καταλή

καταλαμβάνω (s. λαμβάνω; Hom.+) 2 aor. κατέλαβον; pf. κατείληφα. Mid.: fut. καταλήψομαι LXX; 2 aor. κατελαβόμην. Pass.: fut. 3 pl. καταλη(μ)θήσονται (PsSol 15:9); 1 aor. κατελήμφθην Phil 3:12 (B-D-F §101 p. 53 s.v. λαμβ.; Mlt-H. 246f s.v. λαμβ.; on the form κατειλήφθη J 8:4 in the older NT editions s. W-S. §12, 1); pf. 3 sg. κατείληπται, ptc. κατειλημμένος. Gener. ‘to seize, lay hold of’ (of forceful seizure Plut., Cleom. 806 [4, 2]; POxy 1101, 26; PsSol 8:19)

① to make someth. one’s own, win, attain, act. and pass. (Diog. L. 5, 12 καταλαμβάνω means ‘come into possession of an inheritance’); abs. (though τὸ βραβεῖον is to be supplied fr. the context) of the winning of a prize 1 Cor 9:24. As a result of διώκειν (cp. Diod S 17, 73, 3 ἐπιδιώκων … τὸν Δαρεῖον … καταλαβών; Sir 11:10 ἐὰν διώκῃς, οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃς; 27:8) Phil 3:12a, 13: Χριστόν, corresp. to κατελήμφθην ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ Ἰ. vs. 12b. δικαιοσύνην Ro 9:30. ἐπίγνωσιν πατρός Dg 10:1 cj (vGebhardt for καὶ λάβῃς). The pass. is found in the mng. make one’s own in the ending of Mark in the Freer ms. 3 (KHaacker, ZNW 63, ’72, 125–29).—This may also be the mng. of κ. in J 1:5 ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ (=τὸ φῶς) οὐ κατέλαβεν (-λαμβάνει Tat. 13, 1; cp. Arrian., An. Alex. 1, 5, 10 εἰ νὺξ αὐτοὺς καταλήψεται ‘if the night would overtake them’; here preceded in 1, 5, 9 by k. in the sense ‘occupy’ of positions above a plain; s. Wetstein on J 1:5 and 2b below) the darkness did not grasp it (Hdb. ad loc.; so also Bultmann, and similarly JDyer, JBL 79, ’60, 70f: appreciate), in which case grasp easily passes over to the sense comprehend (the act. [for the mid. in the same sense s. 4a below] has the latter sense in Pla., Phdr. 250d; Polyb. 8, 4, 6; Dionys. Hal. 5, 46, 3; PTebt 15, 5; 38, 18; EpArist 1; Aristobul. [Eus., PE 8, 10, 10 and 17=Denis 219, 18 and 221, 5/Holladay p. 140, 2f and 148, 3]; Philo, Mut. Nom. 4; Jos., Vi. 56). Most Greek commentators since Origen take κ. here as overcome, suppress (Hdt. 1, 46 κ. τινῶν αὐξανομένην τὴν δύναμιν; 1, 87 τὸ πῦρ; WNagel, ZNW 50, ’59, 132–37). So Goodsp. put out (Probs. 93f). But perh. J intended to include both mngs. here (so FGingrich, ClW 37, ’43, 77), and some such transl. as master would suggest this (so MSmith, JBL 64, ’45, 510f).

② to gain control of someone through pursuit, catch up with, seize

ⓐ of authority figures catch up with, overtake (Hdt. 1:63 τοὺς φεύγοντας; Polyb. 1:47; Gen. 31:23; Judg 18:22; PsSol 15:8) διωκόμενοι κατελήμφθησαν they were pursued and overtaken AcPl Ha 11, 18.

ⓑ mostly of varieties of evil seize w. hostile intent, overtake, come upon (Hom.+; oft. LXX; TestSol 2:4 D; Wetstein and Zahn [comm.] on J 1:5 for other exx.; s. also SIG 434/5, 14) μὴ ἡμᾶς καταλάβῃ κακά lest evil overtake us (cp. Gen 19:19; Num 32:23) 2 Cl 10:1; cp. B 4:1. Of a hostile divinity ὅπου ἐὰν αὐτὸν καταλάβῃ wherever it seizes him (the sick man) Mk 9:18.

ⓒ esp. used of night, evening, darkness coming upon a pers. (Dionys. Hal. 2, 51, 3 ἑσπέρα γὰρ αὐτοὺς κατέλαβεν; Lucian, Tox. 31; 52; Philo, De Jos. 145; Jos., Ant. 5, 61 καταλαβοῦσα νύξ, Vi. 329 [GrBar 9:1]. But the thought in these instances is not necessarily always that of night as something hostile to humans in general. κ. can also mean simply ‘arrive’, ‘come on’, as in numerous exx. cited by Wetstein [above]; s. also Dionys. Hal. 10, 56, 1 ἐπεὶ κατέλαβεν ὁ τ. ἀρχαιρεσιῶν καιρός; Strabo 3, 1, 5; Jos., Ant. 4, 78) GJs 14:1 κατέλαβεν (-ἐβαλεν pap) αὐτὸν νύξ; J 6:17 v.l. σκοτία. In imagery, w. sugg. of sense in 2b: 12:35.

③ to come upon someone, with implication of surprise, catch

ⓐ of moral authorities catch, detect (PLille 3, 58 [III B.C.]; Just., D. 47, 5 [noncanonical dominical saying]; PRyl 138, 15. Esp. of the detection of adultery Epict. 2, 4, 1; BGU 1024 III, 11; Sus 58) τινὰ ἐπί τινι someone in someth. ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ in adultery (Diod S 10, 20, 2 ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ κατειλημμένη) J 8:3 a woman caught in the act of adultery. Pass. (Just., A I, 47, 6) w. ptc. indicating the punishable act ἐπʼ αὐτοφώρῳ μοιχουομένη in the act of committing adultery vs. 4.

ⓑ of a thief: in imagery of the coming of ‘the day’, unexpected by the ‘children of darkness’ and fraught w. danger for them 1 Th 5:4.

④ to process information, understand, grasp

ⓐ learn about someth. through process of inquiry, mid. grasp, find, understand (Dionys. Hal. 2, 66, 6; Sext. Emp., Math. 7, 288; Vett. Val. 225, 8; TestJob 37:6 τὰ βάθη τοῦ κυρίου al.; Philo, Mos. 1, 278; Jos., Ant. 8, 167; Tat. 4:2 [on Ro 1:20]; Ath. 5, 2; 24, 2) w. acc. and inf. Ac 25:25. W. ὅτι foll. 4:13; 10:34. W. indirect discourse foll. Eph 3:18.

ⓑ on J 1:5 s. 1 and 2 above.—B. 701; 1207. M-M. TW.