verb
kathairamō
Strong’sG2507
I take down, depose, destroy
stem kathair-9 times in the New Testamentin 4 of 27 books7 forms occur
What it means
What the word means, in the words of the lexicons out of copyright — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones, wherever each has an entry for it.
καθ-αιρέω, -ῶ,
[in LXX for נתץ, פּרץ, ירד, etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2507 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Ionic dialect κατ-, Aeolic dialect κατάγρημι, which see: future -ήσωRefs 8th c.BC+: future Refs 1st c.AD+aorist 2 καθεῖλον, infinitive καθελεῖν: aorist 1 καθεῖλα LXX: Ionic dialect perfect participle passive καταραιρημένος Refs 5th c.BC+:—take down, καθείλομεν ἱστία Refs 8th c.BC+; κ. ἄχθος take it down, i.e. off one's shoulders, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τῶν ἐκ τῆς στοᾶς ὅπλων some of them, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τινά, from the cross, Refs 2nd c.BC+ —middle, κατελέσθαι τὰ τόξα take down one's bow, Refs 5th c.BC+
2 put down, close the eyes of the dead, ὄσσε καθαιρήσουσι θανόντι περ Refs 8th c.BC+
3 of sorcerers, bring down from the sky, σελήνην Refs 5th c.BC+
4 κατά με πέδον γᾶς ἕλοι may earth swallow me! Refs 5th c.BC+
II put down by force, destroy, ὅτε κέν μιν μοῖρ᾽ ὀλοὴ καθέλῃσι Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.; kill, slay, ταῦρονRefs 7th c.BC+; ἐάν τις ἀποκτείνῃ.. ἐν ὁδῷ καθελών Legal cited in Refs 4th c.BC+:—passive, of criminals, to be executed, Refs 1st c.AD+
II.2 put down, reduce, κ. Κῦρον καὶ τὴν Περσέων δύναμιν Refs 5th c.BC+; καθαιρεθῆναι, opposed to ἀρθῆναι, Refs 4th c.BC+; especially depose, dethrone, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τὸ λῃστικὸν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης remove it utterly from.., Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. ὕβριν τινός LXX+5th c.BC+passive, καθῃρημένος τὴν αἴσθησιν bereft of sense, Refs 1st c.AD+; καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος [Ἀρτέμιδος] NT
II.3 raze to the ground, demolish, πόλεις LXX+5th c.BC+; τῶν τειχῶν a part of the walls, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.4 cancel, rescind, τὸ Μεγαρέων ψήφισμα Refs 5th c.BC+
II.5 as law-term, condemn, ἡ καθαιροῦσα ψῆφος a verdict of guilty, Refs 5th c.BC+: with infinitive, ἐμὲ πάλος καθαιρεῖ.. λαβεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+; simply, decide, ὅ τι ἂν αἱ πλείους ψῆφοι καθαιρῶσι Refs 1st c.BC+; in book-keeping, ἃν καθαιρῶσιν αἱ ψῆφοι whatever the counters (or accounts) prove, probably in Refs 4th c.BC+
II.6 reduce, τῶν αὐξανομένων καὶ καθαιρουμένων γραμμῶν Refs 4th c.BC+; of mild caustics, τὰ ὑπερσαρκέοντα καθαιρεῖ (probably to be read instead of καθαίρει) Refs 5th c.BC+: Rhet., minimize, Refs 4th c.BC+
III overpower, seize, κὰδ δέ μιν ὕπνος ᾕρει Refs 8th c.BC+; κ. τινά overtake, Refs 5th c.BC+; κ. τινὰ ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ catch in the act of folly, Refs 5th c.BC+ seize by.., Refs 3rd c.BC+:—passive, κ. ὑπό τινος Refs 5th c.BC+
IV fetch down as a reward or prize, καθαιρεῖν ἀγῶνας Refs 1st c.AD+: metaphorically, achieve, ἀγώνιον.. εὖχος ἔργῳ καθελών Refs 5th c.BC+future infinitive καθαρεῖν, παστόν, μίτρανRefs:—middle, φόνῳ καθαιρεῖσθ᾽, οὐ λόγῳ, τὰ πράγματα Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, Refs 5th c.BC+
V less frequently like the simple αἱρεῖν, take and carry off, Refs
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| kathairamiκαθελῶ | will happen · Ifuture active indicative 1st person singular | tear down | 1× |
| kathairataκαθεῖλεν | happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular | brought down | 1× |
| kathairorōκαθαιρεῖσθαι | happening now · the “to …” formpresent middle or passive infinitive | deprived | 1× |
| kathairaraκαθελεῖν | happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive | take … down | 1× |
| kathairarōntoisκαθαιροῦντες | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine | demolish | 1× |
| kathairarantosκαθελὼν | happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular masculine | took … down | 3× |
| kathairarantoisκαθελόντες | happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative plural masculine | took … down | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 140, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 2 occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairamō | kathairame | kathairami1×καθελῶ | kathairama | kathairamē | kathairamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairasō | kathairase | kathairasi | kathairasa | kathairasē | kathairaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairatō | kathairate | kathairati | kathairata1×καθεῖλεν | kathairatē | kathairatelē |
| we 1st person plural | kathairanō | kathairane | kathairani | kathairana | kathairanē | kathairanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairavō | kathairave | kathairavi | kathairava | kathairavē | kathairavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairalō | kathairale | kathairali | kathairala | kathairalē | kathairalelē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairomō | kathairome | kathairomē | kathairomelē |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairosō | kathairose | kathairosē | kathairoselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairotō | kathairote | kathairotē | kathairotelē |
| we 1st person plural | kathaironō | kathairone | kathaironē | kathaironelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairovō | kathairove | kathairovē | kathairovelē |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairolō | kathairole | kathairolē | kathairolelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairameiō | kathairameia | kathairameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairaseiō | kathairaseia | kathairaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairateiō | kathairateia | kathairateiē |
| we 1st person plural | kathairaneiō | kathairaneia | kathairaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairaveiō | kathairaveia | kathairaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairaleiō | kathairaleia | kathairaleiē |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairomeiō | kathairomeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairoseiō | kathairoseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairoteiō | kathairoteiē |
| we 1st person plural | kathaironeiō | kathaironeiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairoveiō | kathairoveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairoleiō | kathairoleiē |
Commands — imperative mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | kathairasōr | kathairasar | kathairasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairatōr | kathairatar | kathairatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairavōr | kathairavar | kathairavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairalōr | kathairalar | kathairalēr |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | kathairosōr | kathairosēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairotōr | kathairotēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairovōr | kathairovēr |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairolōr | kathairolēr |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
the subject acts active voice
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairamoiō | kathairamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairasoiō | kathairasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairatoiō | kathairatoia |
| we 1st person plural | kathairanoiō | kathairanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairavoiō | kathairavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairaloiō | kathairaloia |
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | kathairomoiō |
| you 2nd person singular | kathairosoiō |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | kathairotoiō |
| we 1st person plural | kathaironoiō |
| ye 2nd person plural | kathairovoiō |
| they 3rd person plural | kathairoloiō |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 2 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | kathairarō | kathairari | kathairara1×καθελεῖν | kathairarē |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | kathairorō1×καθαιρεῖσθαι | kathairorē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 5 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | kathairarōntos1× | kathairarintos | kathairarantos4×καθελὼν | kathairarēntos |
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | kathairorōntos | kathairorēntos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
kathair is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
9 occurrences, every one of them listed
kathairami“tear down”will happen · Ifuture active indicative 1st person singular1×
Luke 12:18kai legata; Houtem poiami; kathairami mu tain apothēkain kai megoterain oikodomami, …… what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger …
kathairata“brought down”happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular1×
Luke 1:52kathairata dunastoin apo thronoiu kai hupsata tapeinoin,He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has …
kathairorō“deprived”happening now · the “to …” formpresent middle or passive infinitive1×
Acts 19:27“deprived”… eis oudenem logizira, mellarō tē kai kathairorō tau megaleiotau autau, han holas tas …… the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed — she who is worshiped by all the province of …
kathairara“take … down”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive1×
Mark 15:36… legarōntos; Afiēkavar horaneia ei erchotō Ēliaos kathairara auton.… us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”
kathairarōntois“demolish”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine1×
2 Corinthians 10:4… to theo pros kathairesian ochurōmeiu logismoin kathairarōntois… Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
kathairarantos“took … down”happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative singular masculine3×
Mark 15:46kai agorazarantos sindonan kathairarantos auton eneilata ta sindona kai tithata …So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it …
Luke 23:53kai kathairarantos entulissata autem sindona, kai tithata auton …Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth …
Acts 13:19“destroying”kai kathairarantos ethneim hepta en gēa Chanaan kataklēronomata …And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His …
kathairarantois“took … down”happened · subjectaorist active participle nominative plural masculine1×
Acts 13:29… telala panteim teim peri autou graforēnteim, kathairarantois apo teu xuleu tithala eis mnēmeiem.… that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him …