Lexical Summary katasophizomai: To deceive craftily, to outwit, to deal treacherously. Original Word: κατασοφίζομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be crafty against, circumventMiddle voice from kata and sophizo; to be crafty against, i.e. Circumvent -- deal subtilly with. see GREEK kata see GREEK sophizo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and sophizó Definition to deal craftily with NASB Translation took shrewd advantage (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2686: κατασοφίζομαικατασοφίζομαι: 1 aorist participle κατασοφισάμενος; (σοφίζω); deponent middle, in secular authors sometimes also passive; "to circumvent by artifice or fraud, conquer by subtle devices; to outwit, overreach; to deal craftily with": τινα, Acts 7:19 from Exodus 1:10. (Judith 5:11 Judith 10:19; Diodorus, Philo, Josephus, Lucian, others.) Topical Lexicon Background and Concept The verb represented by Strong’s Greek 2686 expresses calculated, crafty oppression. It is more than mere force; it is the deliberate, strategic manipulation of circumstances so that the strong may exploit or destroy the weak. Scripture consistently presents such craftiness as the hall-mark of godless power structures that set themselves against the covenant people of God. Old Testament Parallels Acts 7:19 alludes directly to Exodus 1:10–22, where Pharaoh says, “Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase…” (Exodus 1:10). The Septuagint uses a cognate verb to describe Pharaoh’s design. In both Hebrew and Greek traditions the picture is the same: subtle policy, public rhetoric, and legislative decrees combine to turn ordinary citizens into agents of persecution. Other Old Testament episodes share the pattern: • Genesis 3:1 – the serpent’s craft introduces death into the world. In each case God overturns the scheme through a chosen deliverer. New Testament Occurrence: Acts 7:19 Stephen, standing before the Sanhedrin, recounts how Pharaoh “dealt deceitfully with our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would not survive” (Acts 7:19). The participle translated “dealt deceitfully” is the lone New Testament use of Strong’s 2686. Stephen’s charge subtly mirrors the council’s own tactics against Jesus and now against the apostolic community. The same spirit of cunning oppression that once targeted infant boys in Egypt now seeks to silence the gospel. The Theme of Deceptive Oppression Throughout Scripture the adversary rarely advances by raw violence alone; deceitfulness cloaks his hostility: • Herod secretly inquires of the magi and then slaughters Bethlehem’s boys (Matthew 2:16). Strong’s 2686 therefore encapsulates a pervasive biblical motif: the misuse of wisdom and policy to hinder the plan of God. Christological and Redemptive Implications Moses, rescued from Pharaoh’s craft, prefigures Christ, preserved from Herod’s plot. Both deliverers emerge precisely where oppressive cunning seems most successful. In Acts 7 Stephen’s narrative shows that the resurrected Messiah stands in continuity with the God who overturns scheming rulers. What human intrigue intends for evil, God redirects for salvation (Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23-24). Pastoral Applications 1. Vigilance: Believers must discern policies or cultural pressures that disguise hostility to God’s truth behind claims of common good. Mission and Ethical Reflections The gospel spreads in environments where oppressive ingenuity tries to contain it. History shows that restrictions often become catalysts for deeper faith, whether under totalitarian regimes, secular ideologies, or subtle legal constraints. The account in Acts strengthens missionaries and pastors to expect resistance in cunning forms and to answer it with prayer, bold proclamation, and sacrificial service. Worship and Prayer Strong’s 2686 reminds worshipers that God “frustrates the plans of the crafty” (Job 5:12). Corporate prayer should include petitions that the Lord expose deceitful schemes, protect vulnerable lives, and grant governing authorities wisdom and justice (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Summary Strong’s Greek 2686 speaks of oppression wrapped in sophistication. Scripture traces the pattern from Pharaoh to Herod to every age’s antichrist impulses. Yet the same narrative reveals a sovereign God who turns cunning into the context for deliverance and who raises up faithful witnesses to declare His unassailable kingdom. Forms and Transliterations κατασοφισαμενος κατασοφισάμενος κατασοφισώμεθα κατασπά κατασπαρήσονται κατασπάσαι κατασπάσω κατασπαταλά κατασπαταλώντες κατασπερείς κατασπεύσαί κατασπεύσατε κατάσπευσον κατασπουδασθώ κατέσπασα κατέσπασαν κατέσπασε κατέσπασεν κατεσπάσθη κατεσπασμένοις κατέσπευδον κατέσπευσαν κατέσπευσε κατέσπευσεν katasophisamenos katasophisámenosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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