καταλέγω
katalégō
G2639 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To list, enroll, or record officially—especially in an official register or roster. In specific contexts, can mean to include, admit into a group by inscribing or recording the name; also, to reckon or count as part of a group. The primary sense is to set down in writing for the purposes of identification or enumeration.
Semantic Range
to enroll officially, to register, to list, to number among, to admit into a group by inscription, to record as a member; to name, to enumerate
Root / Etymology
From κατά (down, according to) and λέγω (in its earlier sense, 'to collect, to pick'). Originally 'to lay down, to list'—thus, to officially enroll or register someone or something by writing it down.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, καταλέγω was used for the action of listing, naming, or enumerating people or things, such as compiling an official roll of citizens, soldiers, or members. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek—including Septuagint and New Testament usage—the verb retains this administrative or bureaucratic nuance of formal enrollment or admission into an official list. In 1 Timothy 5:9, it refers specifically to the formal enrollment of widows into a recognized group eligible for support or duties. English translations often render this as 'enroll', 'number among', or 'take into the number', but these may miss the administrative or official character of the term. The verb's nuance is distinct from other terms for general counting or reckoning (e.g. ἀριθμέω, 'to count numerically'). The sense of 'enlistment' or 'official registration' is central, with legal or societal connotations depending on context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from κατά and λέγω (in its original meaning); to lay down, i.e. (figuratively) to enrol:--take into the number.
Root Family
λόγ- (katalégō) — to say, to collect, to lay down, to list
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3051 | λόγιον | divine utterances |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2639-01 |
καταλεγέσθω | katalegestho | V PRS PASS IMP 3P SG |
let be enrolled | let him be enrolled | let her be enrolled | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2639-01 |
1 Timothy 5:9 | καταλεγέσθω | katalegestho | V PRS PASS IMP 3P SG |
let be enrolled | let him be enrolled | let her be enrolled |