"to come to, arrive at, Acts 16:1; 20:15; of an epoch, to come upon, 1 Cor. 10:11; met. to reach, attain to, Acts 26:7"
Definition and meaning
to come to, arrive at, Acts 16:1; 20:15; of an epoch, to come upon, 1 Cor. 10:11; met. to reach, attain to, Acts 26:7
In the original Greek the word is written: καταντάω
Historical context
The Roman Empire provided infrastructure no previous civilization had built — roads, sea routes, a common language in Greek, and relative peace across the Mediterranean. Jewish synagogues existed in every major city, giving Paul a starting point everywhere he traveled. The early church had no buildings, no political power, no social standing — and spread faster than any movement in ancient history.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of katantao (G2658) across the King James Bible.
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G2658 (katantao) is a Greek word that means: to come to, arrive at, Acts 16:1; 20:15; of an epoch, to come upon, 1 Cor. 10:11; met. to reach, attain to, Acts 26:7 It appears 13 times in the King James Bible.
The word katantao (G2658) appears 13 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2658 is katantao, a Greek word defined as: to come to, arrive at, Acts 16:1; 20:15; of an epoch, to come upon, 1 Cor. 10:11; met. to reach, attain to, Acts 26:7. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
katantao is a Greek word found in the New Testament.