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καταργέω

katargéō

G2673 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To render inactive or inoperative, to nullify the operative force or effectiveness of something. In various contexts, it signifies rendering something powerless, making it void, abolishing, or bringing to an end an action, law, or state. The primary sense is not annihilation or simple destruction but the removal or negation of efficacy, validity, or operation of a person, thing, or system.

Semantic Range

to make ineffective, render powerless, nullify, abolish, bring to an end, invalidate, cause to cease, deactivate, put out of operation, make idle

Root / Etymology

From κατα- ('down, against, completely') and ἀργέω ('to be idle, inactive; from ἀργός, 'idle, ineffective'). The compound thus carries the sense of causing something to become inoperative or idle.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, καταργέω is rarely attested; its primary usage is found in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, particularly in legal and philosophical contexts where it denotes the nullification or cancellation of a statute, claim, or principle. In the Septuagint, it sometimes appears where a Hebrew expression of destruction or cessation is translated. In the New Testament, it often refers to the abolishing or nullifying of a system (e.g., the Law), effects (e.g., the power of death), or relationships (e.g., the hostility between groups). The nuance is often more about rendering something ineffective or obsolete rather than eradicating its existence. Traditional English translations such as 'destroy' or 'abolish' can obscure the subtler meaning of deactivation, obsolescence, or cessation of power or validity.

Translation Consistency

primary "abolish" 5 occurrences

καταργέω most frequently means to bring to an end or render ineffective/void. 'Abolish' is a natural, widely used English verb in legal and religious contexts that captures the primary sense (to nullify/terminate) without implying physical annihilation. It is a common translation in English Bibles and will yield natural-sounding inflected forms (abolishes, abolished, abolishing) for all occurrences.

Alternatives (22 occurrences):
"rendered inoperative" (10x) "render inoperative" (3x) "nullified" (3x) "might nullify" (3x) "wastes" (1x) "having rendered inoperative" (1x) "having nullified" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά and ἀργέω; to be (render) entirely idle (useless), literally or figuratively:--abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void.

Root Family

καταργέω (from κατα-, ἀργ-) (katargéō) — to render inactive, to make inoperative, to nullify

Root καταργέω (from κατα-, ἀργ-) to render inactive, to make inoperative, to nullify

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2673-06 καταργήσῃ katargese V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG he-abolishes he might nullify he might nullify 3
G2673-07 καταργήσει katargesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will destroy will render inoperative he will abolish 3
G2673-16 κατήργηται katergetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG has been abolished has been rendered inoperative has been rendered inoperative 3
G2673-02 καταργεῖται katargeitai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is abolished is being nullified is being abolished 2
G2673-09 καταργηθήσεται katargethesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG it will be done away it will be rendered inoperative it will be rendered inoperative 2
G2673-13 καταργουμένων katargoumenon V PRS PASS PTCP GEN M PL was passing away of those being nullified being nullified 2
G2673-01 καταργεῖ katargei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG does it waste renders inoperative wastes 1
G2673-03 καταργῆσαι katargesai V AOR ACT INF nullify to render inoperative to render inoperative 1
G2673-04 καταργήσαντος katargesantos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG who has abolished of the one having nullified having nullified 1
G2673-05 καταργήσας katargesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having abolished having rendered inoperative having rendered inoperative 1

Occurrences in Scripture

27 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2673-01 Luke 13:7 καταργεῖ katargei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG does it waste renders inoperative wastes
G2673-07 Romans 3:3 καταργήσει katargesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG nullify will render inoperative will render inoperative
G2673-11 Romans 3:31 καταργοῦμεν katargoumen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL nullify we render inoperative we render inoperative
G2673-16 Romans 4:14 κατήργηται katergetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG is nullified has been rendered inoperative has been rendered inoperative
G2673-08 Romans 6:6 καταργηθῇ katargethe V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG might be destroyed may be nullified may be nullified
G2673-16 Romans 7:2 κατήργηται katergetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG is released has been rendered inoperative has been rendered inoperative
G2673-17 Romans 7:6 κατηργήθημεν katergethemen V AOR PASS IND 1P PL we have been released we were rendered inoperative we were rendered inoperative
G2673-06 1 Corinthians 1:28 καταργήσῃ katargese V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG He might nullify he might nullify he might nullify
G2673-13 1 Corinthians 2:6 καταργουμένων katargoumenon V PRS PASS PTCP GEN M PL who are coming to nothing of those being nullified of those being abolished
G2673-07 1 Corinthians 6:13 καταργήσει katargesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will destroy will render inoperative he will abolish
G2673-10 1 Corinthians 13:8 καταργηθήσονται katargethesontai V FUT PASS IND 3P PL they will be done away they will be nullified they will be nullified
G2673-09 1 Corinthians 13:8 καταργηθήσεται katargethesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG it will be done away it will be rendered inoperative it will be rendered inoperative
G2673-09 1 Corinthians 13:10 καταργηθήσεται katargethesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG will be done away it will be rendered inoperative it will be rendered inoperative
G2673-15 1 Corinthians 13:11 κατήργηκα katergeka V PRF ACT IND 1P SG I put away I have rendered inoperative I have rendered inoperative
G2673-06 1 Corinthians 15:24 καταργήσῃ katargese V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG he-abolishes he might nullify he might nullify
G2673-02 1 Corinthians 15:26 καταργεῖται katargeitai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is abolished is being nullified is being abolished
G2673-12 2 Corinthians 3:7 καταργουμένην katargoumenen V PRS PASS PTCP ACC F SG fading being rendered inoperative being rendered inoperative
G2673-13 2 Corinthians 3:11 καταργούμενον katargoumenon V PRS PASS PTCP NOM N SG was passing away of those being nullified being nullified
G2673-14 2 Corinthians 3:13 καταργουμένου katargoumenou V PRS PASS PTCP GEN N SG fading being rendered inoperative being rendered inoperative
G2673-02 2 Corinthians 3:14 καταργεῖται katargeitai V PRS PASS IND 3P SG is removed is being nullified is being abolished
G2673-03 Galatians 3:17 καταργῆσαι katargesai V AOR ACT INF nullify to render inoperative to render inoperative
G2673-18 Galatians 5:4 κατηργήθητε katergethete V AOR PASS IND 2P PL you have been severed you were rendered inoperative you were rendered inoperative
G2673-16 Galatians 5:11 κατήργηται katergetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG has been abolished has been rendered inoperative has been rendered inoperative
G2673-05 Ephesians 2:15 καταργήσας katargesas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having abolished having rendered inoperative having rendered inoperative
G2673-07 2 Thessalonians 2:8 καταργήσει katargesei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG will destroy will render inoperative he will abolish
G2673-04 2 Timothy 1:10 καταργήσαντος katargesantos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG who has abolished of the one having nullified having nullified
G2673-06 Hebrews 2:14 καταργήσῃ katargese V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG might destroy he might nullify he might nullify
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