Word Study for G2634 (κατακυριεύω)

katakyrieúō /kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom κατά and κυριεύω

Meaningto lord against, i.e. control, subjugate

KJV usageexercise dominion over (lordship), be lord over, overcome.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of katakyrieúō — 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 katakyrieúō, represented by G2634, defines a specific kind of authority, meaning "to lord against, i.e. control, subjugate." It is derived from the words κατά and κυριεύω. Occurring 4 times in 4 unique verses, this term is used to describe an overbearing or subjugating power, whether exercised by rulers or a spiritual force.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G2634 is most often used to contrast worldly leadership with the servant leadership of Christ's kingdom. In both Matthew and Mark, Jesus explains that Gentile rulers exercise dominion or exercise lordship over their subjects (Matthew 20:25, Mark 10:42). In a different context, the Apostle Peter warns church elders against "being lords over God's heritage," urging them to be examples instead 1 Peter 5:3. A third usage appears in Acts, where a man with an evil spirit physically overcame those who tried to exorcise him, showing a sense of complete subjugation Acts 19:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Greek words help clarify the theme of authority and rule:

G2715 katexousiázō (to have (wield) full privilege over:--exercise authority): This word is used in direct parallel with G2634 in both Matthew 20:25 and Mark 10:42, highlighting a form of authority that is wielded upon others.
G757 árchō (a primary verb; to be first (in political rank or power):--reign (rule) over): This term is used to describe those who are "accounted to rule over the Gentiles" right before they are described as those who exercise lordship G2634 over them Mark 10:42.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2634 is significant, primarily serving as a caution against improper authority.

Worldly vs. Kingdom Rule: The word is central to Jesus's teaching that distinguishes the self-serving, domineering rule of the world from the servant-hearted model required of His followers (Matthew 20:25, Mark 10:42).
Warning to Spiritual Leaders: Peter applies this concept directly to the church, using G2634 to forbid a leadership style that controls or subjugates the flock, emphasizing that authority should not be a form of lordship 1 Peter 5:3.
Forceful Subjugation: Its use in Acts demonstrates a physical and spiritual overpowering, where an evil spirit did not just rule, but violently overcame its opponents, illustrating the word's capacity to mean complete subjugation Acts 19:16.

Summary

In summary, G2634 is a focused term that consistently carries a sense of negative, domineering control or subjugation. Whether describing the oppressive rule of Gentile princes, a forbidden model for church elders, or the overpowering force of an evil spirit, it defines power that is exercised against or over others in a controlling manner. It stands as a biblical warning against the abuse of authority in both secular and spiritual contexts.

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.

Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine 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.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
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 4 verses across 4 of the 27 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

Acts

1 Peter

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.