κατέχω

Luke 4:42 κατεῖχον were detaining

At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving.

Luke 8:15 κατέχουσιν keep [it]

But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Here: They keep a firm grip on the word so that it is not taken from them. This answers the path, where the devil 'takes away' the word (v. 12), and the rocky ground, where hearers 'fall away' (v. 13). Present tense: they go on holding.

Luke 14:9 κατέχειν. to take.

Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.

Acts 27:40 κατεῖχον they were making

Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.

Romans 1:18 κατεχόντων, suppressing,

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Here: Present participle: 'those who keep holding down'. It means pressing down or keeping back the truth so that it cannot have its effect. It does not mean 'possessing' it.

Romans 7:6 κατειχόμεθα, we were bound,

But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Here: "We were being held fast." The imperfect tense describes an ongoing past state, like being kept in custody or held under a binding claim. Compare the marriage image in 7:2, where the wife is "bound".

1 Corinthians 7:30 κατέχοντες, possessing,

those who weep, as if they did not; those who are joyful, as if they were not; those who make a purchase, as if they had nothing;

1 Corinthians 11:2 κατέχετε.¶ you are keeping.

Now I commend you for remembering me in everything and for maintaining the traditions, just as I passed them on to you.

Here: 'You are holding firmly.' The present tense describes an ongoing grip. Paul uses the same verb in 15:2, 'if you hold fast the word I preached to you.'

1 Corinthians 15:2 κατέχετε, you hold fast,

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

Here: Present tense: 'if you keep holding onto it.' It means gripping and keeping something received, as in 1 Cor 11:2, 'you hold fast the traditions.' Here it means not letting the resurrection be dropped from the message.

2 Corinthians 6:10 κατέχοντες.¶ possessing.

sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Here: A strengthened form of "having" (ἔχω with the prefix κατ-): "holding firmly, possessing securely". The wordplay is deliberate: having (echontes) nothing, holding fast (katechontes) everything.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 κατέχετε· do hold fast;

but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.

Here: Present imperative, plural: "keep holding on to". Once a word has passed the test, the community is to keep it and not let it slip. It is the opposite of verse 22's "keep away from" (apechesthe) every kind of evil.

2 Thessalonians 2:6 κατέχον is restraining

And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.

Here: A present participle, so the action is ongoing: something is holding back at this moment. Greek gives it no object. English "restraining *him*" borrows "him" from later in the sentence. That is reasonable, but it is an inference.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 κατέχων restraining [it]

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way.

Here: 'The one who holds [him] back.' In context, what is held back is the open appearance of the lawless one (v. 6, 'so that he may be revealed in his own time'). Paul does not name the restrainer, because the Thessalonians already 'know' (v. 6).

Philemon 1:13 κατέχειν, to keep,

I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

Hebrews 3:6 κατάσχωμεν.¶ we may hold.

But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.

Here: 'We hold fast': keep a firm grip on and refuse to let go. The verb form views the holding as one complete whole, held through to the finish.

Hebrews 3:14 κατάσχωμεν· we shall hold;

We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

Here: 'We hold fast', in a verb form that views the holding as one complete action seen through to the end. Hebrews uses the same verb for holding fast confidence (3:6) and the confession of hope (10:23).

Hebrews 10:23 κατέχωμεν We may hold fast

Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

Here: "Let us hold fast," a call addressed to the whole group, and the speaker includes himself. The present tense means "keep on holding": this is a grip you keep, not a single decision. Hebrews uses the same verb in 3:6 and 3:14 for holding on "to the end".