What does κεφαλή (kephalḗ) mean in the Bible?
G2776 is the common noun for a physical head and also appears in several figurative constructions. Seventy-five forms occur in sixty-seven verses across eleven books.
Greek · G2776
κεφαλή
The head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively
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κεφαλή G2776
Pronunciation kephalḗ
What does κεφαλή (kephalḗ) mean in the Bible?
G2776 is the common noun for a physical head and also appears in several figurative constructions. Seventy-five forms occur in sixty-seven verses across eleven books.
Reader summary
Full entry for κεφαλή (G2776) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2776?
The BSB source-word alignment has 75 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include head (43), heads (18), [the] head (3), vvv (3), [the] cornerstone (2).
Where does κεφαλή (kephalḗ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:36. Its strongest book concentrations include Revelation (19), Matthew (12), 1 Corinthians (10), Mark (8).
Are there verse guides for κεφαλή (kephalḗ)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
G2776 is the common noun for a physical head and also appears in several figurative constructions. Seventy-five forms occur in sixty-seven verses across eleven books. Narrative texts use it for a person's head, including places involving posture, injury, anointing, execution, and visionary description. Scriptural stone quotations speak of a stone becoming the head of the corner. Paul uses the noun in relational statements and, in Ephesians and Colossians, for Christ as head in relation to the church and body.
No single English debate should control every occurrence. Literal anatomy, corner-stone language, relational order, cosmic supremacy, and the body's dependence on Christ must remain passage-defined. In Colossians 2:19, growth comes from the Head as the body is supported and joined together. That text centers dependence on Christ; it does not license coercive human leadership or settle every question associated with figurative head language.
How the Bible Uses It
G2776 ranges from ordinary bodily references and head-of-the-corner quotations to relational and body-church metaphors. Each construction supplies its own emphasis; Colossians 2:19 foregrounds the body's connection to Christ and its God-given growth.
- Matt.8.20
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”
The literal use keeps the word grounded: κεφαλή first names the physical head. Figurative theology must not erase the ordinary sense from which the metaphor works.
- 1Cor.11.3
But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
Paul uses κεφαλή in a relational ordering context. This passage requires careful handling because it addresses a different local issue than Colossians.
- Eph.1.22
And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
Christ is given as head over all things for the church. The word here carries cosmic authority and church-centered benefit together.
- Col.1.18
And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
In the hymn, Christ is head of the body, the church. His headship belongs to His supremacy as Creator, reconciler, and firstborn from the dead.
- Col.2.19
He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.
The danger is losing connection to the Head. Paul describes growth as something the whole body receives from Christ as it is held together.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It head 43× Matthew 5:36, Matthew 6:17, Matthew 8:20, Matthew 10:30
heads 18× Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29, Luke 21:28, Acts 18:6
[the] head 3× 1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:23
vvv 3× Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, 1 Peter 2:7
[the] cornerstone 2× Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11
. . . 1× Luke 7:38
[his] head 1× 1 Corinthians 11:4
[is the] head 1× Ephesians 5:23
[the] heads 1× Revelation 9:17
head [say] 1× 1 Corinthians 12:21
head {repeatedly} 1× Matthew 27:30
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:36 κεφαλῇ to head Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Matthew 6:17 κεφαλὴν to head Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 8:20 κεφαλὴν to head Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 10:30 κεφαλῆς to head Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 14:8 κεφαλὴν to head Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 14:11 κεφαλὴ to head Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 21:42 κεφαλὴν to vvv Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 26:7 κεφαλῆς to head Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 27:29 κεφαλῆς to head Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Matthew 27:30 κεφαλὴν to head {repeatedly} Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:36
Aligned rows 75
Books represented 11
Matthew 12 Mark 8 Luke 7 John 5 Acts 5 Romans 1 1 Corinthians 10 Ephesians 4 Colossians 3 1 Peter 1 Revelation 19
Source forms
κεφαλὴν 23x kephalēn Matthew 6:17, Matthew 8:20, Matthew 14:8, Matthew 21:42
κεφαλῆς 14x kephalēs Matthew 10:30, Matthew 26:7, Matthew 27:29, Matthew 27:37
κεφαλὰς 12x kephalas Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29, Luke 21:28, Revelation 4:4
κεφαλὴ 10x kephalē Matthew 14:11, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 12:21, Ephesians 5:23
κεφαλήν 5x kephalēn Luke 7:46, John 13:9, Acts 18:18, Acts 21:24
κεφαλῇ 4x kephalē Matthew 5:36, John 19:2, John 20:12, 1 Corinthians 11:5
κεφαλαὶ 3x kephalai Revelation 9:17, Revelation 17:9
κεφαλάς 1x kephalas Revelation 9:19
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 29x Matthew 6:17, Matthew 8:20, Matthew 14:8, Matthew 21:42
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 14x Matthew 10:30, Matthew 26:7, Matthew 27:29, Matthew 27:37
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 13x Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29, Luke 21:28, Revelation 4:4
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 11x Matthew 14:11, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 12:21, Ephesians 4:15
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 4x Matthew 5:36, John 19:2, John 20:12, 1 Corinthians 11:5
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural 3x Revelation 9:17, Revelation 17:9
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural 1x Revelation 13:3
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- When teaching κεφαλή, let Christ's relation to the church set the pastoral tone. His headship is living, nourishing, governing, and holy, not merely organizational control.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every use of κεφαλή carries the same figurative sense. Matthew 8:20 is literal, while Colossians 1:18 and 2:19 are body-church metaphors.
- Do not claim that the church can grow by spiritual experiences while losing hold of Christ. Colossians 2:19 says the body grows from the Head.
- Do not claim Christ's headship licenses harsh human control. The text speaks first of Christ's living relation to His body.
Book contextLexical sourcePassage contextPastoral application
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Metaphorically denotes authority and preeminence, especially Christ's headship over the church.
Source Gloss
the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Metaphorically denotes authority and preeminence, especially Christ's headship over the church.
the head: Mat.5:35, Mrk.6:24, Rev.1:14 9:7, al. mult.; figuratively, ἄνθρακες ἐπὶ τὴν κ., Rom.12:20 (LXX); αἷμι, Act.18:6; metaphorically, of a husband, with genitive, 1Co.1:13, Eph.5:23; of Christ, 1Co.11:3, Eph.4:15 5:23, Col.1:18 2:10, 19; of things, κ. γωνίας, Mat.21:42 (LXX)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 76 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:36 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
κεφαλῇ kefalh
the head
Read verse Matthew 6:17 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλήν, kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 8:20 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 10:30 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κεφαλῆς kefalhv
the head
Read verse Matthew 14:8 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 14:11 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴ kefalh
the head
Read verse Matthew 21:42 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 26:7 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 27:29 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 27:30 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Matthew 27:37 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
κεφαλῆς kefalhv
the head
Read verse Matthew 27:39 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
κεφαλὰς kefalav
the head
Read verse Mark 6:24 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Mark 6:25 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Mark 6:27 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verse Mark 6:28 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
κεφαλὴν kefalhn
the head
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 7 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 7 Aligned forms 75 Case pattern Accusative (42) Number pattern Singular (58)
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 14:11 · 1 Cor 11:3 · 1 Cor 12:21 · Eph 4:15 · Eph 5:23 · Col 1:18 · Col 2:10 · Rev 1:14 11×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Rev 9:17 · Rev 17:9 3×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Matt 10:30 · Matt 26:7 · Matt 27:29 · Matt 27:37 · Mark 14:3 · Luke 7:38 · Luke 12:7 · Luke 21:18 · John 20:7 · Acts 27:34 · 1 Cor 11:4 · 1 Cor 11:10 · Rev 12:1 · Rev 14:14 14×
Genitive · Plural · Feminine Rev 13:3 1×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Matt 5:36 · John 19:2 · John 20:12 · 1 Cor 11:5 4×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 6:17 · Matt 8:20 · Matt 14:8 · Matt 21:42 · Matt 27:30 · Mark 6:24 · Mark 6:25 · Mark 6:27 · Mark 6:28 · Mark 12:10 · Mark 15:19 · Luke 7:46 · Luke 9:58 · Luke 20:17 · John 13:9 · John 19:30 29×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Matt 27:39 · Mark 15:29 · Luke 21:28 · Rev 4:4 · Rev 9:7 · Rev 9:19 · Rev 12:3 · Rev 13:1 · Rev 17:3 · Rev 17:7 · Rev 18:19 13×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
Head of the corner, the foundational stone aligning the structure.
Showing 1 selected witness from 75 lexical occurrence verses.
Why This Word Matters
Jesus’ exaltation as cornerstone affirms His central, indispensable role in salvation. Acts 4:1-12
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
This word gives a preacher a way to confront both autonomy and anxiety in the church. Autonomy says the body can grow by its own programs, severity, insight, or discipline apart from Christ. Anxiety says the body will fall apart unless we control it. Colossians answers both by pointing to the Head. Christ is not a symbolic figurehead. He is the One from whom the whole body grows with a growth from God.
Preach κεφαλή by showing that Christ's authority is not cold domination and His nourishment is not vague sentiment. He rules as the living Head who supplies, orders, protects, and matures His people. The pastoral test is simple: are we holding fast to Christ, or are we trusting a substitute to make the body whole?
Anchor passage
Col.2.19
Doctrinal connections
- G4983 σῶμα - the body image needs the head-body relation in Colossians.
- G4138 πλήρωμα - fullness and headship stand together in Colossians 1-2.
- G746 ἀρχή - Christ is beginning and ruler; headship is part of His supremacy.
- Eph.1.22-23 - head over all things for the church.
- Col.2.18-23 - false spirituality is dangerous because it loosens people from the Head.
κεφαλή can be literal or figurative. The figurative sense in Colossians is shaped by the body metaphor: Christ is the Head from whom the body is supplied and held together.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture repeatedly presents God's people as dependent on the Lord for life, order, and protection. Paul gives that dependence a Christ-centered body image: the church lives by holding fast to Christ its Head.
Book contextPastoral applicationCanonical parallelEditorial synthesisLexical sourcePassage context
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain