Word Study for G2605 (καταγγέλλω)

katangéllō /kat-ang-gel'-lo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom κατά and the base of ἄγγελος

Meaningto proclaim, promulgate

KJV usagedeclare, preach, shew, speak of, teach.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of katangéllō — 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 katangéllō, represented by G2605, means to proclaim or promulgate. It is translated in various ways, including to declare, preach, shew, speak of, and teach. It appears 17 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible, highlighting its specific function in the announcement of divine truth.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G2605 is central to the act of apostolic ministry and the spreading of the gospel. It is used to describe how the apostles would preach the word of God in synagogues Acts 13:5 and revisit cities where they had previously preached the word of the Lord Acts 15:36. Paul uses the term when he addresses the Athenians, stating his intent to declare to them the "UNKNOWN GOD" whom they ignorantly worship Acts 17:23. The action is not just verbal; believers also shew the Lord's death through the ordinance of communion until he comes 1 Corinthians 11:26.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller context for the act of proclaiming:

G1321 didáskō (to teach): Proclaiming is often accompanied by teaching. In his ministry, Paul would preach G2605 Christ while also teaching every man in all wisdom Colossians 1:28.
G2098 euangélion (a good message, i.e. the gospel): This is the specific content that is preached. The Lord ordained that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel 1 Corinthians 9:14.
G3056 lógos (word): This refers to the divine message itself that is being proclaimed. In Berea, the Jews received the message after the word of God was preached by Paul Acts 17:13.
G2052 eritheía (contention): This word highlights that the motive for preaching can be impure. Paul notes that some preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely Philippians 1:16.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2605 is significant, as it defines the authorized declaration of God's redemptive plan.

The Core Christian Message: The word is consistently tied to the essential truths of the faith. It is used to preach the forgiveness of sins Acts 13:38, to preach the resurrection from the dead through Jesus Acts 4:2, and to shew light to the people and the Gentiles Acts 26:23.
The Apostolic Commission: The term describes a primary duty of the apostles. They are identified as servants of God who shew the way of salvation Acts 16:17. The goal of this preaching is to present G3936 every person perfect in Christ Jesus Colossians 1:28.
Proclamation through Worship: The concept extends to acts of remembrance and worship. The observance of the Lord's Supper serves as a recurring proclamation, as believers shew the Lord's death until he returns 1 Corinthians 11:26.

Summary

In summary, G2605 is far more than a word for general communication. It signifies a definitive, authoritative proclamation of spiritual truth. It is the verb used to describe the declaration of Christ, the gospel, and the resurrection. Whether through apostolic sermons, teaching, or the symbolic act of communion, to katangéllō is to make the foundational realities of the Christian faith known to the world.

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 17 occurrences, inflected in 12 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 3×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Present Active Infinitive 2×
2nd Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Active Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
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.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

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 17 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (10 verses); never once in the other 22.

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

Philippians

Colossians

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.