καταλείπω G2641
Leave behind, abandon; in passive, remain; reserve or set aside for a purpose
The verb kataleipo (καταλείπω) traces the arc of departure and what it leaves in its wake. Jesus 'left' Nazareth for Capernaum (Matt 4:13) and departed from Bethany (Matt 21:17); Genesis is quoted when a man 'leaves' father and mother to cleave to his wife (Matt 19:5; Mark 10:7; Eph 5:31). In the passive, it describes those left behind or remaining — the woman left alone after her accusers depart (John 8:9), or Paul left alone in Athens (1 Thess 3:1). Most strikingly, in Romans 11:4 God says 'I reserved for myself seven thousand,' using kataleipo for divine election that keeps a faithful remnant.
Senses
1. leave behind, depart from — To leave behind or depart from a person, place, or situation — the dominant active sense covering most New Testament occurrences. Jesus leaves Nazareth (Matt 4:13), departs from a generation (Matt 16:4), and leaves Bethany (Matt 21:17). The Genesis marriage formula — 'a man shall leave father and mother' — appears via this verb (Matt 19:5; Mark 10:7; Eph 5:31). Spanish deja/dejando, French laisser, and German verlässt all converge on the straightforward spatial-relational meaning of going away from what remains. 19×
AR["إِذْ-تَرَكَهُم", "تارِكينَ", "تارِكًا", "تَارِكًا", "تَرَكوا", "تَرَكَ", "تَرَكَتْني", "تَرَكْنَاهَا", "تَرْكِنَا", "لَمَّا-تَرَكَ", "يَترُكُ", "يَتْرُكُ"]·ben["আর", "ছেড়ে", "ছেড়ে-দিয়ে", "ছেড়ে-যাবে", "ছেড়েছেন", "তিনি-ত্যাগ-করলেন", "তিনি-রেখে-গেলেন", "ত্যাগ-করবে", "ত্যাগ-করে", "ফেলে-রাখে", "রাখিয়া-গেল", "রেখে", "রেখে-যায়"]·DE["verlässt", "zuruecklassen"]·EN["having-left", "he-left", "leaves", "leaves-behind", "leaving-behind", "left", "left-behind", "they-left", "will-leave"]·FR["laisser"]·heb["הִשְׁאִיר", "הִשְׁאִירוּ", "יַעֲזֹב", "כְּשֶׁעָזַב", "לַעֲזֹב", "מַנִּיחַ", "עֲזָבוּ", "עָזְבָה", "עָזַב", "עָזַבְנוּ", "עוֹזֵב"]·HI["चोदकर", "चोदेग", "छोड़-जाए", "छोड़-दिया", "छोड़कर", "छोड़ता-है", "छोड़दिया", "छोड़ा", "छोड़े", "छोड़ेगा", "छोदेग"]·ID["Meninggalkan", "akan-meninggalkan", "dia-tinggalkan", "ia-meninggalkan", "meninggalkan"]·IT["lasciare"]·jav["Nilar", "badhé-nilar", "nilar", "sami-nilar", "sasampunipun-nilar", "tiyang-jaler-badhe-nilar"]·KO["그가-남겨두었다", "남겨-두고", "남겨두고", "남겨두면", "남겨두었다", "남겨두었습니다", "남겨두지", "남겼다", "남기고", "떠나", "떠나리라", "떠났으니", "버리고", "버린-자들"]·PT["deixa", "deixando", "deixar", "deixaram", "deixará", "deixou", "tendo-abandonado", "tendo-deixado", "tendo-os-deixado,"]·RU["оставив", "оставившие", "оставил", "оставила", "оставили", "оставит"]·ES["deja", "dejando", "dejara", "dejaron", "dejará", "dejándola", "dejándolos", "dejó", "habiendo-abandonado", "habiendo-dejado"]·SW["akaacha", "akiacha", "akimwacha", "akiuacha", "akiwaacha", "alimwacha", "aliondoka", "aliwaacha", "ameniacha", "ataondoka", "awachi", "kuacha", "mtu", "tukiiacha", "wakaacha", "wakiacha", "wao"]·TR["-o", "bırakacak", "bırakarak", "bıraktı", "bıraktılar", "bırakıp", "bırakır", "bırakırsa", "terk-edecek", "terk-edenler", "terk-etti"]·urd["چھوڑ-جائے", "چھوڑ-دیا", "چھوڑ-کر", "چھوڑا", "چھوڑتا", "چھوڑے-گا"]
Matt 4:13, Matt 16:4, Matt 19:5, Matt 21:17, Mark 10:7, Mark 12:19, Mark 12:21, Mark 14:52, Luke 5:28, Luke 10:40, Luke 15:4, Luke 20:31 (+7 more)
2. be left, remain — In the passive voice, to be left behind, to remain as a residue or remnant after others have gone. The accusers of the woman caught in adultery depart one by one until Jesus is left alone with her (John 8:9); Paul and Silas describe themselves as 'left behind' in Athens (1 Thess 3:1). Hebrews 4:1 warns lest a promise of entering God's rest 'be left' (i.e. still standing) while some fall short. Spanish dejado/fue-dejado and the passive construction across languages confirm the shift from agent-who-leaves to the person or thing that remains. 4×
AR["أنْ-نُتْرَكَ", "تُرِكَ", "مَتْروكٍ", "مَتْرُوكٌ"]·ben["আছেন-রইলেন", "বাকি-থাকতে", "রাখিয়া-যাওয়া", "রেখে-যেতে"]·DE["verlässt", "zuruecklassen"]·EN["being-left", "having-been-left-behind", "to-be-left-behind", "was-left"]·FR["laisser"]·heb["בְּהִשְׁאֵר-", "לְהִשָּׁאֵר", "נִשְׁאַר", "נִשְׁאָר"]·HI["छोड़-दिया-गया", "छोड़ाहुआ", "छोड़ी-गई", "छोद-जअन"]·ID["ditinggalkan", "ditinggalkanlah", "yang-tertinggal"]·IT["lasciare"]·jav["dipun-tilar", "kasantun", "katilar"]·KO["남겨졌다", "남겨지는-것을", "남겨진", "남아-있는"]·PT["deixado", "foi-deixado", "sendo-deixada", "ser-deixados"]·RU["оставленного", "оставленный", "остался", "остаться"]·ES["dejado", "fue-dejado", "ser-dejados", "siendo-dejada"]·SW["aliachwa", "aliyeachwa", "ikiwa-imebaki", "kuachwa"]·TR["bırakıldı", "bırakılmak", "bırakılmış", "bırakılmışken"]·urd["باقی-رہتے-ہوئے", "چھوڑا-گیا", "چھوڑا-ہوا", "چھوڑے-جانے-کو"]
3. reserve, keep for oneself — To reserve or set aside for a particular purpose — a rare but theologically weighty sense found in Romans 11:4, where God declares 'I reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal,' quoting 1 Kings 19:18. Here kataleipo moves beyond mere spatial leaving into divine intentionality: God actively keeps a remnant. Spanish reservé and the singular occurrence across the corpus mark this as a distinctive theological usage that elevates the verb from narrative action to covenant election. 1×
AR["أَبْقَيْتُ"]·ben["আমি-রেখেছি"]·DE["zuruecklassen"]·EN["I-reserved"]·FR["laisser"]·heb["הִשְׁאַרְתִּי"]·HI["रखा-है"]·ID["Aku-menyisakan"]·IT["lasciare"]·jav["Kula-nilar"]·KO["내가-남겨-두었다"]·PT["Reservei"]·RU["оставил"]·ES["reservé"]·SW["Nimejiachia"]·TR["Bıraktım"]·urd["میں-نے-رکھے-ہیں"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταλείπω, later καταλιμπάνω (which see), Epic dialect also καλλείπω Refs 8th c.BC+: future καλλείψω Refs: aorist κάλλῐπον Refs: aorist 1 subjunctive καλλείψῃς Refs 4th c.AD+; participle καλλείψας Refs 2nd c.AD+; Ionic dialect iterative καταλίπεσκε (κατελίπεσκε, καταλειπέεσκε codices) Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect -λέλοιπαRefs 5th c.BC+ —middle, future καταλείψομαι (in passive sense) Refs 5th c.BC+:…