κατ-άγω G2609
To lead or bring down from a higher place; also nautical: to bring a ship to land, to put in at port.
Compounded from κατά (down) and ἄγω (lead), this verb describes downward movement of persons or vessels. In Acts it appears repeatedly as Paul is escorted down — from Jerusalem to Caesarea (Acts 9:30; 23:15, 20, 28), or from the barracks to the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30). The nautical sense surfaces twice in Paul's voyage to Rome: 'we landed at Sidon' (Acts 27:3) and 'having landed at Syracuse' (Acts 28:12). Spanish captures the split neatly: 'hacer bajar' and 'llevar' for bringing a person down, but 'atracar' (to dock) for the nautical arrivals — a technical maritime term that confirms the distinct semantic register.
Senses
1. bring down / lead down (a person) — To bring or lead a person down from one place to another, typically from a higher elevation or from one city to another. Used extensively in Acts for escorting Paul: the disciples brought him down to Caesarea (Acts 9:30), the commander brought him down to the council (Acts 22:30), and the tribune was asked to bring him down to the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:15, 20, 28). Luke 5:11 uses it for bringing boats to land. Spanish employs 'hacer bajar' (cause to descend) and 'llevar' (take/lead), while German uses 'hinabführen' (lead down), all preserving the directional component. 7×
AR["أَنْ-يُنْزِلَ", "أَنْزَلَ", "أَنْزَلُوهُ", "أَنْزَلْتُهُ", "تُنْزِلَ", "لَمّا-أَرجَعوا", "يُنْزِلَهُ"]·ben["নামাইয়া-আন", "নামাইয়া-আনে", "নামিয়ে", "নামিয়ে-আনতে", "নামিয়ে-এনে", "নিয়ে-গেল", "লইয়া-গেলাম"]·DE["hinabfuehren", "κατήγαγον", "καταγάγῃ", "καταγάγῃς", "καταγαγόντες", "καταγαγὼν"]·EN["I-brought-down", "brought-down", "having-brought", "having-brought-down", "he-might-bring-down", "to-bring-down", "you-might-bring-down"]·FR["conduire", "faire-descendre"]·heb["הֵבִיאוּ", "הוֹרִיד", "הוֹרִידוּ", "הוֹרַדְתִּי", "יוֹרִיד", "לְהוֹרִיד", "תּוֹרִיד"]·HI["उतार-लाए", "उतारकर", "उतारने-को", "लाए", "लाकर", "लेगया"]·ID["membawa", "membawa-turun", "menurunkan", "setelah-mendaratkan"]·IT["condurre-giu", "katagagontes"]·jav["kula-ngirid", "ngandhapaken", "ngirid", "nurunaken.", "panjenengan-ngirid", "sampun-mbekta"]·KO["끌어-올려", "내려오게-함이라", "데려가도록", "데려갔다", "데려오도록", "데려와서"]·PT["fazer-descer.", "levaram"]·RU["выведя", "вывел", "вытащив", "отвели", "привёл"]·ES["habiendo-llevado", "hacer-bajar", "lo-llevaron", "lo-llevé-abajo", "traiga-abajo", "traigas-abajo", "trayendo"]·SW["akimteremsha", "amteremshie", "kumteremsha.", "nilimteremsha", "umteremshie", "wakizileta", "walimshusha"]·TR["getirerek", "indirdiler", "indirdim", "indiresin", "indirmek", "indirsin", "karaya-çekip"]·urd["اُتارا", "تُو-لے-آئے", "لا-کر", "میں-لے-گیا", "نیچے-لانا۔", "وہ-لے-آئے"]
2. land / put in to shore (nautical, intransitive) — A nautical technical term in passive or intransitive use for a ship putting in at port or coming to shore. In Acts 27:3 Paul's ship 'landed at Sidon,' and in Acts 28:12 they 'put in at Syracuse.' Spanish shifts to the specialized maritime verb 'atracar' (to dock/berth), clearly distinguishing this from the general sense of leading a person downward. The passive form κατήχθημεν ('we were brought down' = 'we landed') reflects ancient Greek maritime idiom where the ship, not its passengers, is grammatically 'led down' to shore. 2×
AR["رَسَوْنَا", "نَزَلنا"]·ben["অবতরণ-করিয়া", "অবতরণ-করিলাম"]·DE["κατήχθημεν", "καταχθέντες"]·EN["having-landed", "we-landed"]·FR["conduire"]·heb["הִגַּעְנוּ", "עָגַנְנוּ"]·HI["उतरकर", "हमउतरे"]·ID["berlabuh"]·IT["condurre-giu"]·jav["mandhap"]·KO["내렸다", "내리서"]·PT["aportamos", "tendo-aportado"]·RU["прибыли", "пристав"]·ES["atracamos", "habiendo-atracado"]·SW["tuliposhuka", "tulishuka"]·TR["indik", "karaya-çıkarak"]·urd["اتر-کر", "اترے"]
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
κατ-άγω [ᾰγ], future -ξωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist κατήγᾰγον Refs 8th c.BC+aorist 1 κατῆξαRefs 5th c.BC+: Epic dialect aorist infinitive -αξέμενRefs 8th c.BC+perfect καταγήοχαRefs 4th c.BC+:—lead down, especially into the nether world, ψυχὰς μνηστήρων κατάγων Refs 8th c.BC+: generally, bring down to a place, Refs 8th c.BC+; bring down a river or canal, Refs:—passive, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 draw down,…