2638. katalambanó
Berean Strong's Lexicon
katalambanó: To seize, to grasp, to comprehend, to overtake

Original Word: καταλαμβάνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katalambanó
Pronunciation: kat-al-am-ban'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-al-am-ban'-o)
Definition: To seize, to grasp, to comprehend, to overtake
Meaning: (a) I seize tight hold of, arrest, catch, capture, appropriate, (b) I overtake, (c) mid. aor: I perceived, comprehended.

Word Origin: From κατά (kata, meaning "down" or "against") and λαμβάνω (lambanó, meaning "to take" or "to receive")

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "katalambanó," similar concepts can be found in Hebrew words like תָּפַשׂ (taphas, Strong's H8610), meaning "to seize" or "to capture," and בִּין (bin, Strong's H995), meaning "to understand" or "to discern."

Usage: The Greek verb "katalambanó" carries the idea of seizing or taking hold of something, both in a physical and metaphorical sense. It can mean to physically apprehend or capture, as well as to mentally grasp or understand a concept. In the New Testament, it is often used to describe the act of comprehending spiritual truths or the inability of darkness to overcome the light.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of "katalambanó" would have been understood in various contexts, from military conquests to philosophical understanding. The term implies a decisive action, whether it be capturing a city or grasping a profound truth. In the New Testament, this word is used to convey the power and authority of Christ's light and truth over darkness and ignorance.

HELPS Word-studies

2638 katalambánō (from 2596 /katá, "down, according to," which intensifies 2983 /lambánō, "aggressively take") – properly, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), "making it one's own."

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from kata and lambanó
Definition
to lay hold of, seize
NASB Translation
attained (1), caught (2), comprehend (2), found (1), laid hold (2), lay hold (1), overtake (2), seizes (1), understand (1), understood (1), win (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2638: καταλαμβάνω

καταλαμβάνω: 2 aorist κατέλαβον; perfect infinitive κατειληφέναι; passive, perfect 3 person singular κατείληπται (John 8:4 as given in L T Tr WH text), perfect participle κατειλημμένος; 1 aorist κατειληφθην (John 8:4 Rst bez elz G) (on the augment cf. Winer's Grammar, § 12, 6), and κατελήφθην (Philippians 3:12 R G), and κατελήμφθην (ibid. L T Tr WH; on the mu μ' see under the word Mu); middle, present καταλαμβάνομαι; 2 aorist κατελαβόμην; cf. Kühner, i., p. 856; (Veitch, under the word λαμβάνω); the Sept. for הִשִּׂיג, לָכַד, also for מָצָא, etc.; (from Homer down); to lay hold of; i. e.:

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 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:12f; τήν δικαιοσύνην, Romans 9:30; equivalent to to make one's own, to take into oneself, appropriate: σκοτία αὐτό (i. e. τό φῶς) οὐ κατέλαβεν, John 1:5.

2. to seize upon, take possession of (Latinoccupare);

a. of evils overtaking one (so in Greek writings from Homer down): τινα σκοτία, John 12:35; (so physically, John 6:17 Tdf.); of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, 1 Thessalonians 5:4; of a demon about to torment one, Mark 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, Philippians 3:12.

3. to detect, catch: τινα ἐν τίνι, in passive John 8:3 (WH ἐπί τίνι); with a participle indicating the crime, John 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, Ephesians 3:18.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
apprehend, attain, overtake.

From kata and lambano; to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively) -- apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

see GREEK kata

see GREEK lambano

Forms and Transliterations
καταλαβεσθαι καταλαβέσθαι καταλάβετε καταλαβη καταλάβη καταλάβῃ καταλαβητε καταλάβητε καταλάβοι καταλαβομενοι καταλαβόμενοι καταλαβόμενος καταλαβω καταλάβω καταλαβώμεθα καταλάβωσι καταλαμβανομαι καταλαμβάνομαι καταλαμβανομένου καταλαμβάνονται καταλαμβάνων καταλήψεσθε καταλήψεται καταλήψη καταλήψομαι καταλήψονταί κατειλημμένα κατειλημμενην κατειλημμένην κατειληπται κατείληπται κατειληφεναι κατειληφέναι κατέλαβε κατέλαβέ κατελαβεν κατέλαβεν κατελάβετο κατελαβομην κατελαβόμην κατέλαβον κατέλαβόν κατελάβοντο κατελείφθη κατελημφθην κατελήμφθην κατελήφθην katalabe katalabē katalábei katalábēi katalabesthai katalabésthai katalabete katalabēte katalábete katalábēte katalabo katalabō katalábo katalábō katalabomenoi katalabómenoi katalambanomai katalambánomai kateilemmenen kateilemménen kateilēmmenēn kateilēmménēn kateilephenai kateilephénai kateilēphenai kateilēphénai kateileptai kateilēptai kateíleptai kateílēptai katelaben katélaben katelabomen katelabomēn katelabómen katelabómēn katelemphthen katelēmphthēn katelḗmphthen katelḗmphthēn
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Englishman's Concordance
Mark 9:18 V-ASA-3S
GRK: ἐὰν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ ῥήσσει αὐτόν
NAS: and whenever it seizes him, it slams
KJV: wheresoever he taketh him,
INT: if him it seizes it throws down him

John 1:5 V-AIA-3S
GRK: αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν
NAS: and the darkness did not comprehend it.
KJV: and the darkness comprehended it not.
INT: it not overcame

John 8:3 V-RPM/P-AFS
GRK: ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ κατειλημμένην καὶ στήσαντες
NAS: a woman caught in adultery,
KJV: him a woman taken in adultery;
INT: in adultery having been caught and having set

John 8:4 V-RIM/P-3S
GRK: ἡ γυνὴ κατείληπται ἐπ' αὐτοφώρῳ
NAS: woman has been caught in adultery,
KJV: woman was taken in adultery,
INT: woman was taken in the very act

John 12:35 V-ASA-3S
GRK: σκοτία ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ καὶ ὁ
NAS: that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks
KJV: lest darkness come upon you: for
INT: darkness you might overtake And he who

Acts 4:13 V-APM-NMP
GRK: Ἰωάννου καὶ καταλαβόμενοι ὅτι ἄνθρωποι
NAS: and John and understood that they were uneducated
KJV: John, and perceived that they were
INT: of John and having understood that men

Acts 10:34 V-PIM-1S
GRK: Ἐπ' ἀληθείας καταλαμβάνομαι ὅτι οὐκ
NAS: certainly understand [now] that God
KJV: Of a truth I perceive that God
INT: certainly truth I understand that not

Acts 25:25 V-AIM-1S
GRK: ἐγὼ δὲ κατελαβόμην μηδὲν ἄξιον
NAS: But I found that he had committed
KJV: But when I found that he had committed
INT: I moreover having understood nothing worthy

Romans 9:30 V-AIA-3S
GRK: διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην κατέλαβεν δικαιοσύνην δικαιοσύνην
NAS: righteousness, attained righteousness,
KJV: after righteousness, have attained to righteousness,
INT: follow after righteousness attained righteousness righteousness

1 Corinthians 9:24 V-ASA-2P
GRK: τρέχετε ἵνα καταλάβητε
NAS: Run in such a way that you may win.
KJV: run, that ye may obtain.
INT: run that you might obtain [it]

Ephesians 3:18 V-ANM
GRK: ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν
NAS: may be able to comprehend with all
KJV: May be able to comprehend with all
INT: that you might be fully able to apprehend with all

Philippians 3:12 V-ASA-1S
GRK: εἰ καὶ καταλάβω ἐφ' ᾧ
NAS: on so that I may lay hold
KJV: if that I may apprehend that for
INT: if also I might lay hold for which

Philippians 3:12 V-AIP-1S
GRK: ᾧ καὶ κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ
NAS: that I may lay hold of that for which
KJV: which also I am apprehended of Christ
INT: which also I was laid hold of by Christ

Philippians 3:13 V-RNA
GRK: οὐ λογίζομαι κατειληφέναι ἓν δέ
NAS: myself as having laid hold of [it] yet;
KJV: myself to have apprehended: but
INT: not do reckon to have laid hold one thing moreover

1 Thessalonians 5:4 V-ASA-3S
GRK: ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ
NAS: that the day would overtake you like
KJV: that that day should overtake you as
INT: as a thief should overtake

Strong's Greek 2638
15 Occurrences


καταλάβῃ — 3 Occ.
καταλάβητε — 1 Occ.
καταλαβέσθαι — 1 Occ.
καταλάβω — 1 Occ.
καταλαβόμενοι — 1 Occ.
καταλαμβάνομαι — 1 Occ.
κατειλημμένην — 1 Occ.
κατειληφέναι — 1 Occ.
κατείληπται — 1 Occ.
κατέλαβεν — 2 Occ.
κατελαβόμην — 1 Occ.
κατελήμφθην — 1 Occ.

















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