2697. kataschesis
Lexical Summary
kataschesis: Possession, holding, seizure

Original Word: κατάσχεσις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: kataschesis
Pronunciation: ka-TAS-khay-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-as'-khes-is)
KJV: possession
NASB: dispossessing, possession
Word Origin: [from G2722 (κατέχω - hold fast)]

1. a holding down, i.e. occupancy

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
possession.

From katecho; a holding down, i.e. Occupancy -- possession.

see GREEK katecho

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from katechó
Definition
a holding fast
NASB Translation
dispossessing (1), possession (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2697: κατάσχεσις

κατάσχεσις, κατασχέσεως, (κατέχω), the Sept. often for אֲחֻזָּה, possession;

1. a holding back, hindering: anonymous in Walz, Rhetor. i., p. 616, 20.

2. a holding fast, possession: γῆν δοῦναι εἰς κατάσχεσιν, to give in possession the land, Acts 7:5, as in Genesis 17:8; Deuteronomy 32:49 Alex.; Ezekiel 33:24; Ezekiel 36:2f, 5; Josephus, Antiquities 9, 1, 2; (Test xii. Patr., test. Benj. § 10); with the genitive of the subjunctive τῶν ἐθνῶν, of the territory possessed by (the possession of) the nations, Acts 7:45; (a portion given to keep, Philo, rer. div. haer. § 40 (cf. Psalm 2:8)).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Essence

The term expresses the idea of a secured holding—property or territory granted and occupied under divine sanction. More than bare ownership, it conveys the settled, covenantal enjoyment of what God bestows.

Occurrences in Scripture

Acts 7:5 – Stephen reminds the Sanhedrin that Abraham “no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground… but God promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him, even though at that time Abraham had no child.”
Acts 7:45 – The same speech recounts that the fathers “brought [the tabernacle] in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them.” The verb implies the successful occupation of territory once promised.

Historical Background

1. Patriarchal era: Abraham’s life was marked by tents and altars, not boundary stones. His only parcel was a burial cave (Genesis 23). The noun therefore highlights the tension between promise and present circumstance.
2. Conquest under Joshua: Centuries later, Israel obtained the pledged land, turning promise into national reality (Joshua 21:43-45). Stephen links this conquest back to Abraham to show one continuous divine plan.
3. Second-Temple context: By Stephen’s day the nation again lived under foreign domination. His rehearsal of the word underscored that true possession is granted—and can be withdrawn—by God alone, irrespective of political control.

Land as Covenant Possession

The word crystallizes the Abrahamic covenant’s territorial clause (Genesis 15:18-21). Possession is God-initiated, timed, and conditioned on faithfulness (Deuteronomy 29:28; 2 Chronicles 7:20). It also carries Sabbath overtones: enjoying rest within God’s allotted sphere (Joshua 22:4).

Typological Fulfillment in Christ

Hebrews 11:8-16 views Abraham’s earthly grant as an arrow pointing to “a better country—a heavenly one.” Jesus, risen and enthroned, secures the ultimate inheritance (Ephesians 1:11-14). Believers now possess “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:3) and await bodily entrance into the perfected creation (Romans 8:19-23; Revelation 21:7).

Theological Significance

1. Promise-Fulfillment Continuum: The two Acts references bracket Israel’s story—promise to patriarch, fulfillment through conquest—affirming divine faithfulness.
2. Already-Not-Yet: Abraham held a pledge without the land; Christians hold the Spirit as a pledge while awaiting full redemption (2 Corinthians 5:5).
3. Divine Initiative: Possession comes by covenant grace, never by human merit. Israel “dispossessed the nations God drove out before them” (Acts 7:45); salvation likewise is God’s work from start to finish.

Implications for Christian Life and Ministry

• Perseverance of faith: Like Abraham, saints may live in the tension between promise and realization; steadfast trust is required.
• Stewardship, not exploitation: The land was gift and trust; so every resource is to be managed under divine ownership (Psalm 24:1).
• Evangelistic motive: Just as Israel’s inheritance became a platform for God’s revelation to the nations, the church’s spiritual inheritance propels mission (1 Peter 2:9-12).
• Assurance: The Spirit as “down payment” guarantees final possession; ministry proceeds from security, not striving (Ephesians 1:14).

Related Concepts and Cross-References

Inheritance – Numbers 26:53; Galatians 3:18

Rest – Hebrews 4:1-11

Pledge/Guarantee – 2 Corinthians 1:22

Kingdom – Colossians 1:12-13

Perseverance – Hebrews 10:35-39

Summary

Strong’s 2697 gathers the biblical storyline of land, covenant, and ultimate inheritance into a single term. From Abraham’s unsatisfied longing to Joshua’s conquest, and from Stephen’s defense to the church’s eschatological hope, it testifies that what God promises He brings to settled fruition, urging believers to trust, steward, and proclaim the possession secured for them in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
κατασχεσει κατασχέσει κατασχέσεσιν κατασχέσεως κατασχεσιν κατάσχεσιν κατάσχεσίν κατάσχεσις κατατάσσων κατατεμούσιν κατατενεί κατατενείς κατατέρπου κατατέτακται κατατετμημένοι κατατήξεις κατέταξας κατετέμνοντο kataschesei kataschései kataschesin katáschesin
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Englishman's Concordance
Acts 7:5 N-AFS
GRK: αὐτῷ εἰς κατάσχεσιν αὐτὴν καὶ
NAS: that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION, AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS
KJV: to him for a possession, and to his
INT: to him for a possession it and

Acts 7:45 N-DFS
GRK: ἐν τῇ κατασχέσει τῶν ἐθνῶν
NAS: it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations
KJV: into the possession of the Gentiles,
INT: in the taking possession of the nations

Strong's Greek 2697
2 Occurrences


κατασχέσει — 1 Occ.
κατάσχεσιν — 1 Occ.

2696
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