κατοίκησις (katoikēsis)
katoikēsis
dwelling
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun katoikēsis refers to a place where someone lives or resides, translated simply as "dwelling" or "abode." It describes the physical location of habitation rather than the act of living there. The term appears only once in the New Testament, in Mark 5:3, where it identifies the tombs as the man’s home.
Its meaning is concrete and spatial. In this single instance, the word highlights how completely isolated the possessed man was from society. He did not live in a house or village but in the burial grounds, making his "dwelling" a place of death and separation. This usage underscores the severity of his condition through the specific nature of his residence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word katoikēsis points to a specific place of residence, highlighting where a person actually makes their home. In Mark 5:3, this term describes the tombs as the dwelling place of a man overwhelmed by spiritual forces. This detail reveals his total isolation from community and normal life.
Seeing Jesus enter such a broken space shows that God’s presence is not limited to comfortable or holy buildings. The divine light reaches into our darkest corners and most isolated moments. Your current situation, however difficult, is known and seen by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- dwelling1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κατοίκησιν1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 5:3
He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
This verse uses the term to identify the tombs as the man's actual home, emphasizing his complete social separation.