καταπίπτω (katapiptō)
katapiptō
to fall down
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb katapiptō describes the physical act of falling down, often with a sense of suddenness or collapse. It appears in only three New Testament passages, yet each instance carries significant narrative weight. In Luke 8:6, it depicts seeds falling on rocky ground, where they sprout quickly but wither because they have no depth of soil.
The word also marks moments of intense reaction. In Acts 26:14, Paul recounts his conversion experience, describing how he and his companions fell to the ground as a voice from heaven spoke. Similarly, in Acts 28:6, the people on Malta initially expect the bitten Paul to swell up or die, but when nothing happens, they change their minds about him being a god.
Etymologically, it combines kata ("down") with piptō ("to fall"). This construction emphasizes the downward motion and finality of the action. Translators typically render it simply as "fall down" or "fell to the ground," preserving the literal physicality of the event without adding metaphorical layers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word katapiptō describes the physical act of falling down, often with a sense of suddenness or collapse. It appears in only three New Testament passages, yet each instance carries significant narrative weight. In Luke 8:6, it depicts seeds falling on rocky ground, where they sprout quickly but wither because they have no depth of soil. The word also marks moments of intense reaction. In Acts 26:14, Paul recounts his conversion experience, describing how he and his companions fell to the ground as a voice from heaven spoke. Similarly, in Acts 28:6, the people on Malta initially expect the bitten Paul to swell up or die, but when nothing happens, they change their minds about him being a god.
Etymologically, it combines kata ("down") with piptō ("to fall"). This construction emphasizes the downward motion and finality of the action. Translators typically render it simply as "fall down" or "fell to the ground," preserving the literal physicality of the event without adding metaphorical layers.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- when were falling down1×
- to fall down1×
- fell1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατέπεσεν1×
- καταπίπτειν1×
- καταπεσόντων1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 8:6
Some seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
This verse uses the word to describe seeds falling on rocky ground, illustrating how a lack of depth leads to withering.
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Acts 26:14
When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Here, Paul describes falling to the earth during his conversion, marking a moment of divine encounter and humility.
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Acts 28:6
But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
The Maltese people expected Paul to fall down dead after a snake bite, but his survival led them to reconsider their judgment.