G2723 κατηγορέω (katēgoréō)

Greek 📖 Greek Word Study

Verb

Quick Definition

κατηγορέω v. I accuse, charge, prosecute

Strong's Definition

to be a plaintiff, i.e. to charge with some offence

Derivation: from G2725 (κατήγορος);

KJV Usage: accuse, object

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

κατηγορέω (G2723)

verb | ἀγορέω (speak)

33.427 · Communication · Accuse, Blame

to accuse, to bring charges to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context

MAT 12:10 · MAT 27:12 · MRK 3:2 · MRK 15:3 · MRK 15:4 · LUK 6:7 · LUK 23:2 · LUK 23:10 · LUK 23:14 · JHN 5:45 · JHN 5:45 · JHN 8:6 · ACT 22:30 · ACT 24:2 · ACT 24:8 · ACT 24:13 · ACT 24:19 · ACT 25:5 · ACT 25:11 · ACT 25:16 · ACT 28:19 · ROM 2:15 · REV 12:10

¹ See the corresponding meanings of formal legal charges against someone (Domain 56 Courts and Legal Procedures).

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

κατηγορέω, -@; impf. κατηγόρουν ; fut. κατηγορήσω; 1 aor. κατηγόρησα ; pres. pass. κατηγοροῦμαι ; (κατά and ἀγορεύω, prop. to speak against [cf. κατά, III. 7] in court, in the assembly of the people), to accuse ; a. before a judge: absol. [to make accusation], Acts xxiv. 2, 19; τινός, to accuse one, Mt. xii. 10; Mk. iii. 2; Lk. vi. 7 T Trtxt. WI; xi.54 RL Trbr.; xxiii. 2,10; Jn. viii. 6; Acts xxv. 5; xxviii. 19; with the addition of a gen. of the thing of which 9ne is accused (as Dem. 515 fin.): Acts xxiv. 8; xxv. 11, (unless it be thought preferable to regard the relative in these instances as in the gen. by attraction [so B. § 132, 16 fin.], since the com. constr. in Grk. authors is κατήγ. ti τινος, cf. Matthiae § 370 Anm. 2 p. 849 sq., and § 378 p. 859; ef. W. § 80, 9 a.); τινὸς περί τινος, Acts xxiv. 13 (Thue. 8, 85; Xen. Hell. 1, 7, 2); w. gen. of pers. and ace. of the thing, Mk. xv. 3 (unless πολλά should be taken adverbially: much, vehemently); πόσα, ib. 4 LT TrWH (Eur. Or. 28); foll. by xara w. gen. of pers., Lk. xxiii. 14 (Xen. Hell. 1, 7, 9 (ef. W. § 23,1; p. 431 (402); B. § 132, 16]); pass. to be accused (as 2 Mace. x. 13; Xen. Hell. 3,5, 25; ef. B. § 134, 4): ὑπό τινος, Mt. xxvii. 12; Acts xxii. 30 LT Tr WH for Ree. παρά (τὸ τί κτλ. why [A. V. wherefore] he was accused; unless it is to be explained, what accusation was brought forward ete.) ; 6 κατηγορούμενος, Acts xxv. 16. b. of an extra-judicial accusation (Xen. mem. 1, 3,4): absol. Ro. 11. 15; τινός, Jn. v. 45 [ef. B. 295 (254)]; Rev. xii. 10 RG Tr; solecistically τινά, Rev. xii. 10 L T WH [ef. Β. § 132, 16].

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

κατηγορέω katēgoreō 23x

to speak against, accuse, Mt. 12:10; 27:12; Jn. 5:45

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

κατηγορέω, -ῶ

(< κατά, ἀγορεύω), [in LXX: Da LXX 6:5(6), I Mac 7:6, 25, II Mac 4:47 10:13, 21, IV Mac 9:14*;]

to make accusation, accuse, in general: absol., Ro 2:15; c. gen. pers. (cl., WM, 254), Jo 5:45; irreg. c. acc. pers., Re 12:10;

before a judge: absol., Ac 24:2, 19; c. gen. pers., Mt 12:10, Mk 3:2, Lk 6:7 11:54 (WH, txt., R, om.), 23:2, 10, Jo 8:[6], Ac 25:5 28:19; id. c. acc. rei (cl., but v. WM, 254), Mk 15:3, 4; c. gen. rei (Dem.), Ac 24:8 25:11; seq. περί, c. gen. rei (Thuc., viii, 85), Ac 24:13; c. acc. rei, seq. κατά c. gen. pers. (WM, § 28, 1), Lk 23:14. Pass. (Bl., § 54, 3), seq. ὑπό c. gen., Mt 27:12, Ac 22:30; ὁ κατηγορούμενος, Ac 25:16.†

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

κατηγορέω 9717 (A.D, 180-192) οὐ κατασχε[θ]ήσομαι τῇ [ὑ]ποσχέσει, “*T will not be bound by my promise " (Edd.), P Oxy ΠῚ. 532° (ii/A.D.) ὑπὸ κακοῦ συνειδότος κατεχόμενος, ‘being oppressed by an evil conscience’’ (Edd.), P Ryl IT. 11738 (A.D. 269) μὴ κατέχεσθαι τοῖς ἐκείνων ὀφε[ιλήμασι]ν, “ not be held responsible for their debts” (Edd.), and PSI IV. 299% (iii/A.D.) κατεσχέθην νόσῳ, “1 was held fast by disease” (cf. [Jn] 54). In A/zchel 13251 (iv-ii/B.c.) the verb is used of binding by a curse—Maviv καταδῶ καὶ κατέχω. (4) The verb is also = “"" lay hands on,” ‘‘ impress” for some public duty, as in P Giss I. 119 (A.p. 118) κατεσχέτί = 0)nv ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιτρόπου ὥστε εἱερατεύειν τοῦ χειρεισμοῦ τῶν κυβερνητ(ῶν), and P Lond 342? (a.p. 185) (=II. p. 174) where a charge is laid against one Sempronius of attempting to lay hands on the relatives of the petitioner as boatoverseers—mpopaor τοῦ κατέχειν ἐπιπλόους τοὺς συνγενεῖς μου. (5) There still remains the common NT meaning “hold back,” ‘‘detain,” ‘restrain,” as e.g. in Lk 442, Rom 118, 2 Thess 26f., Philem 18, The following may serve as illustrations—PSI V. 525° (iii/B.c.) where a man complains that having been “‘ detained” (κατασχεθείς) in town, he has spent his money, BGU IV. 1205%? (B.c. 28) pie κατάσχῃς ᾿Αχειλλέα ἀλλὰ δὸς αὐτῶι τὰ δύο πλοῖα διὰ τὸ πορεύεισθαι εἰς “Eppod πόλιν, 76. I. 375 (A.D. 50) (as amended P- 353) Spa οὖν μὴ αὐτὸν κατάσχῃς" οἶδας γὰρ πῶς αὐτοῦ ἑκάστης ὥρας Χρήζωι, P Fay το91} (early i/a.D.) μὴ κατάσχῃς Κλέωνα καὶ συνπροσ[γενοῦ Καὶ Ἰλέωνι, ‘don’t keep Cleon waiting, but go and meet him” (Edd.), P Giss I. 70 (ii/a.p.) ἡ ἀναγραφὴ Tetpaydvou κατέσχεν ἡμ[ᾶς] μέχρι ὥρας ἕκτης, P Oxy IIT. 5277 (ii/iii A.D.) where a man writes to his brother telling him to send and fetch a certain fuller if he requires his Services—tpa μὴ ἀμελήσῃς, ἐπεὶ yap ἐγὼ αὐτὸν κατέχω, ‘do not neglect this, as Iam keeping him” (Edd.), and P Leid We"iti10 (ji/iii A.D.) κατάσχες τὰ ὄμματα τῶν ἀντιδικούντων ἐμοὶ πάντων. Reference may also be made, in view of its intrinsic interest, to the heathen (Archiv ii. p- 173) charm which Crum prints in his Coptic Ostraca p. 4, No. 522: it begins—Kpévos ὁ κατέχων τὸν θυμὸν ὅλον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κάτεχε τὸν θυμὸν “Ὧρι κτὰ. In some of the southern islands of Greece κατέχω is still used, as in Plato, = καταλαμβάνω, in the sense of ‘‘ know.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

κατηγορέω (katēgoreō) — to accuse. κατηγορ-έω, speak against, especially before judges, accuse, opposed to ἀπολογέομαι, with genitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. τινὸς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν denounce him publicly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατηγόρεις [αὐτῶν] ὡς λέγοιεν you accused them of saying, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. τινὸς ὅτι[Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. κ. τί τινος bring as a charge against a person, accuse him of it, δείν᾽ ἔπη μου [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, κ. τινὸς παθεῖν τι [Refs 5th c.BC+]

3. with accusative of things only, allege in accusation, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be brought as an accusation against, κατηγορεῖτο τοὐπίκλημα τοῦτό μο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ πρῶτά μου ψευδῆ -ημένα the first false charges brought against me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, σφέων.. κατηγόρητο μηδίζειν a charge had been brought against them that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατηγορουμένου δ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι.. a charge being brought against him, that.., [Refs]

3. b rarely in passive, of the person, to be accused, οἱ κατηγορούμενοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]

4. absolutely, to be an accuser, appear as prosecutor, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. signify, indicate, prove, c.accusative of things, [τὸ νεαρὸν] κ. τὴν ὀλιγοετίαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; display, οἱ πολλὴν -οῦντες ἀπειροκαλίαν [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. followed by relative, declare, assert, αὐτὸ κατηγορέει τὸ οὔνομα ὡς ἔστι Ἑλληνικόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ὅτι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, make a definite assertion, [Refs]

III. in Logic, predicate of a person or thing, τί τινος [Refs 4th c.BC+]; κυρίως, καταχρηστικῶς κ., [Refs 1st c.BC+]: —more frequently in passive, to be predicated of.., τινος [Refs 4th c.BC+] the predicate, opposed to τὸ ὑποκείμενον (the subject), [Refs]; κατηγορεῖν καὶ -εῖσθαι to be subject and predicate, [Refs]

III.2. affirm, opposed to ἀπαρνέομαι, [Refs] adverb κατηγορουμένως categorically, roundly, [Refs 1st c.BC+]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

κατηγορέω, -ῶ (κατά, ἀγορεύω), [in LXX: Dan LXX 6:5, (9), 1Ma.7:6 1Mac 7:25, 2Ma.4:47 2Mac 10:13 2Mac 10:21, 4Ma.9:14 * ;] to make accusation, accuse, __(a) in general: absol., Rom.2:15; with genitive of person(s) (cl., WM, 254), Jhn.5:45; irreg. with accusative of person(s), Rev.12:10; __(b) before a judge: absol., Act.24:2, 19; with genitive of person(s), Mat.12:10, Mrk.3:2, Luk.6:7 11:54 (WH, txt., R, om.), Luk.23:2, 10, Jhn.8:6 Act.25:5 28:19; id. with accusative of thing(s) (cl., but see WM, l.with), Mrk.15:3-4; with genitive of thing(s) (Dem.), Act.24:8 25:11; before περί, with genitive of thing(s) (Thuc., viii, 85), Act.24:13; with accusative of thing(s), before κατά with genitive of person(s) (WM, § 28, 1), Luk.23:14. Pass. (B1., § 54, 3), before ὑπό with genitive, Mat.27:12, Act.22:30; ὁ κατηγορούμενος, Act.25:16.† (AS)

Bible Occurrences (22)

12:10 27:12

3:2 15:3 15:4

6:7 23:2 23:10 23:14

5:45 8:6

22:30 24:2 24:8 24:13 24:19 25:5 25:11 25:16 28:19

2:15

12:10

📖 Greek Word Study — In-Depth Study from Precept Austin

Accuse (2723) kategoreo

Accusing (2723)(kategoreo from kata = against + agora = the assembly, a place of public speaking. Other sources have agoreuo = to speak. The prefixed preposition suggests animosity!) means to speak against a person before a public tribunal or bring an accusation in court. To accuse formally and before a tribunal, to bring a charge publicly. The idea is to speak openly against, to condemn or accuse mainly in a legal sense. The cognate word kategoria was a legal technical term that referred to the content of the accusation or charge made against someone. Note that all of the Gospel uses involve accusing Jesus (except John 5:45). The present tense indicates this accusation is on ongoing activity. Richards - These words (kategoria, kategoreo) were in everyday use as legal terms, involving criminal charges and accusations. When we read of Jesus or of Paul being accused at their trials, a word from this group is used in the original. Jesus used such a word when he warned the unbelieving Jewish leaders of his day that Moses through the OT law is the one who was bringing charges against them (Jn 5:45). Satan will still scream his vindictive charges against the saints at history’s end, even though he has been overcome by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11). Today the conscience of the pagan generates thoughts that charge him with wrongdoing (Ro 2:15), for it is only those who have been reconciled to God and thus made holy who can be pronounced unblemished in God’s court (Col 1:22). (New international encyclopedia of Bible words) Kategoreo - 23x in 22v - accusation against(1), accuse(10), accused(3), accuses(2), accusing(3), bring against(1), charges they bring against(1), charges you make(1), make accusation(1), prosecute(1). Matthew 12:10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"-- so that they might accuse Him. Matthew 27:12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Mark 3:2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. Mark 15:3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. 4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" Luke 6:7 The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." Luke 23:10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. Luke 23:14 and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. John 5:45 "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. John 8:6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. Acts 22:30 But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Acts 24:2 ¶ After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor, "Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, Acts 24:8 ordering his accusers to come before you. By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him." Acts 24:13 "Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. Acts 24:18 in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia-- Acts 25:5 "Therefore," he said, "let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him." Acts 25:11 "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." Acts 25:16 "I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. Acts 28:19 "But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. Romans 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, Revelation 12:10-note Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser (kategor) of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses (present tense = continually) them before our God day and night.

Matthew 12:10

and a man with a withered hand [was there]. In order to accuse [Jesus], they asked Him -, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

Matthew 27:12

And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer....

Mark 3:2

In order to accuse [Jesus], they were watching {to see} if He would heal on the Sabbath.

Mark 15:3

And the chief priests began to accuse Him of many things.

Mark 15:4

Then Pilate questioned Him again..., Have You no answer...? Look how many charges they are bringing against You!

Luke 6:7

Looking for a reason to accuse [Jesus], the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely... [to see] if He would heal on the Sabbath.

Luke 23:2

And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this [man] subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes... to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.

Luke 23:10

Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing Him.