κατενόουν

katanoéō

they observed

To pay close attention to, to notice or perceive carefully, to direct one’s mind toward something and apprehend it attentively; in extended contexts, to contemplate, consider, or examine carefully. The primary sense involves not only visual observation but also mental attention and evaluation, implying both perceptive seeing and thoughtful reflection.

G2657

Acts 27:39 · Word #12

Lexicon G2657

Lemmaκατανοέω
Transliterationkatanoéō
Strong'sG2657
DefinitionTo pay close attention to, to notice or perceive carefully, to direct one’s mind toward something and apprehend it attentively; in extended contexts, to contemplate, consider, or examine carefully. The primary sense involves not only visual observation but also mental attention and evaluation, implying both perceptive seeing and thoughtful reflection.

Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number PL — Plural — More than one

Common Translation

Phrasethey observed
Literalthey-were-observing

Lexical Info

Lemmaκατανοέω
Strong'sG2657

SIBI-P1 Translation G2657-08

I was closely considering

Morphological NotesVerb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, first person singular.
Rendering RationaleThe imperfect active indicative first person singular denotes ongoing past action, hence "I was." "Closely considering" reflects the intensified sense of κατά with νοέω—directing the mind attentively and perceptively toward something.

View full lexicon entry for G2657 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

they observed

Same as P1No — adjusted for context
Rationale'they observed' fits the context of careful visual (and mental) examination by the group, instead of the first person P1 'I was closely considering'.