καταβαίνω G2597
To go down, come down, descend; physical downward movement of persons, objects, or divine manifestations.
The standard Greek verb for downward movement, compounding kata ('down') with baino ('go'). It describes Jesus descending from mountains (Matt 8:1), the Spirit descending like a dove at baptism (Matt 3:16), rain and floods descending upon a house (Matt 7:25, 27), and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). The verb also carries theological weight when applied to divine descent—bread from heaven (John 6:33, 41, 50, 51, 58), the new Jerusalem coming down from God (Rev 21:2). All target languages use dedicated descent verbs: Spanish 'bajó/descendió,' French 'descendre,' German 'hinabsteigen.'
3. sense 3 — A singular occurrence at Luke 22:44 describing Jesus' sweat 'falling down' like drops of blood in Gethsemane. English 'falling' and Spanish 'cayendo' shift from the typical 'descend' to 'fall,' reflecting the unusual subject (sweat rather than a person). The downward motion here is of liquid dripping to the ground, extending the verb's spatial semantics from volitional travel to gravitational descent of bodily fluid under extreme duress. 1×
AR["نازِلَةً"]·ben["নামছে"]·DE["steigt-herab"]·EN["falling"]·FR["descendre"]·heb["יוֹרְדוֹת"]·HI["गिरती-हुईं"]·ID["jatuh"]·IT["scendere"]·jav["ndlewer"]·KO["떨어지는"]·RU["падающие"]·ES["cayendo"]·SW["yakishuka"]·TR["düşen"]·urd["گرتے-ہوئے"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. go/come down physically — The core and dominant sense (79 occurrences): physical downward movement from a higher to a lower location. Covers persons descending mountains, traveling from elevated cities, going down to water, and divine/heavenly figures descending. Key passages include the Spirit descending at Jesus' baptism (Matt 3:16), rain descending on a house (Matt 7:25), and the bread of life descending from heaven (John 6:33). Spanish 'bajó/descendió,' French 'descendre,' and German 'hinabsteigen/steigt herab' all uniformly express directional downward motion. 79×
AR["نازِلًا","نازِلَةٌ","نَازِلًا","نَازِلِينَ","نَزَلَ","نَزَلَت"]·ben["তিনি-নেমে-গেলেন","নামছে","নামল","নামলেন","নামিলেন","নেমে-আসছে","নেমে-আসে","নেমে-এসেছে","নেমেছিল","নেমেছেন"]·DE["hinabsteigen","steigt-herab"]·EN["came-down","coming-down","descending","he-came-down","he-descended","he-went-down","went-down"]·FR["descendre"]·heb["יָרְדָה","יָרַד","יוֹרְדִים","יוֹרֵד","יוֹרֶדֶת"]·HI["उतरआया","उतरता-हुआ","उतरती-हुई","उतरते","उतरते-हुए","उतरा","उतरी","वोह-उतर"]·ID["Dia-turun","Ia-turun","ia-turun","turun","turunlah"]·IT["discendere","scendere"]·jav["mandhap","mudhun","piyambakipun-mandhap","sampun-tumurun","tumurun"]·KO["그가-내려갔다","내려갔다","내려오는","내려오는-것-을","내려오는-것을","내려와서","내려왔다","내려왔으니","내렸다"]·PT["descendo","desceu"]·RU["нисходящих","сошла","сошёл","сходящего","сходящий"]·ES["bajó","descendiendo","descendió"]·SW["akashuka","akishuka","alishuka","ameshuka","ika-shuka","ikishuka","ilishuka","wakishuka"]·TR["-ise","indi","inen"]·urd["اترا","اُترا","اُترتا","اُترتا-ہوا","اُترتی-ہوئی","اُترتے-ہوئے","برسی"]
Matt 3:16, Matt 7:25, Matt 7:27, Matt 14:29, Matt 24:17, Matt 27:40, Matt 27:42, Matt 28:2, Mark 1:10, Mark 13:15, Mark 15:30, Mark 15:32 (+38 more)
2. sense 2 — A figurative-prophetic use (2 occurrences) expressing forced abasement or descent into Hades, both addressed to cities in divine judgment. At Matthew 11:23 and Luke 10:15, Jesus declares 'you will be brought down to Hades' regarding Capernaum. English 'you will be brought down' and Spanish 'descenderás' preserve the passive/future judgment tone. The verb's physical 'going down' merges with the cosmological concept of descent to the underworld, producing a metaphor of catastrophic divine humiliation. 2×
AR["تَنزِلينَ","سَتَنْحَدِرينَ"]·ben["নামবে"]·DE["steigt-herab"]·EN["you-will-be-brought-down","you-will-go-down"]·FR["descendre"]·heb["תֵּרְדִי","תֵּרֵדִי"]·HI["उतारा-जाएगा","गिरयअ-जअयेग"]·ID["diturunkan"]·IT["scendere"]·jav["badhé-dipun-andhapaken!","dipun-andhap"]·KO["내려가리라"]·PT["descerás"]·RU["низвергнешься"]·ES["descenderás"]·SW["utashushwa","utashushwa!"]·TR["indirileceksin","ineceksin"]·urd["اترے-گا","اُتاری-جائے-گی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταβαίνω, Doric dialect κᾰβαίνω Refs 7th c.BC+: future -βήσομαιRefs 8th c.BC+perfect -βέβηκ; Boeotian dialect participle καταβεβάων Refs: aorist κατέβην Refs 8th c.BC+; poetry 3rd.pers. plural κατέβαν LXX+8th c.BC+, Laconian dialect κάβασι Refs 5th c.BC+; Epic dialect 1st pers. plural subjunctive καταβήομεν (variant{-βείομεν}) Refs 8th c.BC+; late 3rd.pers. singular optative κατάβοι LXX+1st…