κλάσις
klásis
G2800 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The act of breaking or the process of breaking something, especially in a ceremonial or formal context. In Koine Greek, κλάσις typically refers to the act of breaking bread, particularly within communal or ritual meals. While the primary meaning is physical breaking, its usage in certain contexts emphasizes the sharing or distribution that follows the breaking action.
Semantic Range
breaking, fracture, the process of breaking, used especially for breaking bread in a communal or ritual setting
Root / Etymology
From the verb κλάω (kláō), meaning 'to break.' The formation is a nominalization indicating the act or process of breaking.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, κλάσις is rarely used, and when it does occur, it generally carries the literal sense of breaking or fracture. In the literature of the Hellenistic period and the Septuagint, the term is still infrequent but starts to appear in ritual or communal contexts. In the New Testament, κλάσις occurs mainly in the phrase κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου ('breaking of bread'), signifying not just the physical act of breaking bread but also alluding to communal meals, including those of religious significance. Common English translations often simply render it as 'breaking'; however, the phrase particularly in Acts denotes the shared meal central to early assemblies, and a strictly literal English gloss may miss this social and ritual nuance. The underlying verb κλάω is common in both secular and ritual contexts and is distinct from terms for 'cutting' or 'dividing' which do not carry the same shared meal connotation. The semantic range thus extends beyond simple fracture to encompass the initiation of participation in a communal meal.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from κλάω; fracture (the act):--breaking.
Root Family
κλάσις (klasis) — breaking, fracture, process of breaking
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2800-01 |
κλάσει | klasei | N DAT F SG |
breaking | to breaking | breaking | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2800-01 |
Luke 24:35 | κλάσει | klasei | N DAT F SG |
breaking | to breaking | breaking |
G2800-01 |
Acts 2:42 | κλάσει | klasei | N DAT F SG |
breaking | to breaking | breaking |