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Greek · G2518 · unreviewed

καθεύδω

To sleep

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καθεύδω G2518
Pronunciation katheúdō

What does καθεύδω (katheúdō) mean in the Bible?

καθεύδω (katheúdō) is a Greek word meaning "to sleep". καθεύδω [in LXX chiefly for שָׁכַב, Gen.

Full entry for καθεύδω (G2518) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to sleep
Extended definition

Sleep as metaphor for death or spiritual insensibility, not mere physical rest

to sleep: Mat.8:24 9:24 13:25 25:5 26:46, 43 26:45, Mrk.4:27, 38 5:39 14:37, 40-41, Luk.8:52 22:46, 1Th.5:7. Metaphorical,

aof death (as Ps, Da, ll. with): 1Th.5:10 (cf. Mat.9:24, Mrk.5:39, Luk.8:52, and see Swete, Mk., l.with);
bof moral and spiritual insensibility: Mrk.13:36, Eph.5:14, 1Th.5:6.
Synonyms(κοιμάω.)
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Imperfect
Voices
Active
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 8×
Present Active Matt 26:40 · Matt 26:43 · Mark 13:36 · Mark 14:37 · Mark 14:40 · Mark 4:38 · Eph 5:14 · 1 Thess 5:7 8×
Indicative states a fact or reality 10×
Present Active Matt 9:24 · Mark 5:39 · Luke 8:52 · Matt 26:45 · Mark 14:41 · Luke 22:46 · Mark 14:37 · 1 Thess 5:7 8×
Imperfect Active Matt 8:24 · Matt 25:5 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×
Present Active 1 Thess 5:6 · 1 Thess 5:10 · Mark 4:27 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Active Matt 13:25 1×
22 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
ongoing 8 background 2 subjunctive 2 infinitive 1 participle 8
Tense
present 19 imperfect 2
Voice
active 21
Mood
indicative 10 participle 8 subjunctive 2 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 8:24 ἐκάθευδεν imperfect active indicative background Matthew 9:24 καθεύδει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:25 καθεύδειν present active infinitive infinitive Matthew 25:5 ἐκάθευδον imperfect active indicative background Matthew 26:40 καθεύδοντας present active participle participle Matthew 26:43 καθεύδοντας present active participle participle Matthew 26:45 Καθεύδετε present active indicative ongoing Mark 4:38 καθεύδων present active participle participle Mark 5:39 καθεύδει present active indicative ongoing Mark 13:36 καθεύδοντας present active participle participle Mark 14:37 καθεύδοντας present active participle participle Mark 14:37 καθεύδεις present active indicative ongoing Mark 14:40 καθεύδοντας present active participle participle Mark 14:41 Καθεύδετε present active indicative ongoing Luke 8:52 καθεύδει present active indicative ongoing Luke 22:46 καθεύδετε present active indicative ongoing Ephesians 5:14 καθεύδων present active participle participle 1 Thessalonians 5:10 καθεύδωμεν present active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Thessalonians 5:6 καθεύδωμεν present active subjunctive subjunctive 1 Thessalonians 5:7 καθεύδοντες present active participle participle 1 Thessalonians 5:7 καθεύδουσιν present active indicative ongoing

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
Luke 8:40-56 sleeping katheúdō Indicative · Present Active
literal sleep, metaphorically death in the case of Jairus's daughter
Ephesians 5:8-14 sleeping katheúdō Participle · Present Active
moral and spiritual insensibility, figurative slumber of the unregenerate
Jeremiah 51:57-58 sleep katheúdō
literal sleep, used in context of judgment and destruction
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

νυστάζω · καθεύδω G3573, G2518
became drowsy and slept
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Mark 13 — Watch and Endure: Temple Judgment, Gospel Witness, Tribulation, the Son of Man, and Readiness Mark 5 — The Authority of Jesus over Demons, Disease, and Death Matthew 25 — Readiness, Stewardship, and the Final Judgment of the Son of Man Matthew 9 — Authority to Forgive, Mercy for Sinners, and Compassion for the Harvest

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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