krateō · seize, retain

What it means

krateō (κρατέω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “seize, retain”.

Take hold of, seize; also retain, keep.

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 lay hands on someone, or clasp their hand.
2. To keep a firm grip on something, not let go.

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

Word study

To grasp firmly, to hold; hence to arrest someone, to take a person by the hand, and to retain or keep something firmly. It comes from κράτος, ‘strength, dominion’.

• Seizing Jesus, John Matthew 26:4Matthew 26:48Matthew 14:3
• Taking by the hand to raise up Mark 1:31Mark 5:41Matthew 9:25
• Holding to a tradition Mark 7:3Mark 7:82 Thessalonians 2:15
• “Let us hold on to the confession” Hebrews 4:14Revelation 2:1
• Retaining: sins; death that could not hold him John 20:23Acts 2:24Luke 24:16

How we translate it

Each context asks for its verb: “seize” when it is an arrest (“seize” 10 times, “seized” 7), “take” or “take hold of” when it is taking by the hand (“taking her by the hand”, Mark 1:31), “hold fast” or “hold to” with what is kept (“hold fast the traditions”, 2 Thessalonians 2:15; “holding to the tradition of the elders”, Mark 7:3), and “retain” in John 20:23. In Matthew 28:9 the women “took hold of his feet”.

How it is translated

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

• seize ×10
• seized ×7
• hold fast ×6
• taking ×4
• hold on to ×2
• hold to ×2
• seizing ×2
• took hold of ×2
• be held ×1
• holding back ×1
• others ×10

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×12
• Mark×15
• Luke×2
• John×2
• Acts×4
• Colossians×1
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• Hebrews×2
• Revelation×8

• Matthew 9:25

  But when the crowd had been put out, he went in and took hold of her hand, and the girl got up.

• Matthew 12:11

  But he said to them, “What man will there be among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?

• Matthew 14:3

  For Herod, having seized John, bound him and put him away in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother,

• Matthew 18:28

  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him, he was choking him, saying, ‘Pay back whatever you owe!’

• Matthew 21:46

  And although they were seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

• Matthew 22:6

  and the rest, seizing his slaves, treated them shamefully and killed them.

• Matthew 26:4

  and they plotted together to seize Jesus by deceit and kill him.

• Matthew 26:48

  Now the one who was handing him over had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss, he is the one; seize him.”

• Matthew 26:50

  But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do that for which you have come.” Then they came up and laid their hands on Jesus and seized him.

• Matthew 26:55

  At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs, to arrest me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.

• Matthew 26:57

  Those who had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

• Matthew 28:9

  And look, Jesus met them, saying, “Greetings.” And they came up and took hold of his feet and bowed down before him.

• Mark 1:31

  And he came and raised her up, taking her by the hand; and the fever left her, and she began serving them.

• Mark 3:21

  And when his own heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

• Mark 5:41

  And taking the child’s hand, he says to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.”

• Mark 6:17

  For Herod himself had sent and seized John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.

• Mark 7:3

  (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding to the tradition of the elders;

• Mark 7:4

  and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they immerse themselves; and there are many other things that they have received to hold to, immersions of cups and pitchers and copper pots and dining couches.)

• Mark 7:8

  Having left the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

• Mark 9:10

  And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what the rising from the dead meant.

• Mark 9:27

  But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.

• Mark 12:12

  And they were seeking to seize him, and they feared the crowd; for they knew that he had told the parable against them. And leaving him, they went away.

• Mark 14:1

  Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was after two days. And the high priests and the scribes were seeking how they might seize him by deceit and kill him;

• Mark 14:44

  Now the one who was handing him over had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, he is the one; seize him and lead him away under guard.”

• Mark 14:46

  And they laid their hands on him and seized him.

• Mark 14:49

  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.”

• Mark 14:51

  And a certain young man was following him, wearing a linen cloth over his naked body; and they seize him;

• Luke 8:54

  But he, taking her hand, called out, saying, “Girl, get up.”

• Luke 24:16

  but their eyes were held so as not to recognize him.

• John 20:23

  If you forgive the sins of any, they have been forgiven them; if you retain those of any, they have been retained.”

• Acts 2:24

  Him God raised up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

• Acts 3:11

  And while he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, utterly astonished.

• Acts 24:6

  who even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him.

• Acts 27:13

  And when a south wind blew gently, thinking they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and were sailing along Crete close to shore.

• Colossians 2:19

  and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, supplied and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth of God.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:15

  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold fast the traditions that you were taught, whether by word or by our letter.

• Hebrews 4:14

  Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold on to the confession.

• Hebrews 6:18

  so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge may have strong comfort to hold on to the hope set before us.

• Revelation 2:1

  To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks in the middle of the seven golden lampstands, says:

• Revelation 2:13

  I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

And 7 more times.