Click here to join the effort!
Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary
Strong's #2638 - καταλαμβάνω
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
καταλαμβάνω,
fut. -λήψομαι Pl. Prt. 311a (in pass.sense, A.D. Synt. 48.9), Ion. -λάμψομαι Hdt. 6.39, Aeol. -λᾱμψομαι dub. in Alc. Supp. 5.9 (v. λαμβάνω): pf. -είληφα Pl. Phdr. 250d, etc. (καθ- SIG 129.18 (Carpathos, iv B. C.)), -λελάβηκα Pherecyd.Syr. ap. D.L. 1.122, Hdt. 3.42 (v.l. -λελαβήκεε): — Pass., Ion. aor. -ελάμφθην Id. 5.21; -ελάφθην SIG 279.7 (Zelea, iv B. C.): pf. in med. sense, D.S. 17.85: —
I
1. seize, lay hold of, c. acc., τοῦ κατὰ νῶτα λαβών Od. 9.433, cf. Ar. Lys. 624, etc.; κατέλαβε τὴν ἀκρόπολιν Th. 1.126, cf. Hdt. 5.71, Ar. Lys. 263 (lyr., tm.), Isoc. 4.153, etc. (metaph., τὴν τοῦ νέου τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκρόπολιν κ. Pl. R. 560b); πάντα φυλακαῖς κ. Plu. Per. 33; κ. ἕδρας Ar. Ec. 21, 86; φάσκων Ποσειδῶ πρότερον Ἀθηνᾶς καταλαβεῖν αὐτήν (sc. τὴν πόλιν) Isoc. 12.193; later, simply, arrive at a place, POxy. 1829 (vi A. D.), etc.: — Med., seize for oneself, τὰ πρήγματα Hdt. 6.39; τὰ ἄλλοι οὐ κατελάβοντο matters which others had not preoccupied, ib. 55: freq. in Plb., κ. λόφον 1.19.5, al.: — Pass., of a person, ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καταληφθείς possessed, Plot. 5.8.11.
2. of death, fatigue, disaster, etc., τὸν δὲ κατ' ὄσσε ἔλλαβε.. θάνατος Il. 5.82; Ἄργον.. κατὰ μοῖρ' ἔλαβεν.. θανάτοιο Od. 17.326: c. dupl. acc., εὖτ' ἄν μιν κάματος κατὰ γυῖα λάβῃσιν 1.192; Δίκη καταλήψεται ψευδῶν τέκτονας Heraclit. 28; befall, overtake, συμφορὰ κ. πόλεις E. Hipp. 1161: freq.in Hdt., θεῖα πρήγματα καταλαμβάνει τοὺς αἰελούρους 2.66; πένθεα μεγάλα τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους κ. ibid., cf. 3.42; ὅσα φεύγοντας ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος κακὰ ἐπίδοξα καταλαμβάνειν may be expected to befall them, 4.11; ἤν τι καταλαμβάνῃ νεώτερον τὸν πεζόν 8.21: folld. by inf., νοῦσός τινα κ. νοσῆσαι 3.149, cf. 3.75; πρίν τι ἀνήκεστον ἡμᾶς κ. Th. 4.20; κίνδυνος κ. τινά D. 18.99; rarely of good fortune, τοῦτον κατέλαβε εὐτυχίη τις Hdt. 3.139.
3. seize with the mind, comprehend, Pl. Ax. 370a, Chrysipp.Stoic. 2.39, Plb. 8.2.6, John 1:5 (perh. overcome); κάλλος διὰ τῆς [ ὄψεως ] Pl. Phdr. 250d; ἐκ τοῦ φάσματος ὅτι.. D.H. 5.46, cf. Arr. Epict. 1.5.6: — so in Med., D.H. 2.66, S.E. M. 7.288; ὅτι.. Acts 4:13; τί τὸ πλάτος Ephesians 3:18 : — Pass., Phld. Sign. 22, Mus. p.62K., Numen. ap. Eus. PE 14.8.
4. accept, παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως.. δωροδοκήματα dub. l. in Pl.Com. 119.1 (κᾆτ' ἔλαβον Mein.).
II
1. catch, overtake, come up with, τοὺς φεύγοντας Hdt. 1.63, cf. 2.30, etc.: — Pass., Id. 7.211, Plb. 1.47.8.
2. find on arrival, c. part., τινὰ ζῶντα Hdt. 3.10; τὰ πλεῖστα.. προειργασμένα Th. 8.65; πάντα ἔξω Id. 2.18; ἀνεῳγμένην τὴν θύραν Pl. Smp. 174d; τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐξιόντας D. 21.85; τινὰ ἔνδον Pl. Prt. 311a; τῶν φορτίων πολλὴν ἀπρασίαν D. 34.8; τι ὑπάρχον Arist. Top. 131a29; detect, ἐπ' αὐτοφώρῳ ἐμαυτόν Pl. Revelation 22:1-21 b: — Pass., κατελήφθη σοῦ λάθρᾳ πωλῶν τὰ σά E. Cyc. 260, cf. John 8:3, etc.; κατείληπτο σοφιζόμενος D. 21.164; to be taken by surprise, Plu. Publ. 20.
III
1. impers., καταλαμβάνει τινά c. inf., it happens to one, it is one's fortune to.., καταλαμβάνει μιν φεύγειν Hdt. 2.152, cf. 3.118; καταλελάβηκέ με.. τοῦτο.. ἐκφῆναι Id. 3.65, cf. 4.105, 6.38. abs., πρὸς τὴν καταλαβοῦσαν συμφορήν that had befallen, Id. 4.161; τὰ καταλαβόντα, = τὰ συμβάντα, what had happened, the circumstances, Id. 9.49; ἢν πόλεμος καταλάβῃ Th. 2.54, cf. 18; εἰ -λαμβάνοι ἀναχώρησις Id. 4.31; τῆς νυκτὸς -λαμβανούσης as night was coming on, D.S. 20.86; Χειμῶνος ἤδη -λαμβάνοντος Hdn. 7.2.9. hold down, cover, τῇ Χειρὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμόν Pl. Tht. 165b; τὰς Χεῖρας Plu. Sert. 26; fasten down, κ. πῶμα γόμφοις Id. 2.356c, cf. Gal. 13.358 (so in Med., D.S. 3.37): — Pass., to be compressed, opp. διαλύεσθαι, Arist. Pr. 870b11; τὰς φλέβας -λαμβανόμενοι Id. Somn.Vig. 455b7.
2. keep under, repress, check, κ. τινῶν αὐξανομένην τὴν δύναμιν Hdt. 1.46; κ. τὸ πῦρ get it under, ib. 87; ἴσχε καὶ κ. σεωυτόν Id. 3.36; κ. τὰς διαφοράς put an end to them, Id. 7.9. β; κ. ἐρίζοντας stop their quarrelling, Id. 3.128: folld. by inf., κ. τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ταῦτα μὴ ποιέειν Id. 2.162; ὁ τῶν Περσέων θάνατος καταλαμφθεὶς ἐσιγήθη inquiries about their death being checked.., Id. 5.21. κ. τὸ πνεῦμα hold the breath, Gal. 6.176, al.
3. bind, κ. πίστι καὶ ὁρκίοισι Hdt. 9.106; ὅρκοις Th. 4.86, etc.: — Pass., εἴ τινι -λέλαμμαι ὅρκῳ SIG 360.41 (Chersonesus); νόμοις, ἔθεσι κατειλημμένα enforced, Arist. Pol. 1324b22; ζημίαις Pl. Lg. 823a; [ τὰς σπονδὰς ] ηὗρε κατειλημμένας he found the treaty concluded, Th. 5.21 codd.
4. compel, constrain one to do, c. inf., ἀναγκαίη μιν κ. φαίνειν forces him to bring out the truth, Hdt. 3.75: — Pass., ἀναγκαίῃ καταλαμβανόμενος being constrained, Id. 2.65, cf. Th. 7.57.
5. convict, condemn, Antipho 2.4.11; opp. ἀπολύειν, Id. 4.4.9; ἐὰν καταληφθεὶς ἀποθάνω Id. 2.2.9, cf. IG 12(2).526A20 (Eresus, iv B. C.); of the prosecutor, secure a conviction, RPhil. 1928.192 (Erythrae, v B. C.); ὁ -λαβών SIG 578.58 (Teos, ii B. C.), etc.
κατα -λαμβάνω ,
[in LXX for H5381 hi., H3920, etc.;]
1. to lap hold of, seize, appropriate: Mark 9:18; c. acc rei, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 3:12-13
2. to overtake: as carrel, of διώκω (Field, Notes, 158 f.), Romans 9:30; ἡ ἡμέρα , 1 Thessalonians 5:4; of evils, John 1:5; John 12:35 (cf. 617 T); hence, to surprise, discover: John 8:3-4],
3. Of mental action, to apprehend, comprehend; so mid., in NT (M, Pr., 158): Ephesians 3:18; seq. ὅτι , Acts 4:13; Acts 10:34; c. acc et inf., Acts 25:25 (MM, Exp., xv).†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
Many of the NT meanings of this common verb can be paralleled from our sources. Thus P Oxy XII. 1413.14 (A.D. 270–5) κατείληφα πόρον, τουτέστιν γενήματα ἀποκείμενα ἐν τῷ Μονίμου, ";I have impounded the property, that is to say produce deposited at the farmstead of Monimus"; (Edd.),Syll 933fin (iv/B.C.) οἵδε ] κατέλαβον τὰν χώρ [αν καὶ ἐτείχιξ ]αν τὰν πόλιν —then follow the names of colonists who I ";appropriated"; the land : this is Paul’s regular use of the verb in active and passive. In the letter of Epicurus to a child, discovered at Herculaneum, 176.4 (= Selections, p. 5), the philosopher writes—ἀ ]φείγμεθα εἰς Λάμψακον. . . καὶ ἐκεῖ κατειλήφαμεν ὑγ [ι ]αίνοντας Θεμίσταν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς [θί ]λο [υ ]ς, ";we have arrived at Lampsacus, and there we have found Themistas and the rest of our friends in good health"; : cf. P Tebt I. 15.5 (B.C. 114) ἡμῶν συνεκπηδησάντων κατέλαβονον (l. κατέλαβον) ὄχλον τῶν ἐκ τῆς κώ (μης), ";on running out we found a crowd of the villagers"; (Edd.). For a weaker meaning ";meet with"; a person or thing, cf. P Fay 130.8 (iii/A.D.) ἕως ἄν καταλαμβάνω σε πρὸς τὴν ἑορτήν, ";until I meet you at the festival"; (Edd.), P Meyer 20.20 (1st half iii/A.D.) συνπεριφέρου τῷ καιρῷ ἕως σε καταλάβω, ";adapt yourself to circumstances until I join you,"; ib. 23.2 (end iv/A.D.) ἤδ ̣η γὰρ ὑμᾶς καταλάβω, P Oxy IX. 1223.5 (late iv/A.D.) τὸ πλοῖον. . . καταλαμβάνει, P Oxy IX. ib. X. 1297 .14 (iv/A.D.) ἐὰν καταγάβῃ Θεόδωρος ἐκεῖ, ";if Theodorus reaches you there"; (Edd.). Hence in late papyri the verb comes to mean ";visit"; as in Chrest. I. 297.6 (vi/A.D.) ἅμα ] δὲ Ἀπολλῶτι κατάλαβε, ἐπειδὴ ἀναγκαίως θέλω σοι λαλῆσαι, where Wilcken renders κατάλαβε ";komm,"; ";besuche mich."; To ";overtake,"; of evils, as in John 12:35, and probably in 1:5 is the meaning in Syll214.14 (iii/B.C.) καὶ νῦν δὲ καιρῶν (";crises";) κατειληφότων ὁμοίων τὴν Ἑλλάδα πᾶσαν : see also the Christian letter P Oxy VI.939.5 (iv/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 128) ὥστε τὴν ] κυρίαν ἀνασφῆλαι ἐκ τῆς καταλαβούσης [αὐτὴν νόσ ]ου, ";in that my mistress has recovered from the illness that struck her down."; 1 Thessalonians 5:4 may be illustrated by Syll 803.14 (Epidaurus, iii/B.C.) μεταξὺ δὲ ἁμέρα ἐπικαταλαμβάνει.
For καταλαμβάνω = ";detect,"; ";catch,"; in a crime, cf. P Lille I. 3.58 (after B.C. 241–0) ἀπεστάλκαμεν Ἡρακλείδην, συντάξαντες [α ]ὐτῶι, ἐά [ν τι ]νας καταλαμβάνηι διατιθεμένους [π ]λειόνων τι ̣[μ ]ῶν συντεταγμένων, παραδιδ [ό ]ναι αὐ [το ]ὺς τοῖς φ [υ ]λακίταις, P Ryl II. 138.15 (A.D. 34) κατέλαβα τοῦτον διὰ νυκτὸς ἡλμένον. . εἰς τῶι (l. τὸ) . . ἐποίκιον, ";I detected him when under cover of night he had sprung into the farmstead"; (Edd.),and especially BGU IV. 1024iii. 11 (iv/v A.D.) γυναῖκα καταλημφθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ε ̣̓δι [κ ]η [μέ ]νος (l. ἠδικημένου) μετὰ μοίχου, which offers an almost exact parallel to John 8:3 f.. The mid. = ";perceive,"; ";comprehend,"; as in Acts 4:13 al., may be illustrated from Vett. Val. p. 225.8 ἅπερ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀστέρων ἀφέσεως κατελαβόμην, and so frequently. See Dittenberger’s note on OGIS 8.20 for the verb = ";condemn"; in the Ionic and Aeolic dialects. MGr καταλαβαίνω, ";comprehend,"; ";understand.";
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
the Third Week after Epiphany