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καταβαίνω

katabaínō

G2597 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To go or move downward from a higher to a lower place; to descend. This includes both literal physical movement (as from a hill, ship, or higher location) and metaphorical or extended senses, such as descending in rank, status, or spiritual condition. Contextually, may refer to the act of someone coming down from above, entering a lower region, or experiencing a lowering in status or capacity.

Semantic Range

to descend, to go down physically, to come down from a higher place, to step down, to fall down, to move down socially or metaphorically

Root / Etymology

From the preposition κατά (down, against, according to) and the root of βαίνω (to go, to step), thus meaning literally 'to go down' or 'to descend.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

καταβαίνω is broadly attested across classical, Hellenistic, and Koine Greek with its core meaning of descending or moving downward. In narratives, especially in the New Testament and Septuagint, it is often used for physical movement from an elevated place to a lower one: e.g., descending from a mountain, coming down from a ship. In figurative contexts, καταβαίνω may refer to decline or deterioration, such as descending into the grave or undergoing a reduction in status. English translations (e.g., 'come down,' 'descend') generally capture the literal sense but may not convey the full metaphorical or social implications present in certain contexts. The verb contrasts with ἀναβαίνω (to go up, ascend), which denotes upward movement. While used with both personal and impersonal subjects, the context of descent varies depending on the scene—whether geographic, social, or spiritual. In Jewish-Greek texts, καταβαίνω may be employed to describe movement toward the plain or to regions considered lower in elevation (e.g., from Jerusalem, which is on a height, to Jericho).

Translation Consistency

primary "go down" 9 occurrences

Natural, common English that covers the full SILEX range (literal descent, coming down from a higher place, and metaphorical lowering in status). It maps easily to all inflected forms (went down, comes down, descending) and sounds more idiomatic than the one-word formal 'descend' while preserving the basic meaning.

Alternatives (41 occurrences):
"descending" (10x) "went down" (9x) "having gone down" (8x) "gone down" (3x) "descend" (2x) "those going down" (2x) "those having gone down" (2x) "having descended" (1x) "come down" (1x) "those descending" (1x) "descends" (1x) "descended" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά and the base of βάσις; to descend (literally or figuratively):--come (get, go, step) down, fall (down).

Root Family

βαίνω (katabaínō) — to go, to step, to move

Root βαίνω to go, to step, to move

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2597-24 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG came down went down went down 13
G2597-14 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having gone down having descended having gone down 12
G2597-03 καταβαῖνον katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP ACC N SG descending descending descending 9
G2597-15 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG come down let him descend let him go down 5
G2597-26 κατέβησαν katebesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they went down they descended they went down 5
G2597-22 κατάβηθι katabethi V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG come down Descend! Go down! 4
G2597-04 καταβαίνοντα katabainonta V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M SG coming down descending descending 3
G2597-10 καταβαίνουσαν katabainousan V PRS ACT PTCP ACC F SG coming down descending descending 3
G2597-01 καταβαίνει katabainei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG comes down he/she/it descends descends 2
G2597-07 καταβαινόντων katabainonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL they came down of those descending of those going down 2

Occurrences in Scripture

81 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2597-03 Matthew 3:16 καταβαῖνον katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP ACC N SG descending descending descending
G2597-24 Matthew 7:25 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG came down went down went down
G2597-24 Matthew 7:27 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG descended went down went down
G2597-13 Matthew 8:1 καταβάντος katabantos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG having come down of one having descended of one having descended
G2597-20 Matthew 11:23 καταβήσῃ katabese V FUT MID IND 2P SG you-will-go-down you will descend you will descend
G2597-14 Matthew 14:29 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG getting down having descended having gone down
G2597-07 Matthew 17:9 καταβαινόντων katabainonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL were coming down of those descending of those going down
G2597-15 Matthew 24:17 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG come down let him descend let him go down
G2597-22 Matthew 27:40 κατάβηθι katabethi V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG come down Descend! Go down!
G2597-15 Matthew 27:42 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG let him come down let him descend let him go down
G2597-14 Matthew 28:2 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG descended having descended having gone down
G2597-03 Mark 1:10 καταβαῖνον katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP ACC N SG descending descending descending
G2597-12 Mark 3:22 καταβάντες katabantes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL came down those having descended those having gone down
G2597-07 Mark 9:9 καταβαινόντων katabainonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL they came down of those descending of those going down
G2597-15 Mark 13:15 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG go down let him descend let him go down
G2597-14 Mark 15:30 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG come down having descended having gone down
G2597-15 Mark 15:32 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG come down let him descend let him go down
G2597-24 Luke 2:51 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he went down went down went down
G2597-19 Luke 3:22 καταβῆναι katabenai V AOR ACT INF to descend to descend to have gone down
G2597-14 Luke 6:17 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG came down having descended having gone down
G2597-24 Luke 8:23 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG came down went down went down
G2597-19 Luke 9:54 καταβῆναι katabenai V AOR ACT INF to come down to descend to come down
G2597-20 Luke 10:15 καταβήσῃ katabese V FUT PASS IND 2P SG be brought down you will descend you will descend
G2597-23 Luke 10:30 κατέβαινεν katebainen V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG was going down was descending was descending
G2597-23 Luke 10:31 κατέβαινεν katebainen V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG was going down was descending was descending
G2597-15 Luke 17:31 καταβάτω katabato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG let him come down let him descend let him go down
G2597-24 Luke 18:14 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went down went down went down
G2597-22 Luke 19:5 κατάβηθι katabethi V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG come down Descend! Go down!
G2597-24 Luke 19:6 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG came down went down went down
G2597-06 Luke 22:44 καταβαίνοντες katabainontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL falling down those descending descending
G2597-03 John 1:32 καταβαῖνον katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP ACC N SG descending descending descending
G2597-03 John 1:33 καταβαῖνον katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP ACC N SG descending descending descending
G2597-05 John 1:51 καταβαίνοντας katabainontas V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL descending descending ones those descending
G2597-24 John 2:12 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he went down went down went down
G2597-14 John 3:13 καταβάς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG who descended having descended having gone down
G2597-16 John 4:47 καταβῇ katabe V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG he come down may descend he may go down
G2597-22 John 4:49 κατάβηθι katabethi V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG come down Descend! Go down!
G2597-08 John 4:51 καταβαίνοντος katabainontos V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M SG was going down of the one descending descending
G2597-01 John 5:7 καταβαίνει katabainei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG steps down he/she/it descends descends
G2597-26 John 6:16 κατέβησαν katebesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL went down they descended they went down
G2597-03 John 6:33 καταβαίνων katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG coming down descending descending
G2597-17 John 6:38 καταβέβηκα katabebeka V PRF ACT IND 1P SG I have come down I have descended I have gone down
G2597-14 John 6:41 καταβὰς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG that came down having descended having gone down
G2597-17 John 6:42 καταβέβηκα katabebeka V PRF ACT IND 1P SG I have come down I have descended I have gone down
G2597-03 John 6:50 καταβαίνων katabainon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG coming down descending descending
G2597-14 John 6:51 καταβάς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG that-came-down having descended having gone down
G2597-14 John 6:58 καταβάς katabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having come down having descended having gone down
G2597-24 Acts 7:15 κατέβη katebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went down went down went down
G2597-25 Acts 7:34 κατέβην kateben V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I came down I descended I descended
G2597-12 Acts 8:15 καταβάντες katabantes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL had come down those having descended those having gone down
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