kephalē · head

What it means

kephalē (κεφαλή) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “head”.

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. The top part of the body, where the face and hair are.
2. The one who leads and sustains others, as the Messiah does his assembly.
3. The main cornerstone.

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

Word study

Head. Literally, the head of the body; figuratively, what is at the end or at the top, and the one who stands at the head of others.

• A person's head Matthew 10:30Mark 6:28John 19:30
• Anointing or crowning the head Matthew 26:7Matthew 27:29
• “The head of the corner”: the main stone Mark 12:10Matthew 21:42
• The head as the one over others 1 Corinthians 11:3
• The heads of the beast in Revelation Revelation 13:1

How we translate it

“Head” 58 times and “heads” 17. “Head” is kept also in the figurative sense (“the head of every man is the Messiah”, 1 Corinthians 11:3), so that the reader sees the same image.

How it is translated

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

• head ×58
• heads ×17

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×12
• Mark×8
• Luke×7
• John×5
• Acts×5
• Romans×1
• 1 Corinthians×10
• Ephesians×4
• Colossians×3
• 1 Peter×1
• Revelation×19

• Matthew 5:36

  Nor swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

• Matthew 6:17

  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

• Matthew 8:20

  And Jesus says to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

• Matthew 10:30

  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

• Matthew 14:8

  And she, prompted by her mother, says, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Immerser.”

• Matthew 14:11

  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

• Matthew 21:42

  Jesus says to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

• Matthew 26:7

  a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very costly perfume, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.

• Matthew 27:29

  And after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand; and kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

• Matthew 27:30

  And spitting on him, they took the reed and kept striking him on his head.

• Matthew 27:37

  And they put above his head the charge against him written: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

• Matthew 27:39

  And those who passed by were blaspheming him, shaking their heads

• Mark 6:24

  And going out, she said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Immerser.”

• Mark 6:25

  And at once coming in with haste to the king, she asked, saying, “I want you to give me right now, on a platter, the head of John the Immerser.”

• Mark 6:27

  And at once the king sent an executioner and ordered him to bring his head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison

• Mark 6:28

  and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

• Mark 12:10

  Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner;

• Mark 14:3

  And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard, very costly; breaking the jar, she poured it over his head.

• Mark 15:19

  And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him, and bending their knees, they were paying homage to him.

• Mark 15:29

  And those who passed by were insulting him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the sanctuary and build it in three days,

• Luke 7:38

  and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she was wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume.

• Luke 7:46

  You did not anoint my head with oil; but she has anointed my feet with perfume.

• Luke 9:58

  And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

• Luke 12:7

  But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

• Luke 20:17

  But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner’?

• Luke 21:18

  And a hair of your head will certainly not perish.

• Luke 21:28

  But when these things begin to happen, stand up straight and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

• John 13:9

  Simon Peter says to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

• John 19:2

  And the soldiers, having twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and they threw a purple robe around him,

• John 19:30

  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

• John 20:7

  and the face cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up separately in one place.

• John 20:12

  and she sees two angels in white, sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.

• Acts 4:11

  This one is the stone that was despised by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.

• Acts 18:6

  But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your head! I am clean. From now on I will go to the nations.”

• Acts 18:18

  And Paul, having stayed many more days, took leave of the brothers and sailed away for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila, having had his head shaved in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.

• Acts 21:24

  Take these men, purify yourself with them, and pay the expenses for them so that they may shave their head, and all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk in order, keeping the law.

• Acts 27:34

  Therefore I urge you to take food, for this is for your salvation; for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.”

• Romans 12:20

  But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.

• 1 Corinthians 11:3

  But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Messiah, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the Messiah is God.

• 1 Corinthians 11:4

  Every man who prays or prophesies having something down over his head dishonors his head.

And 35 more times.