κατηχέω (G2727) — Greek Lexicon

κατηχέω

katēchéō

G2727 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To inform or instruct orally, especially through systematic oral teaching. In the New Testament and Hellenistic contexts, this refers primarily to giving foundational instruction—often in the context of teaching religious or ethical traditions through direct speech, with emphasis on the process of verbal transmission rather than written or rhetorical exposition. The word emphasizes both the act of oral informing and the recipient’s engagement with systematic instruction.

Semantic Range

to inform orally, to instruct systematically, to teach foundational material through speech, to be apprised by word of mouth, to catechize (later technical sense)

Root / Etymology

From κατά (‘down’ or ‘according to’) and ἠχέω (‘to sound, resonate’), literally ‘to sound down’ (into the ears); thus, to convey knowledge verbally through repetition or systematic explanation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, the verb means ‘to resound’ or ‘to echo down’, but in the Hellenistic and later periods, particularly in Jewish and early Christian settings, it takes on the technical sense of oral instruction. In the New Testament, κατηχέω describes thorough oral instruction, especially of newcomers to a tradition (e.g., Luke 1:4, Acts 18:25), and becomes the basis for later technical terms like ‘catechism’ in ecclesiastical usage. The word always connotes instruction by word of mouth rather than formal written teaching. Septuagint usage is rare or absent; the NT and apocryphal contexts show the sense of repeating or relaying tradition or news with reliable accuracy (‘to be apprised of’) and, more technically, providing base-level education. Unlike more generic words for teaching (διδάσκω), κατηχέω implies systematic, sometimes preparatory, instruction, not elaborate interpretation. English translation as ‘instruct’ or ‘inform’ does not capture its oral and systematic nuance; later ecclesial tradition’s ‘catechize’ is a derived technical sense possible but should not be anachronistically read back into NT texts without contextual justification.

Translation Consistency

primary "teach" 0 occurrences

κατηχέω primarily means to give systematic, oral instruction or foundational religious teaching. "Teach" is the most natural, broadly applicable English verb that captures both the instructional and oral-transmission senses (including the later technical idea of "catechize") without sounding overly formal or specialized.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):

"orally instructed" (5x) "having been orally instructed" (1x) "orally instruct" (1x) "orally instructing" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κατά and ἦχος; to sound down into the ears, i.e. (by implication) to indoctrinate ("catechize") or (genitive case) to apprise of:--inform, instruct, teach.

Root Family

κατηχέω (katēcheō) — to sound, to resound, to convey by sound, to instruct orally

Root ηχ- to sound, to resound, to convey by sound

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2727-06`	κατηχούμενος	katechoumenos	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	being instructed	being orally instructed	being orally instructed	2
`G2727-03`	κατηχήσω	katecheso	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG`	I might teach	I may orally instruct	I may orally instruct	1
`G2727-02`	κατήχηνται	katechentai	`V PRF PASS IND 3P PL`	they were informed	they have been orally instructed	they have been orally instructed	1
`G2727-01`	κατηχημένος	katechemenos	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	instructed	having been orally instructed	having been orally instructed	1
`G2727-05`	κατηχήθησαν	katechethesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	they have been informed	they were orally instructed	they have been orally instructed	1
`G2727-07`	κατηχοῦντι	katechounti	`V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	teaching	to the one orally instructing	one orally instructing	1
`G2727-04`	κατηχήθης	katechethes	`V AOR PASS IND 2P SG`	you were instructed	you were orally instructed	you were orally instructed	1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2727-04`	Luke 1:4	κατηχήθης	katechethes	`V AOR PASS IND 2P SG`	you were instructed	you were orally instructed	you were orally instructed
`G2727-01`	Acts 18:25	κατηχημένος	katechemenos	`V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	instructed	having been orally instructed	having been orally instructed
`G2727-05`	Acts 21:21	κατηχήθησαν	katechethesan	`V AOR PASS IND 3P PL`	they have been informed	they were orally instructed	they have been orally instructed
`G2727-02`	Acts 21:24	κατήχηνται	katechentai	`V PRF PASS IND 3P PL`	they were informed	they have been orally instructed	they have been orally instructed
`G2727-06`	Romans 2:18	κατηχούμενος	katechoumenos	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	being instructed	being orally instructed	being orally instructed
`G2727-03`	1 Corinthians 14:19	κατηχήσω	katecheso	`V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P SG`	I might teach	I may orally instruct	I may orally instruct
`G2727-06`	Galatians 6:6	κατηχούμενος	katechoumenos	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	being taught	being orally instructed	being orally instructed
`G2727-07`	Galatians 6:6	κατηχοῦντι	katechounti	`V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	teaching	to the one orally instructing	one orally instructing

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