The Greek episkiazo (Strong's G1982) means 'to overshadow,' 'to envelop with a shadow,' or 'to cover with a cloud.' It combines epi (upon) and skia (shadow). This word appears in three of the most theologically charged moments in the Gospels: the Annunciation to Mary, the Transfiguration of Jesus, and the healing ministry of Peter in Acts 5:15.
The theological weight of episkiazo is extraordinary. When Gabriel tells Mary, 'The power of the Most High will overshadow you' (Luke 1:35), the word deliberately echoes the divine presence hovering (shekinah) over the tabernacle in the Old Testament (Exodus 40:35, LXX). At the Transfiguration, the same word describes the bright cloud that overshadowed Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the disciples — the manifest presence of God. And in Acts 5:15, even Peter's shadow (skia) falling on the sick produced healings. The pattern is consistent: where God's presence rests, life and transformation follow.