Greek word · G2687

καταστέλλω

katastellō

to quiet

To let down, settle; then to calm, restrain, quell (a crowd or uproar) or to keep oneself under control. The perfect passive means 'in a settled, restrained state'.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κατα-στέλλω

[in LXX: 2Ma.4:31, 3Ma.6:1 * ;]

1. to let down, lower.

2. to keep down, restrain: with accusative, Acts 19:35-36 †

(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 Acts 19:36

Range of meaning

To let down, settle; then to calm, restrain, quell (a crowd or uproar) or to keep oneself under control. The perfect passive means 'in a settled, restrained state'.

Against the English

KJV and WEB 'be quiet' can sound to a modern reader like 'stop talking'. The point is to stop rioting and stay composed. BSB 'be calm' and NASB 'keep calm' are closer.

How it drifted

'Quiet' in older English could mean 'peaceable, orderly' (as in 'a quiet and peaceable life'). Today it mostly means 'silent'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used only in Acts 19:35–36 in the New Testament. In wider Greek, including Josephus and Plutarch, it is a standard word for an official quelling a disturbance or calming a crowd.

Similar words

Where it appears

Acts · 2

  1. Acts 19:35 καταστείλας having calmed

    Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

  2. Acts 19:36 κατεσταλμένους quietened

    Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

    Here: Perfect passive participle: 'in a calmed-down state', 'settled'. It echoes verse 35, where the clerk himself 'calmed' (katasteilas) the crowd: having been calmed, now stay calmed.

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