Greek word · G2625

κατακλίνω

kataklinō

to sit

In the active, to make someone lie down or recline. In the passive, to lie down, and especially to recline at a meal. In the New Testament only Luke uses it (Luke 7:36; 9:14–15; 14:8; 24:30).

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κατα-κλίνω

[in LXX: Exodus 21:18 (נָפַל), Numbers 24:9, Judges 5:27, 1 Samuel 16:11 (כָּרַע), Judith 12:15, 3Ma.1:3 * ;]

to lay down, make to lie down, esp. for meals: with accusative of person(s), Luke 9:14-15; mid., to recline at meals: Luke 7:36 24:30; before εἰς, Luke 14:8 (cf. Jth, Lc.).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 24:30

Range of meaning

In the active, to make someone lie down or recline. In the passive, to lie down, and especially to recline at a meal. In the New Testament only Luke uses it (Luke 7:36; 9:14–15; 14:8; 24:30).

Against the English

BSB and NASB say "reclining." KJV has "sat at meat" and WEB has "sat down at the table." NIV and ESV say "at (the) table." "Sat" brings to mind chairs, which is not the picture.

How it drifted

English Bibles have long used "sit" for any meal posture because English readers sit to eat. In KJV, "meat" just meant food.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is common in Greek for dining, for example in Greek meal literature. In Luke 14:8 Jesus uses it of guests at a wedding feast taking their places. The supplied lexicon gloss "to sit" is loose. BDAG gives "recline (at a meal)" for the passive.

Similar words

Where it appears

Luke · 5

  1. Luke 7:36 κατεκλίθη. He was sat.

    Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

  2. Luke 9:14 κατακλίνατε do make sit down

    (There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

  3. Luke 9:15 κατέκλιναν he sat

    They did so, and everyone was seated.

  4. Luke 14:8 κατακλιθῇς may recline

    “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.

  5. Luke 24:30 κατακλιθῆναι reclining

    While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.

    Here: Lying down on one elbow to eat, the normal posture at a proper evening meal. The aorist (simple past) form points to the moment he had taken his place: once he was settled at table, the next thing happened.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.