STRONGS NUMBER G2638

Original Word: καταλαμβάνω
Transliteration: katalambanō
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-al-am-ban'-o)
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to lay hold of, seize
Meaning: to lay hold of, seizeapprehend, attain, overtake.

From kata and lambano; to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively) -- apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

see GREEK kata

see GREEK lambano

STRONGS NT 2638: καταλαμβάνω

καταλαμβάνω: 2 aorist κατέλαβον; perfect infinitive κατειληφέναι; passive, perfect 3 person singular κατείληπται (John 8:4 as given in L T Tr WH text), perfect participle κατειλημμένος; 1 aorist κατειληφθην (John 8:4 Rst bez elz G) (on the augment cf. Winer's Grammar, § 12, 6), and κατελήφθην (Philippians 3:12 R G), and κατελήμφθην (ibid. L T Tr WH; on the mu μ' see under the word Mu); middle, present καταλαμβάνομαι; 2 aorist κατελαβόμην; cf. Kühner, i., p. 856; (Veitch, under the word λαμβάνω); the Sept. for הִשִּׂיג, לָכַד, also for מָצָא, etc.; (from Homer down); to lay hold of; i. e.:

1. to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to: with the accusative of the thing; the prize of victory, 1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:12f; τήν δικαιοσύνην, Romans 9:30; equivalent to to make one's own, to take into oneself, appropriate: ἡ σκοτία αὐτό (i. e. τό φῶς) οὐ κατέλαβεν, John 1:5.

2. to seize upon, take possession of (Latinoccupare);

a. of evils overtaking one (so in Greek writings from Homer down): τινα σκοτία, John 12:35; (so physically, John 6:17 Tdf.); of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, 1 Thessalonians 5:4; of a demon about to torment one, Mark 9:18.

b. in a good sense, of Christ by his holy power and influence laying hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it, Philippians 3:12.

3. to detect, catch: τινα ἐν τίνι, in passive John 8:3 (WH ἐπί τίνι); with a participle indicating the crime, John 8:4.

4. to lay hold of with the mind; to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend (Plato, Phaedr., p. 250d.; Axioch., p. 370a.; Polybius 8, 4, 6; Philo, vita contempl. § 10; Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 5, 46); middle (Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 2, 66; (cf. Winer's Grammar, 253 (238))), followed by ὅτι, Acts 4:13; Acts 10:34; followed by the accusative with an infinitive, Acts 25:25; followed by indirect discourse, Ephesians 3:18.