"to shake down or violently, Acts 19:33; τὴν χεῖρα, or τῇ χειρι, to wave the hand, beckon; to signal silence by waving the hand, Acts 12:17; 13:16; 21:40*"
Definition and meaning
to shake down or violently, Acts 19:33; τὴν χεῖρα, or τῇ χειρι, to wave the hand, beckon; to signal silence by waving the hand, Acts 12:17; 13:16; 21:40*
In the original Greek the word is written: κατασείω
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 kataseio (G2678) across the King James Bible.
But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
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Common questions
Strong's G2678 (kataseio) is a Greek word that means: to shake down or violently, Acts 19:33; τὴν χεῖρα, or τῇ χειρι, to wave the hand, beckon; to signal silence by waving the hand, Acts 12:17; 13:16; 21:40* It appears 4 times in the King James Bible.
The word kataseio (G2678) appears 4 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2678 is kataseio, a Greek word defined as: to shake down or violently, Acts 19:33; τὴν χεῖρα, or τῇ χειρι, to wave the hand, beckon; to signal silence by waving the hand, Acts 12:17; 13:16; 21:. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kataseio is a Greek word found in the New Testament.