κατακλίνω (G2625) — Greek Lexicon

κατακλίνω

kataklínō

G2625 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

to cause (oneself or another) to recline, especially to arrange someone or a group to lie down or to take a reclining posture, most commonly in the sense of seating guests at a meal (reclining at table) in keeping with ancient dining customs; more generally, to make lie down, to lay down, or to recline oneself.

Semantic Range

to cause to lie down, to cause to recline, to arrange to recline (at table), to make lie down (for rest or at meals), to seat guests (with implied reclining posture), to lay down

Root / Etymology

From κατα- (down, according to) + κλίνω (to bend, to incline, to cause to lean/recline). Literally, 'to cause to lean down' or 'to lay down.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κατακλίνω appears with the general meaning 'to cause to lie down' (e.g., to lay someone on a bed or couch). In Hellenistic and Koine usage, the word is strongly associated with the social practice of reclining at meals—a Greco-Roman custom (accubatio) where participants lay on couches during banquets rather than sitting. In New Testament contexts (e.g., Mark 6:39), κατακλίνω is used for arranging groups to recline in the grass for communal eating, reflecting both general and specific uses: 'to have people recline for a meal' and, more broadly, 'to cause to lie down.' In Septuagint usage, it may refer either to lying down for rest or to seating for meals, depending on context. English translations often obscure the reclining posture by rendering it as 'have (the people) sit down,' though this loses the cultural nuance of the meal posture, as reclining at meals was a marker of formality, status, and communal activity. κατακλίνω differs from ἀνακλίνω, which also means 'to cause to recline,' but typically implies upward movement (e.g., sitting up in bed).

Translation Consistency

primary "recline" 5 occurrences

κατακλίνω primarily means to cause or arrange to lie down or take a reclining posture (especially seating at a meal). "Recline" directly captures both the act of lying back and the dining-seat sense, is natural English, and works for both active and middle uses without forcing a phrasal verb.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά and κλίνω; to recline down, i.e. (specially) to take a place at table:--(make) sit down (at meat).

Root Family

κατακλίνω (kataklinō) — to bend, to incline, to cause to lie down, to cause to recline

Root κλίν- to bend, to incline, to lean, to cause to lie/recline

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2625-03`	κατακλιθῇς	kataklithes	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 2P SG`	recline	you might be made to recline	be made to recline	1
`G2625-02`	κατακλιθῆναι	kataklithenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	reclined at table	to be made to recline	to recline	1
`G2625-05`	κατεκλίθη	kateklithe	`V AOR PASS IND 3P SG`	he reclined	he was made to recline	he reclined	1
`G2625-04`	κατέκλιναν	kateklinan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	they made sit down	they caused to recline	they caused to recline	1
`G2625-01`	κατακλίνατε	kataklinate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	make them sit down	Cause them to recline	Cause them to recline	1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2625-05`	Luke 7:36	κατεκλίθη	kateklithe	`V AOR PASS IND 3P SG`	he reclined	he was made to recline	he reclined
`G2625-01`	Luke 9:14	κατακλίνατε	kataklinate	`V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL`	make them sit down	Cause them to recline	Cause them to recline
`G2625-04`	Luke 9:15	κατέκλιναν	kateklinan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	they made sit down	they caused to recline	they caused to recline
`G2625-03`	Luke 14:8	κατακλιθῇς	kataklithes	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 2P SG`	recline	you might be made to recline	be made to recline
`G2625-02`	Luke 24:30	κατακλιθῆναι	kataklithenai	`V AOR PASS INF`	reclined at table	to be made to recline	to recline

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