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κεφαλή

kephalḗ

G2776 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The uppermost or foremost part of the body in an animal or person, containing the brain, sensory organs, and mouth ("head"). By extension, used of the top, summit, or principal part of something. Figuratively, denotes one who holds a principal or leading position (e.g., leader, chief, source, or prominent member). In idiomatic and metaphorical expressions, can denote authority, pre-eminence, or source, but specific meaning is context-dependent.

Semantic Range

head (body part), the top or summit of something, source or beginning, leader or chief person, principal member, origin, prominent position, capital (in numbers or architecture)

Root / Etymology

From root κεφαλ-; possibly related to the older Indo-European *ghebhal- ('head, skull'), but exact Greek development is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, κεφαλή primarily denotes the physical head of a human or animal, but is also metaphorically extended to mean 'top' or 'extremity'—such as the head of a river, the top of a column, or the crest of a hill. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek (including the Septuagint and New Testament), figurative usage expands: κεφαλή can denote a leader, a person of chief importance, or the prominent member of a group. In some metaphorical contexts (especially in Pauline letters), scholarly debate continues over whether κεφαλή primarily suggests 'authority/leader,' 'source/origin,' or both. English translation tradition often equates figurative κεφαλή with 'head' as 'leader' or 'authority,' but there are contexts (e.g., Colossians 1:18; 2:19; Ephesians 5:23) where the nuance of 'source' or 'origin' is also plausible. The term is distinct from ἀρχή ('beginning,' 'first principle,' 'ruler') and is not inherently a technical term for rule or authority in Greek outside certain contexts. Standard translations such as 'head' in English cover the literal sense but may narrow the figurative sense compared to Greek usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "head" 75 occurrences

"Head" is the most common and natural English rendering of κεφαλή in the corpus (dominant in P2). It covers the primary literal sense (body part, top or summit) and the frequent figurative senses (leader, principal, source). Using "head" allows straightforward inflection to plural or possessive forms while remaining idiomatic across contexts; narrower alternatives (e.g., "chief," "source") are less generally applicable.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the primary (in the sense of seizing); the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively:--head.

Root Family

κεφαλή (kephalē) — head, top, chief

Root κεφαλ- head (body part), top, chief

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2776-04 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head 28
G2776-05 κεφαλῆς kephales N GEN F SG head of a head head 15
G2776-03 κεφαλῇ kephale N DAT F SG head to the head head 15
G2776-02 κεφαλὰς kephalas N ACC F PL heads heads heads 13
G2776-01 κεφαλαὶ kephalai N NOM F PL heads heads heads 3
G2776-06 κεφαλῶν kephalon N GEN F PL heads of heads heads 1

Occurrences in Scripture

75 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2776-03 Matthew 5:36 κεφαλῇ kephale N DAT F SG head to the head head
G2776-04 Matthew 6:17 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head
G2776-04 Matthew 8:20 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head
G2776-05 Matthew 10:30 κεφαλῆς kephales N GEN F SG head of a head head
G2776-04 Matthew 14:8 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head
G2776-03 Matthew 14:11 κεφαλὴ kephale N NOM F SG head to the head head
G2776-04 Matthew 21:42 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head
G2776-05 Matthew 26:7 κεφαλῆς kephales N GEN F SG head of a head head
G2776-05 Matthew 27:29 κεφαλῆς kephales N GEN F SG head of a head head
G2776-04 Matthew 27:30 κεφαλὴν kephalen N ACC F SG head head head
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