Greek word · G2708

καταχέω

katacheō

to pour

Katacheō: to pour down over something, used of liquids poured over a person or object. Kephalē: head.

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

What it means

κατα-χέω

[in LXX for יָצַק, נָטָה, עָטָה hi. ;]

to pour down upon: with genitive (cl.), Mark 14:3; before ἐπί, with genitive, Matthew 26:7.†

(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 Mark 14:3

Range of meaning

Katacheō: to pour down over something, used of liquids poured over a person or object. Kephalē: head.

Against the English

'Poured it on his head' is accurate. English readers may simply miss the significance of the head in Israelite tradition.

Used elsewhere in the period

Plato (Republic 3.398a) uses the same idiom, μύρον κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς καταχέαντες ('pouring perfume down over his head'), for honouring a celebrated poet, matching the Textus Receptus wording here. In Israel, oil poured on the head marked a king (Saul, 1 Sam 10:1; Jehu, 2 Kgs 9:3, 6) or the high priest (Exod 29:7; Ps 133:2). Hosts also anointed guests' heads as an honour (Ps 23:5; Luke 7:46), though with ordinary oil and in small amounts.

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 26:7 κατέχεεν poured [it]

    a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 14:3 κατέχεεν she poured [it] on

    While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus’ head.

    Here: 'Poured it down over'. The prefix kata- ('down') pictures the oil running from the crown of his head downward. This is a full pouring, not a dab.

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