καταντ-άω G2658
To arrive at, reach a destination; figuratively, to attain a goal, state, or spiritual maturity
The verb καταντάω traces the arc from physical travel to spiritual aspiration. In the book of Acts it is a workhorse of Paul's missionary itineraries -- he 'arrived at' Derbe, Ephesus, Ptolemais, and other cities along his journeys (Acts 16:1, 18:19, 20:15, 21:7). But when Paul writes to the Philippians or Ephesians, the same verb stretches toward a goal that transcends geography: attaining the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:11) or arriving at the unity of the faith and the mature measure of Christ (Eph 4:13). The multilingual evidence tracks this shift -- Spanish moves from 'Llegaron' (they arrived) to 'alcanzar' (to attain), marking a clear metaphorical extension.
Senses
1. arrive at, come to (a place) — Physical arrival at a geographic destination -- reaching a city, region, or port through travel. This is the dominant use in Acts, where it structures Paul's missionary journeys: arriving at Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1), Ephesus (Acts 18:19, 18:24), Miletus by way of Assos (Acts 20:15), and Ptolemais (Acts 21:7). The glosses across languages are consistently spatial and concrete -- 'Llegaron/Llegó' (Spanish), 'arriver' (French), 'ankommen' (German) -- all standard verbs of physical motion reaching its endpoint. 9×
AR["بَلَغَت","لَمَّا-بَلَغُوا","وَصَلنا","وَصَلَ","وَصَلَا","وَصَلُوا","وَصَلْنَا"]·ben["আমরা-পৌঁছালাম","আসিল","আসিলাম","এলেন","তাঁরা-পৌঁছালেন","পৌঁছলেন","পৌঁছাইয়া","পৌঁছেছে?"]·DE["ankommen","gelangt"]·EN["arrived","did-it-reach","having-arrived","we-arrived"]·FR["arriver"]·heb["הִגִּ֫יעַ","הִגִּיעַ","הִגִּיעוּ","הִגַּעְנוּ","לְהַגִּיעַ"]·HI["आए","पहुँचकर","पहुँचा","पहुँचे","हम-पहुँचे"]·ID["Dia-tiba","kami-tiba","mencapai","mereka-tiba","sampai?","tiba"]·IT["arrivare"]·jav["Rawuh","dumugi","kita-dumugi","rawuh"]·KO["그들이-이르렀다","도착하여","도착하였다","우리가-이르렀다","이르렀느냐","이르렀다"]·PT["Chegou","chegamos","chegaram","chegou?","tendo-chegado"]·RU["Прибыли","Пришёл","достигло","достигнув","мы-прибыли","прибыл","прибыли"]·ES["Llegaron","Llegó","habiendo-llegado","llegamos","llegaron","llegó"]·SW["Alifika","alifika","liliwajia?","tulifika","wakifikia","walifika"]·TR["Vardı","ulaşıp","vardı","vardık","vardılar"]·urd["پہنچ-کر","پہنچا","پہنچے"]
2. attain, reach (a goal or state) — Figurative attainment of a goal, state, or spiritual condition -- reaching something non-spatial through effort, growth, or divine action. Paul uses it for the aspiration to 'attain to the resurrection from the dead' (Phil 3:11) and the church's calling to 'attain to the unity of the faith and the mature stature of Christ' (Eph 4:13). In Acts 26:7, Israel's twelve tribes serve God hoping to 'attain' the promise. 1 Cor 10:11 extends it temporally: the ends of the ages 'have come upon' the present generation. The multilingual shift from arrival verbs to aspiration verbs -- Spanish 'alcanzar,' French 'arriver' used with abstract objects -- confirms the metaphorical boundary. 4×
AR["أَبْلُغَ","أَنْ-يَبْلُغُوا","بَلَغَت","نَبلُغَ"]·ben["এসেছে।","পৌঁছাই","পৌঁছাইতে","পৌঁছি"]·DE["ankommen","gelangt"]·EN["I-may-attain","have-come","to-attain","we-arrive"]·FR["arriver","καταντήσω","καταντήσωμεν"]·heb["אַגִּיעַ","הִגִּיעוּ","לְהַגִּיעַ","שֶׁנַּגִּיעַ"]·HI["पहुँचने;","पहुँचे-हैं","मैन-पहुनच-जऔन","हुम-पहुनचेन"]·ID["aku mencapai","kita-mencapai","mencapai;","telah-datang"]·IT["arrivare","katantēsō","katantēsōmen"]·jav["dumugi?","kita-dumugi","kula-dumugi","sampun-dumugi."]·KO["도달하기를","도달하도록","이르렀느니라","이르리라"]·PT["alcançar;","chegaram.","cheguemos","eu-chegue"]·RU["достигли.","достигнем","достигну","достичь"]·ES["alcanzar","han-llegado","llegue","lleguemos"]·SW["kufikia","nifikie","tufike","umefika."]·TR["ulasalim","ulasayim","ulaşmak","ulaştı"]·urd["پہنچنا","پہنچوں","پہنچیں","پہنچے-ہیں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταντ-άω, come down to, arrive, εἰς τὰ βασίλεια, ἐπὶ κοίτην, Refs 1st c.BC+ __2 in a speech or narrative, come to, arrive at a point, Refs 2nd c.BC+; have recourse to, ἐπὶ [τὴν ἡδονήν] Refs 4th c.BC+ O. __3 of persons, κ. εἰς ἑαυτούς attack, commence hostilities against each other, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __4 of events, come upon, Refs 2nd c.AD+; κ. εἴς τινα affect him, Refs 1st c.BC+.83 W.; of…