Greek word · G2853

κολλάω

kollaō

to join

Active, "to glue, cement, join firmly"; passive or middle, "to be joined, stick to, cling to, attach oneself to." The related noun kolla means glue.

Appears 12 times in 12 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κολλάω, -ῶ

(κόλλα, glue), [in LXX chiefly for דָּבַק ;]

1. to glue or cement together.

2. Generally, to unite, to join firmly. Pass., to cleave to, join (oneself to): with dative of person(s), Matthew 19:5(LXX), Luke 10:11 15:15, Acts 5:13 (but see Field, Notes, 118) Acts 9:26 10:28 (see Field, l.with) Acts 17:34; τ. πόρνῃ, 1 Corinthians 6:16; τ. Κυρίῳ, 1 Corinthians 6:17; with dative of thing(s), ἅρματι, Acts 8:29; τ. ἀγαθῴ, Romans 12:9; of sins joining together, ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ, Revelation 18:5, of dust, Luke 10:11 (cf. τροσ-κολλάω).†

(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 Romans 12:9

Range of meaning

Active, "to glue, cement, join firmly"; passive or middle, "to be joined, stick to, cling to, attach oneself to." The related noun kolla means glue.

Against the English

"Cleave" (KJV) and "cling" (BSB, WEB, NIV) keep the bodily image. "Hold fast" (ESV) and "hold tightly" (NLT) are accurate but weaken the picture of being bonded or glued.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Septuagint it is the language of covenant loyalty: "to him you shall cleave" (Deut 10:20); "I have clung to your testimonies" (Ps 119:31, LXX 118:31). The compound proskollaō is used in Gen 2:24 for a man joined to his wife. Paul uses kollaō in 1 Cor 6:16–17 both for being joined to a prostitute and for being joined to the Lord.

From the study of Matthew 19:5

Range of meaning

To glue or cement together. In the passive, to stick to something, join closely, or attach oneself to someone, such as a patron, an employer, a group or a sexual partner.

Against the English

KJV 'cleave'; BSB/NIV 'be united to'; WEB/NASB 'be joined to'; ESV 'hold fast to'. 'Cleave' and 'hold fast' keep the idea of clinging. 'Be united' and 'be joined' sound more formal, almost legal, and lose the picture of glue and of clinging loyalty.

How it drifted

KJV 'cleave' now confuses readers, because in modern English 'cleave' more often means to split (a meat cleaver). It is one of those words with two opposite meanings.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament uses the compound proskollaō at Genesis 2:24 for Hebrew dabaq. Dabaq means to stick or cling, as when bones cling to skin (Job 19:20). It is also used for faithful loyalty: Ruth 'clung' to Naomi (Ruth 1:14), and Israel is told to 'cling' to the LORD (Deuteronomy 10:20; 11:22; 13:4). In the New Testament, kollaō is used for attaching oneself to an employer (Luke 15:15) or to a group (Acts 5:13). Paul uses it both for joining oneself to a prostitute and for being joined to the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:16–17).

From the study of Acts 10:28

Range of meaning

Literally 'to glue, cement.' In the middle or passive voice: 'to cling to, attach oneself, join closely, associate intimately.' It is used of loyalty to God, of joining a household, and of marriage or sexual union.

Against the English

'Associate' (BSB, ESV) and 'keep company' (KJV) are fair but weak. WEB's 'join himself' keeps more of the closeness. The Greek suggests sharing life and table, not brushing past someone in the market.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deuteronomy 10:20 LXX ('to him you shall cling'); Luke 15:15 (the prodigal 'attached himself' to a citizen); Acts 5:13; 9:26; 17:34; 1 Corinthians 6:16–17.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 19:5 κολληθήσεται will be joined with

    and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?

    Here: 'Will be glued to' or 'will cling to.' The root is the word for glue (kolla). It stands for the Hebrew dabaq, used for clinging loyalty (Ruth to Naomi; Israel to God). The form is passive, but in this period it often means 'attach oneself'.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 10:11 κολληθέντα having clung

    ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’

    Here: "Having stuck." A vivid word, literally "glued on." Even what stuck to them without their choosing is given back.

  2. Luke 15:15 ἐκολλήθη he joined himself

    So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

Acts · 5

  1. Acts 5:13 κολλᾶσθαι to join

    Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.

    Here: Literally "to be glued to". Here it means attaching yourself to the group, mixing with them as one of their own. It is a close bond, not simply standing nearby.

  2. Acts 8:29 κολλήθητι do be joined

    The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”

  3. Acts 9:26 κολλᾶσθαι to join

    When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

  4. Acts 10:28 κολλᾶσθαι to unite himself

    He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.

    Here: Literally 'to be glued to.' It means close attachment: sharing company, a table, a household. This is more than passing contact.

  5. Acts 17:34 κολληθέντες having joined themselves

    But some joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others who were with them.

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 12:9 κολλώμενοι cleaving to

    Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

    Here: Literally "being glued to." The image is of two things bonded so they cannot be pulled apart. This is the same family of words used for a man joined to his wife and for Israel cleaving to God. Like the first participle, it describes an ongoing stance.

1 Corinthians · 2

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:16 κολλώμενος is being joined

    Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”

    Here: Literally 'gluing himself'. It is the 'cleave' word of Genesis 2:24 and of Israel 'cleaving' to God. The present tense describes a man who does this, and the form can be read 'joins himself' (his own act) or 'is joined'.

  2. 1 Corinthians 6:17 κολλώμενος being joined

    But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.

    Here: "The one gluing himself / clinging." It is the same verb used of the man with the prostitute in v.16, and it echoes the "cleave" of Genesis 2:24 and Israel's call to "cleave to the LORD" (Deuteronomy 10:20). The present tense pictures an ongoing attachment, not a one-off act.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 18:5 ἐκολλήθησαν they were heaped

    For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

    Here: Literally "were glued / stuck together." The sins have stuck to one another, layer on layer, into one mass that rises all the way to the sky. The past tense (aorist) presents the heap as finished: it has reached the top.

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