Senses
1. kiss fervently — To kiss warmly, fervently, or repeatedly -- an intensified form of phileo (kata- prefix indicating thoroughness or intensity). All six NT occurrences describe emotionally charged kissing in significant narrative moments. In Matt 26:49 and Mark 14:45, Judas 'kissed' (katephilesen) Jesus as the betrayal sign in Gethsemane -- the intensifying prefix suggesting demonstrative or prolonged kissing. In Luke 15:20, the prodigal son's father 'kissed' (katephilesen) him upon his return -- a kiss of joyful reconciliation. In Luke 7:38,45, the sinful woman 'was kissing' (katephilei) and 'has not ceased kissing' (kataphilousa) Jesus' feet -- iterative, devoted affection. In Acts 20:37, the Ephesian elders 'were kissing' (katephiloun) Paul in their tearful farewell. Cross-linguistically uniform: Arabic qabbalahu, Hebrew nashaq, Hindi chuma/chumati, Korean ip-matchuda, Spanish beso/besaba, French embrasser. All auto-clusters (aorist, imperfect, present participle, imperfect plural) are inflectional variants of one sense. 6×
AR["عَن-تَقبيلِ","قَبَّلَهُ","قَبَّلُوهُ","كانَت-تُقَبِّلُ"]·ben["চুমু-খেলেন","চুমু-দিল","চুম্বন-করছিল","চুম্বন-করতে","চুম্বন-করল","তাঁরা-চুমু-দিতেন"]·DE["kuessen","καταφιλοῦσά","κατεφίλει","κατεφίλησεν","κατεφίλουν"]·EN["kissed","kissing","was-kissing","were-kissing"]·FR["embrasser"]·heb["מְנַשֶּׁקֶת","נִשְּׁקָה","נִשְּׁקוּ","נִשְׁקוֹ","נָשַׁק"]·HI["चूमती-थी","चूमते-रहे","चूमते-हुए","चूमा"]·ID["mencium"]·IT["baciare"]·jav["ngambung","ngambèn"]·KO["그들이-입-맞추었다","입-맞추었다","입맞추고-있었다","입맞추기를","입맞춤하였다"]·PT["beijava","beijou","de-beijar","o-beijavam"]·RU["поцеловал","расцеловал","целовала","целовали","целовать"]·ES["besaba","besó","de-besar","lo-besaban","lo-besó"]·SW["akambusu","alibusu","alimbusu","kubusu","walimbusu"]·TR["öpmekten","öptü","öpüyordu","öpüyorlardı"]·urd["لگاتی-تھی","میرے","چوما","چومتے-تھے","چُوما"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταφῐλ-έω, kiss, caress, δίφρον Refs 5th c.BC+; χεῖρας καὶ πόδας τινόςRefs 4th c.BC+; τοὺς μὲν καλοὺς φιλήσοντος, τοὺς δ᾽ ἀγαθοὺς καταφ. NT+5th c.BC+; distinct from φιλεῖν, Refs 1st c.AD+; especially of an amorous kiss. Refs 2nd c.AD+