Greek word · G2737

κατώτερος

katōteros

lower

Lower, further down. This is its only New Testament use. In everyday Greek of the period comparatives often had the force of superlatives, 'lowest' or 'deepest'. The closely related superlative katōtatos appears in LXX phrases for the depths.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κατώτερος, -έρα, -ερον

(κάτω), [in LXX for תַּחְתּוֹן, תַּחְתִּי ;]

lower; τὰ. κ. τῆς γῆς (see AR, Eph., l.with; for rendering this lower earth, see ICC, Eph, l.with), the lower parts of the earth (cf. Psalms 139:15; cf. also MGr., ἡ κάτου γῆ, the underworld, Thumb, MGV, 334): Ephesians 4:9.†

(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 Ephesians 4:9

Range of meaning

Lower, further down. This is its only New Testament use. In everyday Greek of the period comparatives often had the force of superlatives, 'lowest' or 'deepest'. The closely related superlative katōtatos appears in LXX phrases for the depths.

Against the English

'Lower parts' (KJV, BSB, NASB) keeps the ambiguity. 'Lower, earthly regions' (NIV) and 'lower regions, the earth' (ESV) settle it in favour of the earth itself. NLT's 'our lowly world' goes further and adds a sense of humility that is not in the word.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Ps 62:10 (Eng. 63:9): those who seek the psalmist's life 'shall go into the lowest parts of the earth' (εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς), i.e. the realm of the dead. LXX Ps 138:15 (Eng. 139:15): the psalmist was woven 'in the lowest parts of the earth' (ἐν τοῖς κατωτάτοις τῆς γῆς), a poetic image for the hidden place of the womb. Isa 44:23 (Hebrew tachtiyyot ha'arets) pairs 'the depths of the earth' with the heavens. Matt 12:40 has 'the heart of the earth' for Jesus' burial.

Similar words

Where it appears

Ephesians · 1

  1. Ephesians 4:9 κατώτερα lower

    What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?

    Here: A comparative form of katō, 'down, below'. Literally 'lower', but in everyday Greek of the period comparatives often meant 'very low, the lowest'. Whether 'lower' is measured against heaven or against the earth is the crux of the verse.

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