Biblical Lexicon

κλίνω G2827

V-PPA-GFP | 7× in 3 senses

To incline, bow, or lay down; of daylight declining; of armies being put to flight.

Built on the root meaning 'to cause to lean,' klino covers a surprising range in the New Testament. Jesus says the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matt 8:20; Luke 9:58), and at the cross he bows his head and gives up his spirit (John 19:30). The same verb describes daylight 'declining' toward evening (Luke 9:12; 24:29) — Spanish 'ha declinado' and French 'décliner' preserve this metaphor beautifully. In Hebrews 11:34, it takes a military turn: heroes of faith 'turned back' foreign armies, where Spanish 'hicieron huir' (made to flee) makes the martial sense vivid.

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Senses

1. lay down, bow (head/face) — To lay down, bow, or incline — a physical gesture of resting or reverence. Jesus has nowhere to 'lay' (kline) his head (Matt 8:20; Luke 9:58); at death he 'bowed' his head (John 19:30); the women at the tomb bow their faces to the ground (Luke 24:5). Spanish 'inclinando' and 'recline,' alongside German 'neigen,' all point to the basic postural meaning of leaning or bending downward. 4×

MOVEMENT › Stances › Bow Kneel Crouch

AR["أَمَالَ", "مُنَكِّساتٍ", "يُسنِدُ", "يُسْنِدُ"]·ben["নত-করে", "রাখে", "রাখেন"]·DE["neigen", "κλίνῃ", "κλινουσῶν"]·EN["bowing", "having-bowed", "he-may-lay"]·FR["décliner"]·heb["הַטָּה", "יַנִּיחַ", "לְ-הַטּוֹת", "מַטּוֹת"]·HI["झुकाए", "झुकाकर", "झुकाती-हुईं", "टिकाए"]·ID["diletakkan", "meletakkan", "menundukkan"]·IT["reclinare"]·jav["ndhungkluk", "nyendhekaken", "sèndèn"]·KO["눐일", "눕힐-곳이", "숙이고-있을-때", "숙이시고"]·PT["inclinando", "reclinar"]·RU["приклонить", "склонив", "склоняющих"]·ES["habiendo-inclinado", "inclinando", "recline"]·SW["akiinamisha", "kulaza", "pa-kulaza.", "wakiinamisha"]·TR["eğerek", "eğilerken", "eğsin", "eğsin."]·urd["جھکاتے-ہوئے", "جھکاکر", "رکھے"]

Matt 8:20, Luke 9:58, Luke 24:5, John 19:30

2. decline (of day) — To decline, wane — said of the day drawing toward evening. In Luke 9:12 the day 'began to decline' and in Luke 24:29 it 'has declined already.' Spanish 'a declinar' and 'ha declinado' mirror the Greek perfectly, and French 'décliner' is a direct cognate. This temporal metaphor extends the physical 'leaning' into the passage of time — the sun literally inclining toward the horizon. 2×

TIME › Time › Evening and Twilight

AR["قَدْ-مالَ", "يَميلُ"]·ben["হেলতে", "হেলে-পড়েছে"]·DE["κέκλικεν", "κλίνειν"]·EN["has-declined", "to-decline"]·FR["décliner"]·heb["לִנְטוֹת", "נָטָה"]·HI["ढल-चुका-है", "ढलने"]·ID["senja", "sudah-condong"]·IT["reclinare"]·jav["miring", "sampun-condong"]·KO["기울기를", "기울었다"]·PT["a-declinar"]·RU["клониться", "склонился"]·ES["a-declinar", "ha-declinado"]·SW["imeinamia", "kwisha"]·TR["batıya,", "eğildi"]·urd["ڈھل-چکا-ہے", "ڈھلنے"]

Luke 9:12, Luke 24:29

3. turn to flight, rout (armies) — To turn to flight, rout — a military metaphor where the basic idea of causing something to 'lean' or 'give way' becomes putting enemy armies to flight. Used once in Heb 11:34, where faith-heroes 'turned back armies of foreigners.' Spanish 'hicieron huir' (made to flee) captures the causative force that German 'neigen' (to incline) underplays. 1×

DANGER_DELIVERANCE › Danger, Risk, Safe, Save › Fleeing and Escaping

AR["هَزَمُوا"]·ben["ফিরিয়ে-দিল"]·DE["neigen"]·EN["turned-back"]·FR["décliner"]·heb["הִטּוּ"]·HI["भगाईं"]·ID["menghalau"]·IT["eklinan"]·jav["ngalahaken"]·KO["물리쳤으니"]·PT["fizeram-fugir"]·RU["обращали-в-бегство"]·ES["hicieron-huir"]·SW["walikimbusha"]·TR["kaçırdılar"]·urd["بھگایا"]

Heb 11:34

BDB / Lexicon Reference

κλίνω [ῑ], future κλῐνῶ Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἔκλῑνα Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect κέκλῐκα Refs 2nd c.BC+:—middle, aorist ἐκλινάμην Refs 8th c.BC+ —passive, future κλῐθήσομαι συγ-) Refs 5th c.BC+: future 2 κατα-κλῐνήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἐκλίθην [ῐ] Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist 2 ἐκλίνην [ῐ] only in compounds, κατακλῐνῆναι Refs 5th c.BC+perfect κέκλῐμαι (see. below); infinitive κεκλίσθαι Refs 2nd…