Word Study for G2667 (καταπίπτω)

katapíptō /kat-ap-ip'-to/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom κατά and πίπτω

Meaningto fall down

KJV usagefall (down).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of katapíptō — 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 katapíptō, represented by G2667, means to fall down. It appears 3 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its definition is derived from κατά and πίπτω, conveying the direct action of falling.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G2667 is used to describe a sudden, physical act of falling. During Paul's recounting of his conversion, he states that he and his companions were all fallen to the earth G1093 upon hearing a heavenly voice Acts 26:14. In a separate event, after Paul is bitten by a viper, the people watching him expected that he should have fallen down dead G3498 suddenly Acts 28:6. Both instances depict an abrupt, downward physical movement in response to or in expectation of a powerful event.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the action of falling:

G1093 gē (earth): This word specifies the destination of the fall. In Paul's vision, he and his companions were fallen to the earth Acts 26:14. Its definition is soil, or the solid part of the globe.
G3498 nekrós (dead): This describes the state associated with an anticipated fall. The people on the island expected Paul to have fallen down dead suddenly Acts 28:6.
G4328 prosdokáō (to anticipate... to await): This term frames the context of the fall in Acts 28:6, where the people looked for Paul to fall, showing their expectation of the event.
G4092 pímprēmi (swollen): This is presented as an alternative outcome the people looked for, that Paul might have swollen or fallen down, highlighting the dire physical expectations Acts 28:6.

Theological Significance

The use of G2667 carries specific contextual weight, illustrating reactions to supernatural power.

Physical Response to a Divine Encounter: In the account of Paul's conversion, falling to the earth is the immediate physical reaction of humans in the presence of a heavenly voice, showing the overwhelming nature of the divine manifestation Acts 26:14.
Indicator of Life and Death: The expectation that Paul would have fallen down dead sets up a moment of theological drama Acts 28:6. His failure to do so is a sign of divine protection. The absence of the fall, not its occurrence, demonstrates God's power over what should have been a fatal event.

Summary

In summary, G2667 katapíptō denotes a literal, physical act of falling down. Though it appears infrequently, its usage is significant. It is used to describe both the physical reaction to a direct encounter with divine power and the expected consequence of a mortal wound. The context surrounding G2667 reveals themes of divine power, human frailty, and God's ability to intervene and preserve life.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Infinitive 1×

Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
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.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
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

2 verses, all in Acts — and none of the other 26 New Testament books.

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.