, 8.108, etc.; κτείνων ἢ ἐπιχειρῶν Lexap. And. 1.98: - Pass., Th. 2.11. sens. obsc., ἐ. μειρακίοις Jul. MIsa 359d.
III attempt to prove, argue dialectically, Pl. Tht. 205a, Hermog. Inv. 3.4; περί τινος Arist. Top. 101a30; ἔκ τινος from a topic, ib. 115a26; ἔς τι D.L. 4.28; ἐ. ὅτι.. Arist. Top. 128b26: abs., Id. APr. 66a34; λογικώτερον ἔστιν ἐπιχειρεῖν ὧδε Id. Cael. 275b12.
G2021 — ἐπιχειρέω
ἐπιχείρῳ: imperfect ἐπεχείρουν; 1 aorist ἐπεχείρησα; (χείρ);
1. properly, to put the hand to (Homer, Odyssey 24, 386, 395).
2. often from Herodotus down, to take in hand, undertake, attempt (anything to be done), followed by the infinitive: [Luk 1:1]; [Act 9:29]; [Act 19:13]; (2 Macc. 2:29 2Macc. 7:19). Grimm treats of this word more at length in the Jahrbb. f. deutsche Theol. for 1871, p. 36f.