A reduplicated and contracted form of peto (pet'-o); (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall (literally or figuratively) -- fail, fall (down), light on.

see GREEK petomai

1. of descent from a higher place to a lower;

a. properly, to fall (either from or upon, equivalent to Latinincido, decido): ἐπί with the accusative of place, Matthew 10:29; Matthew 13:5,(),; (T omits; L WH Tr marginal reading brackets the verse); Mark 4:5; Luke 8:6 (here T Tr WH κατέπεσεν), 8 Rec.; Revelation 8:10; εἰς τί (of the thing that is entered; into), Matthew 15:14; Matthew 17:15; Mark 4:7 (L marginal reading ἐπί); Luke 6:39, R G L marginal reading (but L text T Tr WH ἐμπεσοῦνται); G L T Tr WH (; L T Tr WH); John 12:24; εἰς (upon) τήν γῆν, Revelation 6:13; Revelation 9:1; ἐν μέσῳ, with the genitive of the thing, Luke 8:7; παρά τήν ὁδόν, Matthew 13:4; Mark 4:4; Luke 8:5; to fall from or down: followed by ἀπό with the genitive of place, Matthew 15:27; Matthew 24:29 (here Tdf. ἐκ; Luke 16:21); Acts 20:9; followed by ἐκ with the genitive of place (Mark 13:25 L T Tr WH); Revelation 8:10; Revelation 9:1; equivalent to to be thrust down, Luke 10:18.

b. metaphorically: οὐ πίπτει ἐπί τινα ὁ ἥλιος, i. e. the heat of the sun does not strike upon them or incommode them, Revelation 7:16; (ἀχλύς καί σκότος, Acts 13:11 L T Tr WH); ὁ κλῆρος πίπτει ἐπί τινα, the lot falls upon one, Acts 1:20; φόβος πίπτει ἐπί τινα, falls upon or seizes one (Acts 19:17 L Tr); Revelation 11:11 Rec.; (τό πνεῦμα τό ἅγιον, Acts 10:44 Lachmann); πίπτω ὑπό κρίσιν, to fall under judgment, come under condemnation, James 5:12 (where Rec.st εἰς ὑπόκρισιν).

2. of descent from an erect to a prostrate position (Latinlabor, ruo; prolabor, procido; collabor, etc.);

a. properly; α. to fall down: ἐπί λίθον, Luke 20:18; λίθος πίπτει ἐπί τινα, Matthew 21:44 (T omits; L WH Tr marginal reading brackets the verse); Luke 20:18; τό ὄρος ἐπί τινα, Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:16. β. to be prostrated, fall prostrate; of those overcome by terror or astonishment or grief: χαμαί, John 18:6; εἰς τό ἔδαφος, Acts 22:7; ἐπί τήν γῆν, Acts 9:4; (ἐπί πρόσωπον, Matthew 17:6); or under the attack of an evil spirit: ἐπί τῆς γῆς, Mark 9:20; or falling dead suddenly: πρός τούς πόδας τίνος ὡς νεκρός, Revelation 1:17; πεσών ἐξέψυξε, Acts 5:5; ἔπεσεν παρά (L T Tr WH πρός) τούς πόδας τίνος, Acts 5:10; absolutely, 1 Corinthians 10:8; στόματι μαχαριας, Luke 21:24; absolutely of the dismemberment of corpses by decay, Hebrews 3:17 (Numbers 14:29, 32). γ. to prostrate oneself; used now of suppliants, now of persons rendering homage or worship to one: ἐπί τῆς γῆς, Mark 14:35; participle with προσκυνεῖν, as finite verb, Matthew 2:11; Matthew 4:9; Matthew 18:26; πίπτειν καί προσκυνεῖν, Revelation 5:14; Revelation 19:4; ἔπεσα προσκυνῆσαι, Revelation 22:8; πεσών εἰς τούς πόδας (αὐτοῦ), Matthew 18:29 Rec.; εἰς (T Tr WH πρός) τούς πόδας τίνος, John 11:32; πρός τούς πόδας τίνος, Mark 5:22; (παρά τούς πόδας τίνος, Luke 8:41); ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν τίνος, Revelation 19:10; ἐνώπιον τίνος, Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:8; ἐπί πρόσωπον, Matthew 26:39; Luke 5:12; ἐπί πρόσωπον παρά τούς πόδας τίνος, Luke 17:16; πεσών ἐπί τούς πόδας προσεκύνησε, Acts 10:25; πεσών ἐπί πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει, 1 Corinthians 14:25; ἐπί τά πρόσωπα καί προσκυνεῖν, Revelation 7:11 (ἐπί πρόσωπον Rec.); Revelation 11:16. δ. to fall out, fall from: θρίξ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς πεσεῖται, equivalent to shall perish, be lost, Acts 27:34 Rec. ε. to fall down, fall in ruin: of buildings, walls, etc., Matthew 7:25,(27); Luke 6:49 (where T Tr WH συνεπεσε); Hebrews 11:30; οἶκος ἐπ' οἶκον πίπτει, Luke 11:17 (see ἐπί, C. I. 2 c.); πύργος ἐπί τινα, Luke 13:4; σκηνή ἡ πεπτωκυῖα, the tabernacle that has fallen down, a figurative description of the family of David and the theocracy as reduced to extreme decay (cf. σκηνή, at the end), Acts 15:16. of a city: ἔπεσε, i. e. has been overthrown, destroyed, Revelation 11:13; Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 18:2 (Jeremiah 28:8 ().

b. metaphorically, α. to be cast down from a state of prosperity: πόθεν πέπωκας, from what a height of Christian knowledge and attainment thou hast declined, Revelation 2:5 G L T Tr WH (see above at the beginning). β. to fall from a state of uprightness, i. e. to sin: opposed to ἑστάναι, 1 Corinthians 10:12; opposed to στήκειν, with a dative of the person whose interests suffer by the sinning (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 k.), Romans 14:4; to fall into a state of wickedness, Revelation 18:3; Lachmann's stereotyped edition; Tr WH text (see πίνω). γ. to perish, i. e. to come to an end, disappear, cease: of virtues, 1 Corinthians 13:8 L T Tr WH (R. V. fail); to lose authority, no longer have force, of sayings, precepts, etc., Luke 16:17 (ὥστε οὐ χαμαί πεσεῖται ὁ τί ἄν εἴπῃς, Plato, Euchyphr. § 17; irrita cadunt promissa, Livy 2, 31). equivalent to to be removed from power by death, Revelation 17:10; to fail of participating in, miss a share in, the Messianic salvation, Romans 11:11,(22); Hebrews 4:11 ((yet see ἐν, I. 5 f.). Compare: ἀναπίπτω, ἀντιπίπτω, ἀποπίπτω, ἐκπίπτω ἐνπίπτω, ἐπιπίπτω, καταπίπτω, παραπίπτω, περιπίπτω, προσπίπτω, συμπίπτω.)