Greek verb · G2902
κρατέω
krateokrat-eh'-o
to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl.; to get possession of, obtain, take hold of; to hold, hold fast
47 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: kratéō
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G2902is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 9 of 27New Testament books
- 25spellings
- 3meanings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G2902
to use strength, i.e. seize or retain (literally or figuratively)
The King James renders it: hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
krateo is rendered "to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl.; to get possession of, obtain, take hold of; to hold, hold fast". It stands 47 times in the Greek text, across nine books.
- Fifteen of the uses stand in Mark, more than in any other book.
- The lexicon lists three meanings for it, beginning with "to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl.".
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 9:25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
- The Greek text spells it twenty-five different ways.
The first use
After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
Matthew 9:25ἐκράτησεν
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Fifteen of the word's forty-seven uses are in Mark.
What the word means
The word carries three meanings: to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl., and to get possession of, obtain, take hold of, and to hold, hold fast.
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
| Meaning | Tagged as | Where |
|---|---|---|
| to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl.in LXX: Est.1:1 | Tagged as
and 14 more, 28 uses in all | WhereEsther 1:1This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush. |
| to get possession of, obtain, take hold of | Tagged as
| WhereMatthew 9:25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand… |
| to hold, hold fast | Tagged as
| WhereMark 7:3Now in holding to the tradition of the elders… |
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
All 47, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
25 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- κρατήσας6
- ἐκράτησαν4
- κρατῆσαι4
- ἐκράτησεν3
- κρατήσαντες3
- κρατήσατε3
- κρατοῦντας3
- ἐκρατήσατέ2
- κρατεῖτε2
- κρατῶν2
- ἐκρατήσαμεν1
- ἐκρατοῦντο1
and 13 more spellings in the ledger below.
The grammar of each form
- verb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular6V-AAP-NSM
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person plural4V-AAI-3P
- verb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)4V-AAN
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singular3V-AAI-3S
- verb · aorist active, command · 2nd person plural3V-AAM-2P
- verb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural3V-AAP-NPM
- verb · present active, participle · accusative (object) · masculine plural3V-PAP-APM
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person plural2V-AAI-2P
- verb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular2V-PAP-NSM
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person plural1V-AAI-1P
- verb · aorist active, subjunctive · 3rd person plural1V-AAS-3P
- verb · future active, indicative · 3rd person singular1V-FAI-3S
Matthew
twelve uses
After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
- ἐκράτησενekratesenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: He took hold of
He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?
- κρατήσειkrateseiverb · future active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he will take hold of
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having seized
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having seized
Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
- κρατῆσαιkratesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to lay hold of
The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
- κρατήσαντεςkratesantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having laid hold of
and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.
- κρατήσωσινkratesosinverb · aorist active, subjunctive · 3rd person pluraltagged: they may seize
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.”
- κρατήσατεkratesateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do seize
“Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.
- ἐκράτησανekratesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: seized
At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.
- ἐκρατήσατέekratesateverb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: you did seize
Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.
- κρατήσαντεςkratesantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having seized
Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him.
- ἐκράτησανekratesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they took hold of
Mark
fifteen uses
So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having taken hold
When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
- κρατῆσαιkratesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to seize
Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: when taking
For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married.
- ἐκράτησενekratesenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he seized
Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially.
- κρατοῦντεςkratountesverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: holding
And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.
- κρατεῖνkrateinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to keep
You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”
- κρατεῖτεkrateiteverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: you hold
So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead.
- ἐκράτησανekratesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they kept
But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having taken
At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
- κρατῆσαιkratesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to lay hold of
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him.
- κρατήσαντεςkratesantesverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having taken
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him and lead Him away securely.”
- κρατήσατεkratesateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do seize
Then the men seized Jesus and arrested Him.
- ἐκράτησανekratesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: seized
Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But this has happened that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”
- ἐκρατήσατέekratesateverb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: you did seize
One young man who had been following Jesus was wearing a linen cloth around his body. They caught hold of him,
- κρατοῦσινkratousinverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they seize
Luke
two uses
But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”
- κρατήσαςkratesasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having taken hold
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
- ἐκρατοῦντοekratountoverb · imperfect passive, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: were held
John
two uses
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
- κρατῆτεkrateteverb · present active, subjunctive · 2nd person pluraltagged: you may retain
- κεκράτηνται.¶kekratentaiverb · perfect passive, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they have been retained
Acts
four uses
But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches.
- κρατεῖσθαιkrateisthaiverb · present passive, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to be held
While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade.
- κρατοῦντοςkratountosverb · present active, participle · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: When is clinging
and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.
- ἐκρατήσαμενekratesamenverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person pluraltagged: we seized
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.
- κεκρατηκέναιkekratekenaiverb · perfect active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to have obtained
Colossians
one use
He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
- κρατῶνkratonverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: holding fast
2 Thessalonians
one use
Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.
- κρατεῖτεkrateiteverb · present active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do hold fast
Hebrews
two uses
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- κρατῶμενkratomenverb · present active, subjunctive · 1st person pluraltagged: we may hold firmly
Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
- κρατῆσαιkratesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to take hold
Revelation
eight uses
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
- κρατῶνkratonverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: holding
I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
- κρατεῖςkrateisverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you hold fast to
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
- κρατοῦνταςkratountasverb · present active, participle · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: holding
In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
- κρατοῦνταςkratountasverb · present active, participle · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: holding
Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.
- κρατήσατεkratesateverb · aorist active, command · 2nd person pluraltagged: do hold fast
I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
- κράτειkrateiverb · present active, command · 2nd person singulartagged: do hold fast
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree.
- κρατοῦνταςkratountasverb · present active, participle · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: holding
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
- ἐκράτησενekratesenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he seized
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.