κρᾰτ-έω G2902
To seize, arrest, take hold of, hold fast, or retain; ranges from hostile arrest to healing touch to firm adherence to teaching.
Derived from kratos ('strength, power'), krateo conveys the act of exercising strong grip — whether on a person's body, a theological conviction, or an escaping opportunity. The Gospels deploy it across strikingly different emotional registers: the same verb describes the authorities who want to 'arrest' Jesus (Matt 21:46) and Jesus gently 'taking hold of' a dead girl's hand to raise her (Mark 5:41). Spanish captures this range by shifting from agarrar ('to grab, seize') in hostile contexts to sostener ('to hold, support') for the healing touch, while German moves from festnehmen ('to arrest') to festhalten ('to hold fast'). Paul and the epistle writers extend the verb further into the abstract: 'hold fast to the traditions' (2 Thess 2:15), revealing that the grip in view can be intellectual and spiritual, not merely physical.
Senses
1. seize, arrest — To seize, arrest, or lay hold of a person with hostile intent or by force — the dominant Gospel sense at 21 occurrences. Herod 'arrested' John the Baptist (Matt 14:3); the chief priests wanted to 'seize' Jesus but feared the crowd (Matt 21:46); the servants 'seized' the invited guests in the parable (Matt 22:6). Spanish agarrar and prender both select forceful-apprehension vocabulary, and German festnehmen ('to arrest') confirms the custodial force. The verb regularly appears in passion-narrative contexts, making it a key word in the vocabulary of Jesus's arrest. 21×
AR["-", "أَمسَكنَ", "أَمْسَكَ", "أَمْسَكَهُ", "أَمْسَكُوا", "أَمْسَكُوهُ", "أَمْسِكُوا", "أَمْسِكُوهُ", "أَن-يُمسِكوهُ", "إِذْ-أَمسَكوا", "الَّذِينَ-أَمْسَكُوا", "تَقْبِضُوا-عَلَيَّ", "تُمْسِكُونِي", "قَبَضَ", "قَبَضَ-عَلَى", "قَبَضْنَا-عَلَيْهِ", "لِيُمْسِكوهُ", "مُمْسِكِينَ", "يُمسِكُهُ", "يُمْسِكُوا"]·ben["ধর", "ধরতে", "ধরতে-পারে", "ধরবে", "ধরল", "ধরলে", "ধরলেন", "ধরিলাম", "ধরে", "ধরেছ", "ধরেছিলেন", "ধরো"]·DE["ergreift", "festhalten"]·EN["arrested", "having-seized", "he-seized", "seize", "seized", "seizing", "they-might-seize", "to-seize", "we-seized", "will-he-seize", "you-seized"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["אָחֲז-וּ", "הֶחֱזִיק", "יִתְפְּסוּ", "יַחֲזִיק", "לִתְפֹּס", "לִתְפֹּשׂ", "תְּפַסְׂתֶּם", "תְּפַשְׂתֶּם", "תְפַשְׂנוּהוּ", "תִּפְסׂוּ", "תִּפְשׂ-וּ", "תָּפְסׂוּ", "תָּפְסוּ", "תָּפְשׂ-וּ", "תָּפַס", "תָּפַשׂ", "תּוֹפְסִׂים", "תּוֹפְשִׂים"]·HI["और", "पकड़-लिए", "पकड़-लिया", "पकड़-लो", "पकड़कर", "पकड़ना", "पकड़ने", "पकड़नेवालों", "पकड़ा", "पकड़ें", "पकड़ो", "पकदकर", "पकदेगअ", "हमनेपकड़ा।"]·ID["ia-menangkap", "kamu-tangkap", "memegang", "menangkap", "menangkap.", "mereka-memegang", "mereka-tangkap", "tangkaplah", "yang-menangkap"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["badhé-nyepeng", "cepeng", "cepengana", "ingkang-nyekel", "kula-sedaya-nyepeng.", "nyekel", "nyepeng", "panjenengan-nyekel", "panjenengan-sedaya-nyepeng", "piyambakipun-nyepeng", "sami-nyepeng"]·KO["그가-붙잡았다", "붙잡고", "붙잡아", "붙잡아라", "붙잡아서", "붙잡았다", "붙잡으려고", "잡았다", "잡으라", "잡으려고", "잡은-자들-이"]·PT["agarrando", "agarrou", "me-prendestes", "para-prender", "prendei", "prendendo", "prender", "prender,", "prenderam", "prendessem", "prendestes", "tendo-prendido"]·RU["вы-схватили", "схватив", "схватившие", "схватил", "схватили", "схватит", "схватите", "схватить", "схватить,"]·ES["a-tomar", "agarrando", "agarrándolo", "agarró", "arrestamos", "habiendo-apresado", "habiendo-prendido", "la-agarrará", "lo-prendieron", "me-prendisteis", "prended", "prendedlo", "prender", "prendieran", "prendieron", "prendió", "que-prendieron", "tomaron"]·SW["-", "akamshika", "akimkamata", "alimkamata", "hamkunikamata", "kumkamata", "kumshika", "mkamateni", "mshike", "nikamata", "tulimkamata", "wakamkamata", "wakimkamata", "walimkamata", "waliogopa", "waliomkamata", "walishika", "wamkamate"]·TR["tutanlar", "tutarak", "tutmak", "tutmayacak", "tuttu", "tuttuk", "tuttular", "tuttunuz", "tutuklasınlar", "tutun", "tutup", "yakalamak", "yakalattı"]·urd["پکڑ-لو", "پکڑ-لیے", "پکڑ-کر", "پکڑا", "پکڑا-اُس-نے", "پکڑنا", "پکڑنے", "پکڑنے-والے", "پکڑو", "پکڑیں", "پکڑے-گا", "ہم-نے-پکڑا"]
Matt 12:11, Matt 14:3, Matt 18:28, Matt 21:46, Matt 22:6, Matt 26:4, Matt 26:48, Matt 26:50, Matt 26:55, Matt 26:57, Matt 28:9, Mark 3:21 (+9 more)
2. hold fast, retain — To hold fast or cling firmly to teachings, traditions, convictions, or spiritual realities. At Mark 7:3, 8 the Pharisees 'hold fast' to the tradition of the elders; at 2 Thess 2:15 Paul exhorts believers to 'hold fast' the traditions received; Col 2:19 warns against those not 'holding fast' to Christ the Head. Spanish retener ('to retain') and asirse de ('to cling to') mark the abstract-adherence frame, quite different from physical seizure. The metaphor preserves krateo's sense of powerful grip, but the object is now doctrinal or relational rather than bodily. 13×
AR["أَمْسِكوهُ", "أَمْسِكْ", "المُمْسِكُ", "تَتَمَسَّكُونَ", "تَمَسَّكوا", "تُمْسِكُ", "تُمْسِكُوا", "لِنَتَمَسَّكْ", "مُتَمَسِّكٍ", "مُتَمَسِّكِينَ", "مُمسِكينَ", "مُمْسِكينَ"]·ben["ধর", "ধরে", "ধরে-আছে", "ধরে-রাখ", "ধরে-রাখ,", "ধরে-রাখি", "ধরে-রাখো", "ধারণকারীরা"]·DE["festhalten"]·EN["hold-fast", "holding", "holding-fast", "let-us-hold-fast", "ones-holding", "you-hold", "you-hold-fast", "you-retain"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["אוֹחֵז", "הַחֲזִיקוּ", "הַחֲזֵק", "מַחֲזִיק", "מַחֲזִיק-אַתָּה", "מַחֲזִיקִים", "נַחֲזִיק", "תַּחְזִיקוּ"]·HI["तू-थामे-हुए-है", "थाम-रहें", "थामते-हो", "थामे-रख", "थामे-रहो", "थामे-हुए", "थामे-हुए-है", "पकड़े-रखो", "पकदे-रहो", "पकधे-हुए", "बुज़ुर्गों", "माननेवाले"]·ID["Peganglah", "berpegang teguh", "kalian-memegang", "kamu-berpegang", "kamu-menahan", "marilah-kita-berpegang", "memegang", "orang-yang-berpegang", "peganglah"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["cepeng-kenceng", "ingkang-nyepeng", "nyepeng", "nyepengi", "padha-cekel", "panjenengan-nyepeng", "panjenengan-nyepengi", "panjenengan-panjenengan-gantungaken", "para-ingkang-nyepeng", "sumangga-kita-cepeng"]·KO["붙잡는", "붙잡는-자들-을", "붙잡는다", "붙잡아라", "붙잡으라", "붙잡으면", "붙잡은", "붙잡은-분", "붙잡자", "지키면서"]·PT["Retém", "guardais", "guardando", "os-que-retêm", "que-segura", "retende", "retendo", "retenhamos", "retiverdes", "reténs", "segurando"]·RU["Держащий", "Держи", "будем-держаться", "держась", "держащих", "держащихся", "держите", "держишь", "удержите"]·ES["Retén", "a-los-que-retienen", "asiendóse-de", "que-sostiene", "retened", "retengamos", "retengaís", "reteniendo", "retenéis", "retienes", "sosteniendo"]·SW["Shikilia", "ashikaye", "kishikeni", "mkizishika", "mnashika", "shikamani-na", "shikeni", "tushikilie", "unalishikilia", "wakishika", "wakizishika", "washikao"]·TR["tut", "tutalım", "tutan", "tutanlar", "tutarak", "tutarsanız", "tutun", "tutuyorsun", "tutuyorsunuz"]·urd["تھام-رکھ", "تھامنے-والوں-کو", "تھامے-رکھو", "تھامے-رہیں", "تھامے-ہوئے", "تھامے-ہوئے-ہے", "روکو", "پکڑ-رکھو", "پکڑ-کر", "پکڑتا-ہوا", "پکڑتے-ہو", "پکڑنے-والا"]
3. grasp, take hold of — To physically grasp or take hold of someone, especially in the compassionate context of healing. Jesus 'takes hold of' Peter's mother-in-law's hand (Mark 1:31), 'grasps' Jairus's daughter's hand (Mark 5:41), and 'takes hold of' a boy with an unclean spirit (Mark 9:27). Spanish sostener and tomar de la mano ('take by the hand') select gentle, supportive contact vocabulary, and the healing narrative context clearly distinguishes this from the hostile 'seize' of sense 1. Luke's parallel accounts (Luke 8:54) confirm the same tender physical contact. 7×
AR["أَمسَكَ", "أَمْسَكَ", "أَنْ-نَتَمَسَّكَ", "مُمسِكًا", "مُمْسِكًا", "مُمْسِكٍ"]·ben["ধরতে", "ধরলেন", "ধরে", "ধরে-থাকতে"]·DE["ergreift", "festhalten"]·EN["grasping", "having-grasped", "having-taken", "he-grasped", "holding", "to-take-hold"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["אָחַז", "הֶחֱזִיק", "לְהַחֲזִיק", "מַחֲזִיק"]·HI["और", "पकड़कर", "पकड़ने", "पकड़ा"]·ID["Sedang-berpegang", "berpegang", "memegang"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["Nalika-nyepeng", "nyekel", "nyepeng", "nyepengi"]·KO["붙잡고-있는-동안", "붙잡기를", "잡고", "잡아서", "잡았다", "잡으시고"]·PT["Segurando", "para-nos-apegar-à", "segurando", "segurou", "tomando"]·RU["Держащемуся-", "взяв", "взял", "держаться"]·ES["Sosteniendo", "asir", "habiendo-tomado", "tomando", "tomó"]·SW["Alipokuwa-akimshika", "akimshika", "akishika", "alimshika", "kushikilia"]·TR["tutan", "tutarak", "tutmak", "tuttu", "tutup"]·urd["پکڑ-لیں", "پکڑ-کر", "پکڑا", "پکڑتے-ہوئے"]
4. be held, be restrained — To be held, restrained, or prevented in the passive voice — describing a constraint imposed on the subject. At Luke 24:16 the Emmaus disciples' eyes 'were held' (restrained from recognizing Jesus); at Acts 2:24 it was impossible for death to 'hold' Christ; at John 20:23 sins are 'retained' (held fast against someone). Spanish impedir ('to prevent') and retener ('to retain') capture both the physical and juridical senses of being under constraint. The passive voice transforms krateo's active grip into an experience of being gripped. 3×
AR["أَنْ-يُمْسَكَهُ", "قَدْ-أُمْسِكَتْ", "كانَتْ-مُمْسَكَةً"]·ben["ধরিয়া-রাখিতে", "ধরে-রাখা-হয়েছিল", "ধরে-রাখা-হয়েছে।"]·DE["ergreift", "festhalten"]·EN["they-have-been-retained", "to-be-held", "were-being-held"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["הוּחֲזְקוּ", "לְהֵאָחֵז", "נֶאֱחַז"]·HI["पकड़े-रखे-गए-हैं", "रोकी-जाती-थीं"]·ID["ditahan", "sudah-ditahan"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["dipun-cegah", "kacepeng", "kagantungaken"]·KO["붙잡혀-있었다", "붙잡힌다"]·PT["estão-retidos", "ser-retido"]·RU["удержаны", "удерживались", "удерживаться"]·ES["eran-impedidos", "ser-retenido", "son-retenidos"]·SW["kushikwa", "yalizuiliwa", "zimeshikwa"]·TR["onun", "tutulur", "tutuluyordu"]·urd["روکی-گئی-تھیں", "روکے-ہوئے-ہیں", "پکڑا-رہنا"]
5. keep, observe — To keep, observe, or guard traditions and customs in the sense of careful maintenance. At Mark 7:4 the Pharisees 'observe' (keep) many traditions such as washing cups and pitchers; at Mark 9:10 the disciples 'kept' the matter to themselves. Spanish guardar ('to keep, guard') marks the custodial-observance nuance distinct from the more combative 'hold fast' of sense 2 — here the emphasis is on careful preservation rather than tenacious clinging against opposition. 2×
AR["حَفِظُوا", "لِ-يَحْفَظُوا"]·ben["ধরতে", "ধরে-রাখলেন"]·DE["festhalten"]·EN["they-kept", "to-hold"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["לִשְׁמֹר", "שָׁמְרוּ"]·HI["थामा", "प्यालों-का"]·ID["memegang", "mereka-pegang"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["dipun-cepengi,", "sami-nyepengi"]·KO["받았다", "지켰다"]·PT["guardar", "guardaram"]·RU["держать", "удержали"]·ES["guardar", "retuvieron"]·SW["kushika", "walilishika"]·TR["tutmak", "tuttular"]·urd["تھام-رکھی", "پکڑنا"]
6. sense 6 — A single occurrence at Acts 27:13 where a gentle south wind blows and the sailors suppose they have 'obtained' or 'secured' their purpose. Spanish apoderar ('to take possession of') and English 'obtained' suggest a sense of successfully grasping an opportunity or goal — an extension of the physical-grip metaphor into the domain of achieving an objective. The nautical context gives it a specialized flavor of seizing favorable conditions. 1×
AR["بَلَغُوا"]·ben["আয়ত্ত-করিয়াছি"]·DE["ergreift"]·EN["to-have-obtained"]·FR["saisir"]·heb["הִשִּׂיגוּ"]·HI["पालियाहै"]·ID["mencapai,"]·IT["afferrare"]·jav["kasil,"]·KO["성취하였다고"]·PT["ter-alcançado,"]·RU["достигнуть"]·ES["haberse-apoderado"]·SW["walikuwa-wameshinda"]·TR["gerçekleştirdiklerini"]·urd["حاصل-کر-لیا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κρᾰτ-έω, Aeolic dialect κρετέω, aorist infinitive κρέτησαι Refs 7th c.BC+ — middle, aorist ἐπι-κρατησάμενοιRefs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, future κρατήσομαι Refs 1st c.AD+ and, with variant{κρατηθήσομαι}, Refs 5th c.BC+:—to be strong, powerful: hence, __I absolutely, rule, hold sway, Ἤλιδα.., ὅθι κρατέουσιν Ἐπειοί Refs 8th c.BC+; μέγα κρατέων ἤνασσε with mighty sway.., Refs 8th c.BC+; ὁ κρατῶν the…