piptō · fall

What it means

piptō (πίπτω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “fall”.

Fall to the ground.

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 go from above down to the ground.
2. To fall down before someone to plead or worship.
3. To collapse, fail.

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

Word study

To fall; also to fall down, to throw oneself to the ground before someone, and figuratively, to fail or lose one's standing. Thayer: to fall from above; to fall prostrate; to fall morally, to perish.

• Falling: the seed, the house, the sparrow Matthew 13:4Matthew 7:25Matthew 10:29
• Falling to the ground to bow down or pray Matthew 2:11Matthew 26:39Revelation 4:10
• “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven” Luke 10:18
• Falling in a figurative sense: “that he does not fall” 1 Corinthians 10:12Romans 14:4

How we translate it

“Fell” 48 times, “fall” 18, “falls” 9, “fallen” 8, “falling” 6. It keeps “fall” also when the gesture is bowing down (“they fell and bowed down before him”, Matthew 2:11), because the Greek has a separate verb for bowing down.

How it is translated

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

• fell ×48
• fall ×18
• falls ×9
• fallen ×8
• falling ×6
• fails ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Matthew×19
• Mark×8
• Luke×17
• John×3
• Acts×9
• Romans×3
• 1 Corinthians×4
• Hebrews×3
• James×1
• Revelation×23

• Matthew 2:11

  And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell and bowed down before him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

• Matthew 4:9

  and he said to him, “All these things I will give you, if you fall down and bow down before me.”

• Matthew 7:25

  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

• Matthew 7:27

  And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and struck that house, and it fell, and its fall was great.”

• Matthew 10:29

  Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

• Matthew 13:4

  And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

• Matthew 13:5

  Other seeds fell on the rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they did not have depth of soil.

• Matthew 13:7

  Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them.

• Matthew 13:8

  And other seeds fell on the good soil and were producing fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

• Matthew 15:14

  Leave them; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

• Matthew 15:27

  But she said, “Yes, Lord; for even the little dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

• Matthew 17:6

  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were very afraid.

• Matthew 17:15

  and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is moonstruck and suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire and often into the water.

• Matthew 18:26

  So the slave fell down and was bowing down before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’

• Matthew 18:29

  So his fellow slave fell down and was begging him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’

• Matthew 21:44

  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

• Matthew 24:29

  And at once after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

• Matthew 26:39

  And going forward a little, he fell on his face praying and saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I want, but as you want.”

• Mark 4:4

  And it happened as he sowed that some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

• Mark 4:5

  And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and at once it sprang up, because it did not have depth of soil.

• Mark 4:7

  And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.

• Mark 4:8

  And other seeds fell into the good soil and were giving fruit, growing up and increasing, and were bearing, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

• Mark 5:22

  And one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, comes, and seeing him, falls at his feet

• Mark 9:20

  And they brought him to him. And when the spirit saw him, at once it convulsed the boy, and falling on the ground he was rolling about, foaming.

• Mark 13:25

  and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

• Mark 14:35

  And going forward a little, he was falling on the ground and praying that if it is possible, the hour might pass from him.

• Luke 5:12

  And it happened, while he was in one of the towns, look, there was a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

• Luke 8:5

  “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

• Luke 8:7

  And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

• Luke 8:8

  And other seed fell into the good soil, and when it had grown, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

• Luke 8:14

  And what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bring fruit to maturity.

• Luke 8:41

  And look, there came a man whose name was Jairus, and he was a leader of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet, he begged him to come into his house,

• Luke 10:18

  And he said to them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

• Luke 11:17

  But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and house falls upon house.

• Luke 13:4

  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were debtors more than all the people who live in Jerusalem?

• Luke 14:5

  And to them he said, “Whose son or ox among you will fall into a well, and he will not at once pull him out on the day of the Sabbath?”

• Luke 16:17

  But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of the law to fall.

• Luke 16:21

  and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; but even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

• Luke 17:16

  and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him; and he was a Samaritan.

• Luke 20:18

  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

And 50 more times.