κάθημαι G2521
To sit, be seated; to sit enthroned or reign in authority; to dwell, reside, inhabit a place or condition.
The Greek verb κάθημαι ('to sit, be seated') is a deponent middle voice form whose semantic range stretches from the mundane to the majestic. In its most frequent usage, it describes authoritative sitting — the enthroned Christ at God's right hand (Matt 19:28; 26:64), a king on his throne, or a judge presiding over court — a sense that accounts for over half its New Testament occurrences. Yet it also covers ordinary physical sitting: by the sea (Matt 13:1), in the marketplace (Matt 11:16), or at the tax booth where Jesus found Matthew (Matt 9:9). A third, more figurative sense emerges in passages like Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:79, where those who 'sit in darkness' are people dwelling in a settled condition of spiritual need. Spanish sentado, French assis, and German sitzen serve across all three senses, though many languages add honorific markers when the subject is divine.
Senses
1. sit enthroned, reign — To sit enthroned, to be seated in a position of authority, rule, or judgment (55 occurrences). This is the dominant New Testament sense, covering Christ seated at God's right hand (Matt 26:64; Rev 4:2), God enthroned in heaven (Rev 4:9-10), rulers on judgment seats, and the apocalyptic riders of Revelation. Korean 앉으시다 (honorific 'sit') and Hindi विराजमान ('enthroned') deploy elevated register, while Spanish sentado en el trono and German auf dem Thron sitzend add explicit throne vocabulary — all confirming that translators perceive royal dignity beyond mere posture. 55×
AR["الجالِسُ", "الجالِسِ", "الْجَالِسُ", "جالِس", "جالِسًا", "جالِسٌ", "جَالِسًا", "جَالِسٌ"]·ben["বসতি", "বসা", "বসে", "বসে-আছে", "বসে-আছেন,", "বসে-আছেন-যিনি,", "বসে-আছেন-সেই", "বসে-থাকতে", "বসে-থাকা", "যে-বসে-থাকত"]·DE["sitzen", "sitzt"]·EN["one-sitting", "sitting"]·FR["être-assis"]·heb["יֹשֵׁב", "יוֹשֵׁב"]·HI["-जो-कहलाती-है", "बैठनेवाला", "बैठनेवाले", "बैठा-हुआ", "बैठा-हुआ,", "बैठे-हुए", "बैठे-हुए-को", "बैथअ-हुअ", "सुध-बुद्धि-में"]·ID["duduk", "duduk,", "yang-duduk"]·IT["sedere", "sedersi"]·jav["ingkang-lenggah", "lenggah", "lungguh", "lungguh,"]·KO["앉아-계셨다", "앉아-계신", "앉아-계신-분", "앉아-있는", "앉아-있는,", "앉아-있던", "앉아서", "자선-을"]·PT["que-se-sentava", "que-sentava", "sentado", "sentado,"]·RU["Сидящему", "Сидящий,", "Сидящим", "сидевший", "сидящего", "сидящий"]·ES["que-sentado", "sentado", "uno-sentado"]·SW["aketi,", "aketiye", "akikaa", "akiketi", "aliyeketi", "aliyekuwa-amekaa", "ameketi", "ameketi,", "walioketi"]·TR["-o", "oturan", "oturan,", "oturana", "oturanın"]·urd["بیٹھا", "بیٹھا-ہوا", "بیٹھی-ہوئی", "بیٹھے-ہوئے", "بیٹھے-ہوئے-کو", "بیٹھے-ہوئے-کے", "بیٹھے-ہُوئے", "لاوی"]
Matt 4:16, Matt 9:9, Matt 11:16, Matt 19:28, Matt 20:30, Matt 26:64, Matt 27:36, Mark 2:6, Mark 2:14, Mark 3:34, Mark 5:15, Mark 14:62 (+38 more)
2. sit, be seated physically — To sit or be seated in a literal, physical sense — on the ground, at a table, on a seat, or beside a road (26 occurrences). Jesus sits by the sea to teach (Matt 13:1-2), Peter sits in the courtyard (Matt 26:58), the blind sit by the roadside (Matt 20:30). The distinction from sense 1 lies in the absence of authority or official function: this is bodily posture without status connotation. French être assis, Spanish estar sentado, and Swahili kuketi all use their basic positional verbs here without honorific marking. 26×
AR["اجلِس", "اجْلِسْ", "اِجلِس", "اِجلِسْ", "اِجْلِسْ", "تَجلِسُ", "جَلَسَ", "كانَ-جالِسًا", "كانَ-يَجلِسُ", "كَانَ-جَالِسًا", "كَانَ-يَجْلِسُ"]·ben["ডানদিকে", "বস", "বসছিলেন", "বসলেন", "বসে-আছে", "বসে-ছিল", "বসে-ছিলেন", "বসেছিল", "বসেছিলেন", "বসো"]·DE["sitzen", "sitzt"]·EN["Sit", "sit", "sits", "to-sit", "was-sitting"]·FR["être-assis"]·heb["יָשַׁב", "יוֹשֶׁבֶת", "לִ-", "לָשֶׁבֶת", "שֵׁב"]·HI["झील", "बैठ", "बैठ-गया", "बैठती-है", "बैठा", "बैठा-था", "बैथअ", "बैथे"]·ID["Duduklah", "Ia-duduk", "dia-duduk", "duduk", "duduklah"]·IT["sedere", "sedersi"]·jav["Lenggaha", "Pétrus-lenggah", "lenggah", "lenggah,", "lenggahana", "lenggahana»", "lungguh", "pinarak"]·KO["앉아-계셨다", "앉아-있었다", "앉아라", "앉았다", "앉으니", "앉으라", "앉으라»", "앉으셨다", "이-것-을"]·PT["Assenta-te", "Senta-te", "estava-sentado", "estava-sentado,", "está-sentada", "senta-te", "sentar-se", "sentava-se", "sentou-se"]·RU["Сиди", "Сиди-", "сел", "сидел", "сидеть", "сидит", "сядь"]·ES["Siéntate", "estaba-sentado", "se-sentaba", "se-sentó", "se-sienta", "sentarse", "siéntate"]·SW["Kaa", "Keti", "alikaa", "aliketi", "alikuwa-ameketi", "anakaa", "kaa", "kukaa", "kuketi", "kutoka"]·TR["Otur", "benim", "otur", "oturdu", "oturması", "oturuyor", "oturuyordu"]·urd["بیٹھ", "بیٹھ-گیا", "بیٹھ»-", "بیٹھا", "بیٹھا-تھا", "بیٹھتی-ہے"]
Matt 13:1, Matt 13:2, Matt 15:29, Matt 22:44, Matt 26:58, Matt 26:69, Matt 27:61, Matt 28:2, Mark 3:32, Mark 4:1, Mark 10:46, Mark 12:36 (+14 more)
3. dwell, reside, inhabit — To dwell, reside, or inhabit a place or condition, used metaphorically of people settled in a region or state (10 occurrences). Matthew 4:16 cites Isaiah: 'the people sitting in darkness saw a great light,' where 'sitting' means prolonged dwelling rather than physical posture. Luke 21:35 extends this to all who 'sit on the face of the earth' — inhabiting it as residents. Arabic الجالسين and Hindi बैठे हुए can carry both postural and habitative readings, while Swahili wanaokaa ('those who stay/dwell') shifts decisively to residential vocabulary. 10×
AR["الجالِسينَ", "الجالِسَةِ", "الجَالِسِينَ", "الساكِنينَ", "الْجَالِسِينَ", "جالِسَةً", "جَالِسِينَ"]·ben["উপবিষ্টদের", "বসতি", "বসবাসকারী", "বসা", "বসিয়া", "বসে-আছে", "বসে-আছে-যারা", "বসে-আছেদের", "বসে-থাকা"]·DE["sitzen", "sitzt"]·EN["sitting"]·FR["être-assis"]·heb["הַיֹשְׁבִים", "הַיּוֹשְׁבִים", "הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת", "יוֹשְׁבִים", "יוֹשֶׁבֶת"]·HI["बैठने-वालों", "बैठनेवालों", "बैठनेवालों-के", "बैठनेवालों-को", "बैठी-हुई", "बैठे-हुए", "बैठे-हुए।", "बैठे-हुओं-को"]·ID["duduk", "duduk.", "yang-duduk", "yang-duduk."]·IT["sedere", "sedersi"]·jav["ingkang-lenggah", "ingkang-numpak", "ingkang-sami-lenggah", "lenggah", "lenggah.", "lenggah;", "linggih.", "tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-lenggah"]·KO["앉아-있는", "앉아-있는-자들", "앉은", "앉은-자들-에게", "앉은-자들-을", "앉은-자들을", "앉은-자들의", "이었다"]·PT["assentados", "que-estavam-sentados", "que-habitam", "sentada", "sentados", "sentados."]·RU["сидящей", "сидящие.", "сидящим", "сидящих", "сидящую"]·ES["que-está-sentada", "que-están-sentados", "sentada", "sentados"]·SW["amekaa", "anayekaa", "wakaao", "wakaapo", "wakiketi", "walioketi", "waliwapanda", "wamekaa", "wanaokaa"]·TR["oturan", "oturanlara", "oturanları", "oturanların", "oturanın"]·urd["بیٹھنے-والوں", "بیٹھوں", "بیٹھی-ہوئی", "بیٹھے-ہوؤں", "بیٹھے-ہوؤں-کو", "بیٹھے-ہوئوں-کو", "بیٹھے-ہوئے", "بیٹھے-ہوئے۔", "سواروں-کا"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κάθημαι, Ionic dialect κάτ-, 2nd pers. singular κάθησαι (Ionic dialect κάτ- NT+5th c.BC+ codices; 3rd.pers. singular κάθηται Refs 5th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural κατέαται Refs 8th c.BC+; κάθουσο Refs 3rd c.BC+; 3rd.pers. singular καθήσθω Refs 4th c.BC+; 3rd.pers. plural καθήσθωσαν Refs; subjunctive καθῶμαι, κάθῃ Refs 5th c.BC+; infinitive καθῆσθα; participle καθήμενος: imperfect…