κατά

katá

G2596 preposition

SILEX Entry

Definition

As a preposition, primarily conveys the sense of 'down, against, according to, in relation to' depending on the case with which it is used. With the genitive, it signifies 'down from, against, in opposition to, about, concerning.' With the accusative, it often means 'according to, in relation to, along, during, throughout, throughout the extent of.' Used in a wide range of idiomatic phrases to indicate distribution, manner, opposition, agency, intensity, and spatial or temporal direction.

Semantic Range

down (spatial direction), opposite, against (opposition), throughout, during (temporal extension), in accordance with (standard or rule), concerning, in relation to, per (distribution), after the manner of, down along, throughout the extent of (space or time), by, throughout every, intensity in compounds

Root / Etymology

From the root κατα-, a prepositional prefix and adverb in ancient Greek expressing direction, downward motion, or intensity. Cognate with kindred Indo-European particles signifying downward or opposition (cf. Latin 'de', 'contra').

Historical & Contextual Notes

κατά is one of the most versatile and frequently used prepositions in Koine Greek, appearing in both simple and compound forms. In earlier Greek (Homeric and classical), it often indicated physical movement 'down' or 'against.' In the Hellenistic and NT periods, usage broadened: with the accusative, it became almost synonymous with 'according to' or 'in reference to' (e.g., κατά τίνα 'according to someone'), and signals manner, standard, distribution, or per (κατ’ ἄνδρα 'per person'). With the genitive, it often marks opposition ('against'), motion down from or over, or general reference. Its potential spatial, temporal, distributive, or logical uses are best understood from specific contexts. In compound verbs, κατά frequently intensifies meaning or adds a nuance of opposition/distribution. English translations, by necessity, reflect only part of its range, and idiomatic uses are particularly difficult to capture in single English glosses; context nearly always determines the prepositional force in a given passage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from … to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), … by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.

Root Family

κατά (kata) — down, against, according to, in relation to

Root κατα- down, against, according to, in relation to

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2596-02 κατὰ kata PREP ACC according to according to according to 330
G2596-01 κατ’ kat PREP ACC according to according to according to 85
G2596-03 καθ’ kath PREP GEN every against according to 60

Occurrences in Scripture

475 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2596-01 Matthew 1:20 κατ’ kat PREP ACC in according to in
G2596-01 Matthew 2:12 κατ’ kat PREP ACC in according to according to
G2596-01 Matthew 2:13 κατ’ kat PREP ACC in according to in
G2596-02 Matthew 2:16 κατὰ kata PREP ACC according to according to according to
G2596-01 Matthew 2:19 κατ’ kat PREP ACC in according to in
G2596-01 Matthew 2:22 κατ’ kat PREP ACC in according to in
G2596-03 Matthew 5:11 καθ’ kath PREP GEN against against against
G2596-02 Matthew 5:23 κατὰ kata PREP GEN against according to against
G2596-02 Matthew 8:32 κατὰ kata PREP GEN down according to down
G2596-02 Matthew 9:29 κατὰ kata PREP ACC According to according to according to