katalambanō · overtake, seize

What it means

katalambanō (καταλαμβάνω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “overtake, seize”.

Seize; overtake; grasp, understand.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To gain something, make it one's own.
2. To come upon someone suddenly.
3. To grasp something with the mind, come to see it clearly.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• overtake ×2
• I may take hold of ×1
• I understand ×1
• found ×1
• grasp ×1
• have taken hold of it ×1
• it seizes ×1
• obtained ×1
• overcome ×1
• realizing ×1
• others ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Mark×1
• John×2
• Acts×3
• Romans×1
• 1 Corinthians×1
• Ephesians×1
• Philippians×3
• 1 Thessalonians×1

• Mark 9:18

  and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I told your disciples to drive it out, and they were not strong enough.”

• John 1:5

  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

• John 12:35

  So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overtake you; and whoever walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

• Acts 4:13

  Now seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and realizing that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed; and they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.

• Acts 10:34

  Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality,

• Acts 25:25

  But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and since he himself appealed to the Augustus, I decided to send him.

• Romans 9:30

  What then shall we say? That nations that did not pursue righteousness obtained righteousness, namely, the righteousness that is from faith;

• 1 Corinthians 9:24

  Do you not know that those who run in a stadium all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

• Ephesians 3:18

  so that you may be able to grasp with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

• Philippians 3:12

  Not that I have already received it or have already been brought to completion, but I press on, if indeed I may take hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by the Messiah.

• Philippians 3:13

  Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting the things behind and straining toward the things ahead,

• 1 Thessalonians 5:4

  But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for the day to overtake you like a thief;

And 1 more times.