Word Study for G2524 (καθίημι)

kathíēmi /kath-ee'-ay-mee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom κατά

Meaningand (to send); to lower

KJV usagelet down.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kathíēmi — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word kathíēmi, represented by G2524, means to lower or let down. It appears 5 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. The word is formed from κατά and (to send), and it consistently describes the literal action of lowering an object or person from a higher elevation to a lower one.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical uses, G2524 depicts critical moments of intervention and access. In a demonstration of faith, a group of men who could not get to Jesus because of a crowd went up on a housetop G1430 and let a paralytic man down on his couch G2826 through the roof tiles Luke 5:19. The word is also used to describe the escape of Paul, when disciples G3101 took him by night G3571 and let him down over the wall G5038 in a basket G4711 Acts 9:25. In Peter's vision, a great sheet G3607 is let down from heaven G3772 to the earth G1093, an event he recounts in two separate accounts (Acts 10:11, Acts 11:5).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the action of lowering:

G2597 katabaínō (to descend): This word is closely related, describing the general act of coming or going down. In Peter's vision, the vessel is described as descending G2597 before it is let down G2524 from heaven Acts 10:11.
G5465 chaláō (to lower): Used in conjunction with G2524 in the account of Paul's escape, this term also means to let down or lower Acts 9:25. It is also used when Simon Peter agrees to let down the nets at Jesus' command Luke 5:5.
G305 anabaínō (to go up): As the direct antonym, this word provides contrast. Before the men could let the paralytic down to Jesus, they first had to go up G305 on the housetop Luke 5:19.

Theological Significance

The use of G2524 highlights several significant themes:

Faith Overcoming Barriers: The act of letting a man down through a roof demonstrates a faith that circumvents physical and social obstacles to bring someone into the presence of Jesus G2424 for healing Luke 5:19.
Divine Revelation: In the accounts in Acts, the object being let down originates from heaven G3772, signifying a message or truth being revealed from God to humanity. The sheet let down before Peter was a vision G3705 that came to him while he was praying Acts 11:5.
Providential Escape: The lowering of Paul by the disciples is an act of deliverance. It shows believers taking decisive action to preserve a life for the sake of the gospel, escaping danger by being let down from the city wall G5038 Acts 9:25.

Summary

In summary, G2524 is a specific verb of action that carries significant weight in its contexts. Whether used to describe an act of desperate faith to reach Jesus, a means of divine deliverance from persecution, or a mechanism for heavenly revelation, the word kathíēmi illustrates how the physical act of lowering something can represent a powerful spiritual reality. It is a bridge between a higher position and a lower one, both literally and thematically.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 4 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Present Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine 1×
Present Passive Participle Accusative Singular Neuter 1×

Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (3 verses); never once in the other 25.

Luke

Acts

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.