καταλαμβάνω
katalambánō · G2638 · Greek · 15 occurrences
Meanings
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to acquire, to attain, to obtain, to take
To acquire, with the implication of significant effort
ExamplesRomans 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith;
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
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to attack, to overpower
To attack, with the implication of gaining control over
ExamplesMark 9:18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.”
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to catch, to seize, to arrest
To seize and take control of
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to overcome, to gain control of
To gain control over
ExamplesJohn 12:35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; also, the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
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to understand, to realize, to grasp, to comprehend
(A figurative extension of meaning of καταλαμβάνω ‘to overcome,’) To come to understand something which was not understood or perceived previously
ExamplesJohn 1:5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.
Acts 4:13 Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Acts 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
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to learn about, to find, to find out about, to discover
To acquire definite information, with the possible implication of effort
ExamplesActs 25:25 “But I found that he had committed nothing deserving death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
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to happen to, to come upon, to overtake
To happen to someone or something, with the implication of an event which is undesirable
Examples1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief;
How it’s used In 5 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
15 occurrences in 11 groups
- Not stated: I 3
- Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
10 occurrences in 9 groups
- εἰμίto be 3
- Other words · 8 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
5 occurrences in 6 groups
- ἐπίon+ ἐπαυτοφώρῳin the act 1
- ἐπίon+ ἀλήθειαtruth 1
- ἐπίon+ μοιχείαadultery 1
- ἐπίon+ ὅςwho, which, that 1
- σύνwith, together with+ ἅγιοςholy 1
- ὑπόby, under+ ΧριστόςChrist, Messiah 1
With adverbsAdverbs
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- καίand 2
- μήnot 1
- οὐnot 1
What is done to itIt is the object
5 occurrences in 5 groups
- ἐξισχύωto be completely able 1
- ἔπωto say 1
- καταλαμβάνωto seize, to grasp, to attain 1
- λέγωto say 1
- λογίζομαιto count, to reckon, to consider 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 2 words
- נָשַׂג nâsag · H5381 · to overtake, to catch up with, to catch up with (= happen)
- Greek καταλαμβάνω emphasizes the aggressive or comprehensive nature of seizing/overtaking (kata- prefix intensifies), while Hebrew נָשַׂג more neutrally denotes reaching, attaining, or overtaking without inherent emphasis on force or completeness.
- מָצָא mâtsâʼ · H4672 · to find, to be able (to do something)
- מָצָא (mâtsâʼ, H4672) serves as the Hebrew equivalent primarily in contexts where καταλαμβάνω denotes attaining or obtaining something through discovery or arrival (the 'find/come upon' sense), rather than forceful seizure or aggressive possession.
Semantic domains 7 entries
- To happen to, to come upon, to overtake13.119
- In John 1:5, of the eternal Word it is written, “the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it,” using this word for the failure of darkness to overcome or master the light.
- To learn about, to find, to find out about, to discover27.10
- In John 8:3, of the woman brought to Jesus it is written, “the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery,” using this word for being physically seized or apprehended in the act.
- To understand, to realize, to grasp, to comprehend32.18
- In Acts 10:34, Peter opens his address to Cornelius's household, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,” using this word for the act of grasping a truth mentally.
- To catch, to seize, to arrest37.108
- In Romans 9:30, Paul writes, “Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith,” using this word for the act of successfully obtaining something sought after.
- To overcome, to gain control of37.19
- In Mark 9:18, of the boy with an unclean spirit the father tells Jesus, “whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff,” using this word for the sudden, forceful act of a spirit taking hold of someone.
- To attack, to overpower39.48
- In Philippians 3:12, Paul writes of his pursuit of Christ, “I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus,” using this word for the act of laying hold of something as one's own goal.
- To acquire, to attain, to obtain, to take57.56
- In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul uses a racing image, “those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win,” using this word for the act of winning or securing a prize through competition.
Word family 49 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon : 2 aorist κατέλαβον; perfect infinitive κατειληφέναι; passive, perfect 3 person singular…
1. to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to: with the accusative of the thing; the prize of victory, 1 Cor 9:24; Phm 3:12f; τήν δικαιοσύνην, Rom 9:30; equivalent to to make one's own, to take into oneself, appropriate: ἡ σκοτία αὐτό (i. e. τό φῶς) οὐ κατέλαβεν, Jn 1:5.
2. to seize upon, take possession of (Latinoccupare);
a. of evils overtaking one (so in Greek writings from Homer down): τινα σκοτία, Jn 12:35; (so physically, Jn 6:17 Tdf.); of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, 1 Thess 5:4; of a demon about to torment one, Mk 9:18.
b. in a good sense, of Christ by his holy power and influence laying hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it, Phm 3:12.
3. to detect, catch: τινα ἐν τίνι, in passive Jn 8:3 (WH ἐπί τίνι); with a participle indicating the crime, Jn 8:4.
4. to lay hold of with the mind; to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend (Plato, Phaedr., p. 250d.; Axioch., p. 370a.; Polybius 8, 4, 6; Philo, vita contempl. § 10; Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 5, 46); middle (Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 2, 66; (cf. Winer's Grammar, 253 (238))), followed by ὅτι, Acts 4:13; Acts 10:34; followed by the accusative with an infinitive, Acts 25:25; followed by indirect discourse, Eph 3:18.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 7 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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