Greek word · G2694

κατασύρω

katasyrō

to drag away

To drag down, drag away by force, sweep off. The simple verb surō is used of hauling a person or a net.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κατα-σύρω

[in LXX: Jeremiah 49:10 (חָשַׂף), Dan LXX, Daniel 11:10, 26 (שָׁטַף) * ;]

1. to pull down.

2. to drag away: with accusative of person(s), Luke 12:58.†

(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 12:58

Range of meaning

To drag down, drag away by force, sweep off. The simple verb surō is used of hauling a person or a net.

Against the English

'Drag' (BSB, WEB, YLT) is right. The KJV's 'hale' meant the same to its first readers, but it is now archaic and easily misheard as 'hail' or as 'healthy'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Found only here in the New Testament. Lexicons list it in Philo and Josephus for violent dragging. Luke uses the simple verb at Acts 8:3, where Saul is 'dragging off' men and women and handing them over to prison, a very close picture to this one. Compare also Acts 16:19, where Paul and Silas are hauled 'before the rulers'.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 12:58 κατασύρῃ he may drag away

    Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.

    Here: 'He may drag you by force.' Used only here in the New Testament, it pictures the opponent himself physically hauling you in, which ancient procedure could permit.

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