πίπτω G4098
To fall; physically dropping or collapsing, prostrating oneself in worship, stumbling morally, or being destroyed.
Pipto is one of the most visceral verbs in the New Testament, carrying the full weight of gravity — both literal and spiritual. At its most physical, it describes a sparrow dropping to the ground (Matt 10:29) or crumbs falling from a table (Matt 15:27). But the most frequent use is deeply theological: falling prostrate before Jesus, before an angel, or before God in worship and reverence. The Magi 'fell down' before the infant Christ (Matt 2:11), and John collapses at the feet of the risen Lord in Revelation. The word also darkens into moral and cosmic registers: Paul warns believers 'let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall' (1 Cor 10:12), and the apocalyptic refrain 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great' echoes Isaiah's ancient oracle. Spanish cayó and German fallen both track these shifts, while Korean distinguishes 엎드리다 (prostrate) from 넘어지다 (stumble/collapse), revealing the real semantic boundaries.
Senses
1. fall down, prostrate oneself — To fall down in prostration, worship, or reverent submission — by far the dominant sense at 54 occurrences. The Magi fall before the child Jesus (Matt 2:11), the leper falls before him pleading for healing, and in Revelation worshippers repeatedly fall before the throne. Greek consistently uses pipto with epi prosopon ('on one's face') or pros tous podas ('at the feet') as collocational markers. Korean 엎드리다 ('to prostrate, bow face-down') and Arabic سَجَدَ ('to prostrate in worship') both select reverence-specific vocabulary rather than generic 'fall' words, confirming this as a lexicalized ritual sense distinct from mere physical dropping. 54×
AR["سَقَطَ", "وَقَعَ", "وَقَعَتِ", "يَسقُطْ"]·ben["পড়ল", "পড়লেন", "পড়িল", "পড়েছিল", "সে-পড়ে-গেল"]·DE["fallen", "fällt"]·EN["fell", "he-fell", "it-fell"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["נָפְלוּ", "נָפַל"]·HI["गिर-पड़ा", "गिरअ", "गिरा", "गिरी", "गिरे", "पास-से"]·ID["Dia-tersungkur", "ia-tersungkur", "jatuh", "rubuh", "rubuhlah"]·IT["cadere", "epesen"]·jav["ambruk", "dhawah", "tiba"]·KO["그가-떨어졌다", "그리고", "떨어졌다", "떨어졌으니", "무너졌다", "무너졌다--", "엎드렸다"]·PT["caiu", "caíram"]·RU["выпал", "пал", "пала", "упал", "упала", "упали", "упало"]·ES["cayeron", "cayó"]·SW["alianguka", "anguka,", "ika-anguka-", "ikaanguka", "ilianguka", "uliwaangukia", "yalianguka", "zilianguka"]·TR["düşmedi", "düştü"]·urd["گرا", "گرے", "گِرا"]
Matt 2:11, Matt 7:25, Matt 7:27, Matt 13:4, Matt 13:5, Matt 13:7, Matt 13:8, Matt 17:6, Matt 18:26, Matt 18:29, Matt 26:39, Mark 4:4 (+38 more)
2. fall, drop from height — To fall physically from a height or drop to the ground — 20 occurrences covering objects and persons in literal downward motion. A sparrow falls to the ground (Matt 10:29), seed falls on rocky soil (Matt 13:5), crumbs fall from the master's table (Matt 15:27), and a person falls into a pit (Matt 15:14). Spanish cae/caer and German fallen map directly here without metaphorical overtone. The multilingual evidence treats this as the unmarked, default sense of the verb — Hindi girna, Swahili -anguka, and Korean 떨어지다 all use their basic gravitational 'fall' vocabulary. 20×
AR["أَنْ-تَسْقُطَ", "الساقِطُ", "السَّاقِطَةِ", "السَّاقِطِ", "تَسقُطَ", "ساقِطاً", "سَاقِطًا", "سَاقِطَةً", "سَتَسقُطُ", "سَقَطَ", "يَسقُطونَ", "يَسقُطُ", "يَسقُطْ", "يَسْقُطَانِ", "يَسْقُطُ"]·ben["পড়ছে", "পড়তে", "পড়বে", "পড়া", "পড়ে", "পড়ে-গেছে", "পড়ে।", "পতিত"]·DE["fallen", "fällt"]·EN["falling", "falls", "having-fallen", "he-falls", "it-falls", "they-will-fall", "to-fall", "will-fall"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["הַנֹּפֵל", "יִפְּלוּ", "יִפֹּל", "לִנְפֹּל", "נָפַל", "נוֹפְלִים", "נוֹפֵל"]·HI["उसे", "गिरत-है", "गिरता-है", "गिरते-हुए", "गिरना।", "गिरने-वअले", "गिरने-वालों", "गिरा", "गिरा-हुआ", "गिरे", "गिरेंगे", "गिरेगा", "गिरेगी", "गिरेनगे"]·ID["akan-berjatuhan", "akan-jatuh", "berjatuhan", "itu-jatuh", "jatuh", "jatuh.", "mereka-akan-jatuh", "telah-jatuh", "tersungkur", "yang-jatuh"]·IT["cadere", "pese", "pesein", "peseitai", "peson", "pesonta", "pesountai", "piptei", "piptontes", "piptonton"]·jav["badhé-dhawah", "badhé-dhawah.", "badhé-dhèlék", "badhé-sujud", "dhawah", "dhawah.", "dhawahan", "ingkang-sampun-dhawah", "punika-dhawah,", "sami-dhawah", "sujud", "tiyang-tiyang-badhé-dhawah"]·KO["결코", "넘어지든지", "떨어지는", "떨어지는-것들에서", "떨어지는-것을", "떨어지는-것이", "떨어지면", "떨어지지", "떨어진", "떨어진-것은", "떨어진다", "떨어질-것이다", "무너진다", "빠지면", "쓰러질-것이다", "엎드린다", "엎드릴-것이다"]·PT["caem", "cai", "cai.", "caindo", "cair", "cairá", "cairão", "caída", "ela-cair,", "prostrar-se-ão", "que-caíam", "tendo-caído"]·RU["же", "павшего", "падает", "падающего", "падающими", "падающих", "падут", "пасть", "упавшее", "упавшую", "упадут", "упадёт", "упадёт,"]·ES["cae", "caer", "caerá", "caerán", "caiga", "cayendo", "cayere", "caída", "que-caen", "que-caía"]·SW["-", "akianguka", "anaanguka", "anaanguka.", "anguka", "ataanguka", "halitawaangukia", "huanguka", "iliyoanguka", "kuanguka", "lililoanguka", "litakayeangukia", "litamsaga", "wataanguka", "yanayoanguka", "zikianguka"]·TR["düşecek", "düşecekler", "düşen", "düşen,", "düşenler", "düşer", "düşerse", "düşmesi", "düşmez", "düşmüş", "düşüyor"]·urd["گرا-ہوا", "گرتا-ہے", "گرتی-ہوئی", "گرتے-ہوئے", "گرنا", "گرنے-والے", "گریں-گے", "گرے", "گرے-گا", "گرے-گی", "گِرا", "گِریں-گے"]
Matt 10:29, Matt 15:14, Matt 15:27, Matt 17:15, Matt 21:44, Matt 24:29, Mark 5:22, Mark 13:25, Luke 8:14, Luke 10:18, Luke 11:17, Luke 14:5 (+8 more)
3. stumble, fall morally — To fall morally or spiritually — to stumble into sin, fail, or fall from a state of grace. Nine occurrences concentrated in Paul's epistles and Jesus' teaching. The key passage is Rom 11:11, 'Did they stumble so as to fall?' where pipto carries irrevocable ruin in contrast to temporary stumbling (ptaio). Paul's warning in 1 Cor 10:12 ('let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall') and the conditional warning of Rom 11:22 both use pipto for spiritual catastrophe. Korean 넘어지다 ('to stumble over, fall down') and Spanish caiga/caigáis both shift into moral-failure registers here, while German fallen acquires the same double resonance as English 'fall from grace.' 9×
AR["السَّاقِطُ", "السَّاقِطِينَ", "السّاقِطِ", "تَقَعوا", "سَقَطْتَ", "لا-تَسقُطُ", "يَسقُطَ", "يَسْقُطَ", "يَسْقُطُوا"]·ben["উপর", "তারা-পড়ে?", "না-পড়ে।", "পড়ে", "পড়েছে", "পতিত-হয়;", "পতিত-হলে", "পতিতদের,"]·DE["fallen", "fällt"]·EN["fall", "falls", "having-fallen", "he-fall", "they-might-fall", "you-fall", "you-have-fallen"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["הַ-נוֹפְלִים", "יִפְּלוּ", "יִפֹּל", "נָפַלְתָּ", "נוֹפֵל", "נוֹפֶלֶת", "תִּפְּלוּ"]·HI["गिरता-है", "गिरने-वाला", "गिरनेवाला", "गिरे", "गिरे-हुओं", "गिरें", "तू-गिरा-है,", "पड़ो"]·ID["itu-berkesudahan", "jatuh", "kamu-jatuh,", "kamu-jatuh.", "mereka-jatuh", "yang-jatuh"]·IT["cadere", "peson"]·jav["dhawah", "dhawah.", "ingkang-dhawah", "panjenengan-dhawah", "sami-dhawah,", "sami-dhawah?"]·KO["넘어지면", "넘어진-자는", "넘어진-자들에게는", "넘어질까", "떨어졌는지", "떨어지지", "빠지기를.", "실패하지-않느니라", "쓰러지게"]·PT["cai;", "caia", "caia.", "cair", "caíssem?", "caíste", "que-cair", "que-caíram,"]·RU["впали.", "на-", "не-падает", "падающий", "пал,", "упавший", "упал", "упасть", "упасть."]·ES["cae", "caiga", "caigáis", "cayeran", "habiendo-caído", "has-caído", "que-cayere", "que-cayeron"]·SW["aanguke", "aliyeanguka", "asianguke.", "hauanguki", "hukumu", "juu-ya", "umeanguka,", "waanguke?", "walioanguka,"]·TR["değil", "düşen", "düşenlere", "düşmeyesiniz", "düşmez", "düşsün", "düşsünler", "düştün"]·urd["گر-جائیں", "گر-پڑے", "گرا-ہے", "گرتی", "گرنے-والا", "گرنے-والوں", "گرو۔", "گرے"]
4. collapse, be destroyed — To collapse, be destroyed, or fall into ruin — 5 occurrences applied to structures, cities, and kingdoms. The house built on sand 'fell' with a great crash (Luke 6:49), and the apocalyptic refrain 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great' (Rev 14:8; 18:2) echoes Isa 21:9 directly. Spanish Cayó and German gefallen both carry the connotation of total destruction here. The doubled 'fallen, fallen' (epesen epesen) in Revelation intensifies the finality, a pattern Arabic and Korean both reproduce with emphatic repetition rather than a single verb. 5×
AR["انهارَ", "سَقَطَت", "سَقَطَتْ"]·ben["পড়ল", "ভেঙে-পড়ল"]·DE["fallen", "fällt"]·EN["Fallen", "fallen", "fell", "it-collapsed"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["נָפְלָה", "נָפַל"]·HI["गिर-गई", "गिर-गया", "गिरी"]·ID["Rubuh,", "Sudah-jatuh", "rubuh", "runtuh", "sudah-jatuh"]·IT["cadere", "sunepesen"]·jav["Ambruk", "Sampun-rubuh", "ambruk", "rubuh"]·KO["무너졌다", "무너졌으니"]·PT["Caiu", "caiu"]·RU["Пал,", "пал", "рухнул"]·ES["Cayó", "cayó"]·SW["Imeanguka,", "ilianguka", "imeanguka"]·TR["Düştü", "düştü", "çöktü,"]·urd["-کا", "گرا"]
5. fall upon, strike — To fall upon or come upon someone — 3 occurrences where pipto carries a volitional or imprecatory force rather than accidental descent. In Luke 23:30 the condemned cry out 'mountains, fall on us!' (imperative); in Rev 6:16 the same desperate plea recurs. Acts 15:16 quotes Amos 9:11 about rebuilding 'that which has fallen' (the tabernacle of David), using the perfect participle to describe a state of collapse awaiting restoration. Spanish Caed (imperative) and the imprecatory tone in Korean and Arabic both mark this as a semantically distinct use — not gravity, not worship, not moral failure, but directed catastrophic impact or invoked collapse. 3×
AR["اسقُطي", "اسْقُطي", "سَقَطَت"]·ben["পড়", "পতিত"]·DE["fallen", "fällt"]·EN["Fall", "having-fallen"]·FR["tomber"]·heb["וְ-", "נִפְלוּ"]·HI["गिर-पड़ो", "गिरे-हुए", "गिरो"]·ID["Jatuhkanlah", "Jatuhlah", "yang-runtuh"]·IT["cadere", "pesete"]·jav["Dhawaha", "sampun-rubuh"]·KO["떨어져라", "쓰러진"]·PT["Caí", "caída;"]·RU["Падите", "падшую"]·ES["Caed", "caída"]·SW["Tuangukieni", "anguka", "iliyoanguka"]·TR["Düşün", "düşün", "yıkılmış"]·urd["گر-پڑو", "گرے-ہوئے", "گِرو"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πίπτω, Aeolic dialect πίσσω, accusative to Grammars in Hilgard Exc. ex libris Herodiani p.28 (cf. Hdn.Gr.2.377 note); poetry subjunctive πίπτῃσι Refs 5th c.BC+: Epic dialect imperfect πῖπτον Refs 8th c.BC+ (for the quantity of ιRefs 2nd c.AD+; Ionic dialect πίπτεσκον (συμ-) Refs 5th c.BC+: future πεσοῦμαι Refs 4th c.BC+; Ionic dialect3rd.pers. plural πεσέονται Refs 8th c.BC+, 3rd.pers. singular…