"to exhaust by labor or suffering; to wear out, 2 Pet. 2:7; to overpower, oppress, Acts 7:24*"
Definition and meaning
to exhaust by labor or suffering; to wear out, 2 Pet. 2:7; to overpower, oppress, Acts 7:24*
In the original Greek the word is written: καταπονέω
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 kataponeo (G2669) across the King James Bible.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
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Common questions
Strong's G2669 (kataponeo) is a Greek word that means: to exhaust by labor or suffering; to wear out, 2 Pet. 2:7; to overpower, oppress, Acts 7:24* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word kataponeo (G2669) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2669 is kataponeo, a Greek word defined as: to exhaust by labor or suffering; to wear out, 2 Pet. 2:7; to overpower, oppress, Acts 7:24*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kataponeo is a Greek word found in the New Testament.