καταχέω (katacheō)
katacheō
to pour
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb katacheō means to pour liquid down over something, often with a sense of abundance or intensity. It combines the prefix kata, suggesting downward motion, with cheō, which simply means to pour. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in the Gospels describing acts of devotion involving costly perfume.
Mark 14:3 records women pouring ointment on Jesus’ head, while Matthew 26:7 describes the same event with the detail that the perfume was poured on his head. The sources note that this usage aligns with the Greek translation of Hebrew verbs in the Septuagint that also mean to pour out or shed liquid. Unlike words for sprinkling or dabbing, katacheō implies a free and generous flow.
Its rarity highlights the significance of these specific moments. By using a word that conveys pouring down, the Gospel writers emphasize the lavishness of the offering. The act was not measured or restrained; it was an outpouring of value and honor. This lexical choice underscores the extraordinary nature of the gesture in response to Jesus’ presence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word katacheō captures a pouring that is free, abundant, and without restraint. When we see this term in the Gospels, it describes an act of devotion that refuses to hold back. It is not a measured offering but a complete outpouring of value and honor.
In Mark 14:3, a woman breaks her jar and pours expensive ointment over Jesus’ head. This gesture shows us what true worship can look like: generous, costly, and focused entirely on the one we serve. It invites us to consider how freely we offer our best resources and time.
Such lavish love reminds us that honoring Christ is not about calculation but about heart posture. May your own acts of service reflect this same spirit of open-handed generosity, trusting that every gift given in faith finds its place in His hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- she poured [it] on1×
- poured [it]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατέχεεν2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 26:7
a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
This verse highlights the specific detail that the perfume was poured on his head, emphasizing the public and royal nature of the honor being given.
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Mark 14:3
While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster jar of ointment of pure nard—very costly. She broke the jar and poured it over his head.
Here the word underscores the intensity of the act by describing how she broke the jar and poured the costly nard over his head without holding back.