Lexical Summary katapheró: To bring down, to cast down, to bear down Original Word: καταφέρω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fall, give, sink down. From kata and phero (including its alternate); to bear down, i.e. (figuratively) overcome (with drowsiness); specially, to cast a vote -- fall, give, sink down. see GREEK kata see GREEK phero NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and pheró Definition to bring down NASB Translation against (1), bringing (1), cast...against (1), overcome (1), sinking (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2702: καταφέρωκαταφέρω; 1 aorist κατήνεγκα; passive, present καταφέρομαι; 1 aorist κατηνεχθην; (from Homer down); to bear down, bring down, cast down: ψῆφον, properly, to cast a pebble or calculus namely, into the urn, i. e. to give one's vote, to approve, Acts 26:10; αἰτιώματα κατά τίνος (see κατά, I. 2 b. (but the critical editions reject κατά κτλ.)), Acts 25:7 L T Tr WH. Passive, to be borne down, to sink (from the window to the pavement), ἀπό τοῦ ὕπνου, from sleep (from the effect of his deep sleep (cf. Buttmann, 322 (277); Winer's Grammar, 371 (348))), Acts 20:9b; metaphorically, to be weighed down by, overcome, carried away, καταφερόμενος ὕπνῳ βάθει, sunk in a deep sleep, Acts 20:9a; of a different sort (contra Winer's Grammar, 431 (401)) is the expression in secular authors, καταφέρομαι εἰς ὕπνον, to sink into sleep, drop asleep, Josephus, Antiquities 2, 5, 5; Herodian, 2, 1, 3 (2); 9, 6 (5); τοισιν ὑπνοισιν, Hipp., p. 1137 c. ((Kühn iii., p. 539)), and in the same sense simply καταφέρομαι; cf. (Liddell and Scott, under the word, I. 2 d.); Stephanus' Thesaurus 4 col. 1286 (where the passage from Acts is fully discussed). Topical Lexicon Strong’s Greek 2702 – καταφέρω (katapherō)Overview of Usage This verb pictures a forceful movement downward, whether of the body, of accusations, or of judgment. Each New Testament occurrence is set within the Acts narrative and highlights how individuals or claims are “borne down” upon others, revealing important themes of human frailty, legal hostility, and divine sovereignty. The Overcoming of Eutychus (Acts 20:9) “Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul spoke on and on. When sleep overcame him, he fell down from the third account and was picked up dead.” (Acts 20:9) Charges Brought against Paul before Festus (Acts 25:7) “When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.” (Acts 25:7) Paul’s Former Hostility toward Believers (Acts 26:10) “And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.” (Acts 26:10) Theological Threads 1. Human frailty versus divine power: Whether sleep’s grip on Eutychus or judicial pressure on Paul, downward forces meet God’s rescuing hand (Psalm 40:2). Historical and Cultural Insights • Roman legal practice allowed private parties to “bring down” written or oral charges before a governor, often accompanied by rhetoric intended to sway the court. Ministerial Applications • Guarding against physical exhaustion in worship gatherings affirms that the body is an instrument for, not an obstacle to, spiritual life. Connection to Christ and the Gospel Every downward motion in these texts—sleep, accusation, judicial sentence—finds its ultimate answer in the One who “descended to the lower earthly regions” (Ephesians 4:9) and rose triumphant. The verb καταφέρω thus serves as a narrative signpost: what drags humanity down is overruled by resurrection power, securing both present endurance and eternal hope. Summary Strong’s 2702 paints a vivid portrait of forces that press down, whether physical, legal, or moral. Acts records how the risen Lord counteracts each descent—reviving the fallen, vindicating the accused, and redeeming the persecutor. In every context, the word reminds readers that while earthly powers may bear down, the gospel always lifts up. Forms and Transliterations καταφερομένη καταφερόμενον καταφερομενος καταφερόμενος καταφεροντες καταφέροντες κατενέγκη κατενεχθεις κατενεχθείς κατενεχθεὶς κατεφέρετο κατηνεγκα κατήνεγκα κατήνεγκαν κατηνέχθη κατήνεχθη katapheromenos katapherómenos katapherontes kataphérontes katenechtheis katenechtheìs katenenka katēnenka katḗnenkaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 20:9 V-PPM/P-NMSGRK: τῆς θυρίδος καταφερόμενος ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ NAS: on the window sill, sinking into a deep KJV: Eutychus, being fallen into a deep INT: the window overpowered by sleep deep Acts 20:9 V-APP-NMS Acts 25:7 V-PPA-NMP Acts 26:10 V-AIA-1S Strong's Greek 2702 |
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