Word Study for G2795 (κινέω) | Strong's Concordance

kinéō /kin-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom (poetic for , to go)

Meaningto stir (transitively), literally or figuratively

KJV usage(re-)move(-r), way.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kinéō — 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 kinéō, represented by G2795, means to stir or move, both literally and figuratively. It is a concise term, appearing only 8 times in 8 unique verses, yet it describes a wide range of actions from a simple gesture to a cosmic upheaval. Its meaning can encompass physical motion, instigating social unrest, or the sovereign action of God.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G2795 is used in several key contexts. It depicts mockery, as when those passing by the cross reviled Jesus, "wagging their heads" (Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29). It also portrays widespread commotion, as when "all the city was moved" and the people rioted against Paul Acts 21:30. Figuratively, Paul is accused of being a "mover of sedition" Acts 24:5, highlighting the word's use for instigation. The term carries theological weight in God's warning to a church that He will "remove" their candlestick if they do not repent Revelation 2:5, and in the eschatological vision where every mountain and island "were moved out of their places" Revelation 6:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of movement, action, and existence:

G2198 záō (to live): This word is used in conjunction with kinéō to articulate the foundational dependence of humanity on God. Paul states that in God "we live, and move, and have our being" Acts 17:28.
G4714 stásis (dissension, insurrection): This specifies the type of movement Paul was accused of inciting. He was called a "mover of sedition," linking the general action of kinéō to a specific act of civil unrest Acts 24:5.
G1670 helkýō (to drag): This word appears alongside kinéō in the account of the riot in Jerusalem. While the entire city "was moved" G2795, the mob took Paul and "drew" G1670 him from the temple, distinguishing a general commotion from a specific, forceful action Acts 21:30.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2795 is significant despite its infrequent use. It underscores several important principles.

Divine Sovereignty: The declaration that we "move" in God establishes His role as the sustainer of all existence. All motion, from the smallest gesture to the life of a city, is contingent upon Him Acts 17:28.
Spiritual Accountability: The word is used to describe divine consequence. A church's failure to repent results in their candlestick being "removed," a metaphor for losing their place and spiritual standing Revelation 2:5.
Human Responsibility: The term is used to critique the scribes and Pharisees, who bind heavy burdens on others but "will not move them" themselves, highlighting their hypocrisy and lack of compassion Matthew 23:4.
Eschatological Judgment: The moving of mountains and islands signifies a complete and terrifying upheaval of the created order, a sign of God's final judgment upon the world Revelation 6:14.

Summary

In summary, G2795 is far more than a simple verb of motion. It is a dynamic word that illustrates concepts ranging from physical action and social agitation to divine judgment and the very nature of our existence in God. It demonstrates how a single term for "move" can convey profound theological truths about God's power, human responsibility, and the ultimate destiny of creation.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Passive Indicative 1st Plural 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
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 8 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (3 verses); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

Acts

Revelation

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.