κατείδωλος (G2712) — Greek Lexicon

κατείδωλος

kateídōlos

G2712 predicate adjective

SILEX Entry

Root εἴδωλον idol, image, form, to intensify or fill

Definition

utterly devoted to idols or idolatry; characterized by or given over entirely to the worship of physical images or representations regarded as deities; in contexts, describing a person, city, or practice as being pervaded by or saturated with the presence or influence of idols or idolatrous activity.

Semantic Range

utterly idolatrous, full of idols, saturated with idols, wholly given to idolatry, pervaded by images or representations of deities

Root / Etymology

From κατά (kata, 'down, according to, thoroughly, intensively') and εἴδωλον (eidōlon, 'image, idol'). The compound intensifies the sense of idol-related devotion or practice: 'thoroughly/idol-filled.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

κατείδωλος is a rare and emphatic compound, attested in literary Koine primarily in Acts 17:16, where it describes the city of Athens as being 'full of idols' or 'wholly given to idolatry.' The term is not found in earlier Classical Greek and appears to be a descriptive coinage or a rare intensification unique to Hellenistic or post-Classical contexts. The word does not refer to adherence to a particular idolatrous cult, but rather describes a state or condition of pervasive idolatry. English translations often render it as "full of idols," "given over to idols," or "utterly idolatrous," but these may not fully convey the sense of pervasive saturation. In the New Testament, the use contrasts with ἱερόν (temple, sanctuary) or ναός (shrine) because it refers specifically to idols, not places of religious practice in general. The term is not widely attested in the Septuagint, Philo, or Josephus, suggesting it may have been perceived as a neologism or an emphatic descriptive term within the context of Acts. Its usage in Acts establishes an atmosphere of religious saturation, not merely devotion by individuals but a collective, visual, and public identity of the city as thoroughly devoted to idol-worship.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά (intensively) and εἴδωλον; utterly idolatrous:--wholly given to idolatry.

Root Family

κατείδωλος (kateidōlos) — idol, image, utterly idolatrous, filled with idols

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G2712-01`	κατείδωλον	kateidolon	`ADJ.P ACC F SG`	full of idols	utterly idol-filled	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G2712-01`	Acts 17:16	κατείδωλον	kateidolon	`ADJ.P ACC F SG`	full of idols	utterly idol-filled

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