Lexical Summary katastrónnumi: To spread out, to lay down, to strew Original Word: καταστρώννυμι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance overthrow. From kata and stronnumi; to strew down, i.e. (by implication) to prostrate (slay) -- overthrow. see GREEK kata see GREEK stronnumi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and strónnuó Definition to overthrow NASB Translation laid low (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2693: καταστρώννυμικαταστρώννυμι: 1 aorist passive κατεστρωθην; to strew over (the ground); to prostrate, slay (cf. our to lay low): 1 Corinthians 10:5 (A. V. overthrown). (Numbers 14:16; Judith 7:14 Judith 14:4; 2 Macc. 5:26, etc.; Herodotus 8, 53; 9, 76; Xenophon, Cyril 3, 3, 64.) Topical Lexicon Root Imagery and ConceptThe verb paints the picture of bodies “spread out” or “strewn.” In the ancient world, the sight of corpses lying unburied after battle or plague was the clearest evidence that a people had come under decisive judgment. Paul borrows that physical image to describe the fate of the exodus generation, turning a historical memory into a pastoral warning. Old Testament Backdrop Numbers 14:29; Numbers 26:64–65; Deuteronomy 2:14–15 and Psalm 106:26 record how the adult males who left Egypt died in the wilderness. Each passage stresses that the judgment was comprehensive and unavoidable. By choosing the vivid “were strewn,” Paul compresses all those texts into a single snapshot of divine displeasure. New Testament Usage: 1 Corinthians 10:5 “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” (1 Corinthians 10:5) Placed between the privileges of verses 1–4 and the warnings of verses 6–12, the verb functions as the pivot of Paul’s argument: • Privilege (baptized into Moses, ate the same spiritual food, drank the same spiritual drink) Theological Significance 1. Divine holiness is uncompromising. Grace does not nullify moral accountability. Historical and Literary Setting Paul writes to a Corinthian congregation surrounded by pagan temples, feasts and sexual license—circumstances that echo Israel’s wilderness temptations (idolatry at Sinai, immorality at Baal Peor). The single occurrence of the verb evokes an entire era of Israel’s history, giving rhetorical weight to Paul’s exhortation. Applications for Ministry • Preaching: Use the wilderness narrative to challenge complacency in baptized, communion-taking believers. Related New Testament Echoes Hebrews 3:16–19; Hebrews 4:11 – the wilderness generation as a cautionary tale. Jude 5 – a brief rehearsal of the same judgment motif. Summary Strong’s Greek 2693 furnishes Paul with a vivid, once-used term that condenses the wilderness judgments into a single, unforgettable image. It stands as a linguistic monument warning every generation of believers that privilege without perseverance results in being “strewn” outside the promised rest. Forms and Transliterations καταστρωννύων κατεστρωθησαν κατεστρώθησαν κατέστρωσεν katestrothesan katestrōthēsan katestrṓthesan katestrṓthēsanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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