κατακλάω (kataklaō)
kataklaō
to break
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb kataklao means to break something into small pieces or crumbs. It appears only twice in the New Testament, both times describing the same event: Jesus preparing food for a crowd. In Mark 6:41 and Luke 9:16, the Gospels use this word to describe how He took the loaves of bread and broke them before giving them to His disciples to distribute.
This action is not merely about dividing food; it implies creating shareable fragments from a whole. The prefix kata intensifies the verb klaō (to break), suggesting a thorough or decisive breaking apart. By using this specific term, the text highlights the physical act of breaking that made the miracle possible, turning single loaves into many portions.
Translators typically render kataklao as "broke" or "broke in pieces." The word carries no mystical connotation beyond the physical reality of the meal. It underscores the tangible nature of Jesus’ ministry, where divine power worked through simple, human actions like breaking bread to meet immediate physical needs.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kataklao describes a simple, physical act: breaking something into smaller pieces. In the Gospels, we see Jesus using this action with five loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd. He did not just divide the food; He broke it thoroughly so that it could be shared among many people.
This detail matters because it shows how God often works through ordinary means. The miracle was not just in the multiplication, but in the willingness to break what was whole for the sake of others. It reminds us that our resources, no matter how small, can meet needs when we are willing to share them.
When you face a situation where your own strength seems insufficient, remember this scene. God uses humble acts of obedience and sharing to bring about His provision. You do not need to have everything figured out; you only need to offer what you have for Him to use.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- broke [them]1×
- He broke1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατέκλασεν2×
Key Verses
-
Mark 6:41
He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.
This verse highlights the physical breaking of the loaves as a necessary step before distribution, showing that Jesus prepared the food for the crowd through this tangible action.
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Luke 9:16
He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Here the same event is recorded with slight variation in word order, emphasizing that the breaking was part of the blessing process before the disciples distributed the food to the multitude.