Lexical Summary
kataluó: To destroy, to dissolve, to overthrow, to abolish
Original Word: καταλύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kataluó
Pronunciation: kat-al-OO-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-al-oo'-o)
KJV: destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down
NASB: destroy, torn down, abolish, destroyed, find lodging, guest, overthrow
Word Origin: [from G2596 (κατά - according) and G3089 (λύω - untie)]
1. to loosen down (disintegrate)
2. (by implication) to demolish
3. (specially) to halt for the night
{literally or figuratively}
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
destroy, dissolve, lodge, come to nought
From kata and luo; to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specially (compare kataluma) to halt for the night -- destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down.
see GREEK kata
see GREEK luo
see GREEK kataluma
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
kata and
luóDefinitionto destroy, overthrow
NASB Translationabolish (2), destroy (5), destroyed (1), find lodging (1), guest (1), overthrow (1), overthrown (1), tear down (1), torn down (4).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2647: καταλύωκαταλύω; future
καταλύσω; 1 aorist
κατέλυσα; 1 aorist passive
κατελυθην; 1 future passive 3 person singular
καταλυθήσεται;
to dissolve, disunite (see, III. 4);
a. (what has been joined together) equivalent to to destroy, demolish: λίθους (A. V. throw down), Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6; τόν ναόν, Matthew 26:61; Matthew 27:40; Mark 14:58; Mark 15:29; Acts 6:14; οἰκίαν, 2 Corinthians 5:1; universally opposed to οἰκοδομεῖν, Galatians 2:18 (2 Esdr. 5:12; Homer, Iliad 9, 24f; 2, 117; τευχη, Euripides, Tro. 819; γέφυραν, Herodian, 8, 4, 4 (2 edition, Bekker)).
b. metaphorically, to overthrow, i. e. to render vain, to deprive of success, to bring to naught: τήν βουλήν ἤ τό ἔργον, Acts 5:38 (τάς ἀπειλάς, 4 Macc. 4:16); τινα, to render fruitless one's desires, endeavors, etc. ibid. 39 G L T Tr WH (Plato, legg. 4, p. 714 c.); to subvert, overthrow: τό ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ (see ἀγαθός, 2), Romans 14:20. As in classical Greek from Herodotus down, of institutions, forms of government, laws, etc., to deprive of force, annul, abrogate, discard: τόν νόμον, Matthew 5:17 (2 Macc. 2:22; Xenophon, mem. 4, 4, 14; Isocrates paneg. § 55; Philost. v., Apoll. 4, 40).
c. of travelers, to halt on a journey, to put up, lodge (the figurative expression originating in the circumstance that, to put up for the night, the straps and packs of the beasts of burden are unbound and taken off; or, perhaps more correctly, from the fact that the traveler's garments, tied up when he is on the journey, are unloosed at its end; cf. ἀναλύω, 2): Luke 9:12; Luke 19:7; so in Greek writings from Thucydides, Xenophon, Plato down; the Sept. for לוּן, Genesis 19:2; Genesis 24:23, 25, etc.; Sir. 14:25, 27 Sir. 36:31; (cf. Buttmann, 145 (127)).
Topical Lexicon
Scope of Meaning in Scripture The Greek verb behind Strong’s 2647 appears seventeen times in the New Testament and ranges from the dismantling of a building, to the invalidation of a principle, to the simple act of finding lodging. Each use retains the central idea of something being taken down, undone, or laid to rest.
Literal Demolition of Structures
Several occurrences speak of an actual tearing down of buildings. In the Olivet discourse Jesus foretells the fall of the Jerusalem temple: “Not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2; Luke 21:6). The verb carries a vivid finality: the impressive edifice Israel cherished would be utterly dismantled, prefiguring both the Roman destruction in A.D. 70 and the passing of the old order.
Judicial and Accusatory Contexts
Because Jesus predicted the temple’s ruin, false witnesses distorted His words in court: “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days’” (Matthew 26:61; cf. Mark 14:58). The same charge reappears at Calvary (Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:29). Ironically, by crucifying Him they fulfilled the very prophecy His accusers misunderstood: the true temple of His body was destroyed yet raised on the third day (John 2:19-22).
Prophetic Predictions of Temple’s Fall
Beyond firsthand accusations, the term is used by the apostles in Acts. Gamaliel warns the Sanhedrin that any movement not of God “will be overthrown” (Acts 5:38-39). Stephen is likewise maligned for allegedly saying, “This Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place” (Acts 6:14). Both scenes underline a transition: God’s redemptive plan is advancing, and any opposition will ultimately collapse.
Christ’s Relation to the Mosaic Law
Jesus clarifies: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Here the verb does not speak of physical demolition but of annulling authority. Christ’s fulfillment secures the Law’s intentions and foretells a righteousness surpassing that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
Spiritual Metaphor for the Body and Earthly Tents
Paul employs the word for the believer’s present body: “If the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Physical death is not annihilation but the taking down of a temporary shelter, followed by a house “eternal in the heavens.” The verb thus widens to encompass the Christian hope of resurrection.
Evangelistic Ethics and Corporate Edification
Romans 14:20 warns against damaging fellow believers over secondary matters: “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” What Christ builds through His cross and Spirit can be torn down by careless liberty. The same pastoral concern echoes in Galatians 2:18, where Peter’s hypocrisy threatened to annul the gospel’s unity—“If I rebuild what I already tore down, I prove myself a lawbreaker.”
Ecclesiastical Controversy and Legalism
Galatians 2:18 demonstrates how reverting to law-keeping undermines the completed work of Christ. The verb pinpoints the absurdity of replacing grace with ritual. To “rebuild” a demolished legal edifice is to deny the sufficiency of the cross.
Lodging and the Ministry of Hospitality
The most benign nuance appears in Luke: when Jesus is welcomed by Zacchaeus, the crowd grumbles that He “has gone in to be the guest of a sinful man” (Luke 19:7). Earlier the Twelve ask permission for the hungry crowds to “go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging” (Luke 9:12). In these settings the verb shades into “settling down” for the night, highlighting the humble logistics of itinerant ministry.
Theological Reflection
Throughout Scripture, the term reminds believers that earthly structures—whether temples, bodies, or human regulations—are temporary. What God establishes in Christ cannot be dismantled; what He means to dismantle will not stand. The cross simultaneously fulfilled, ended, and inaugurated: it met the Law’s demands, broke its condemnation for believers, and ushered in the new covenant’s indestructible life.
Practical Implications for Ministry Today
1. Avoid anything that erodes the conscience or unity of Christ’s body (Romans 14:20).
2. Preach Christ as the fulfillment—not the abolition—of God’s prior revelation (Matthew 5:17).
3. Offer hospitality readily, for lodging the saints advances the gospel (Luke 9:12; 19:7).
4. Hold buildings and institutions loosely; only the “building from God” is eternal (2 Corinthians 5:1).
5. Resist legalism: re-erecting what Christ has taken down compromises grace (Galatians 2:18).
Forms and Transliterations
καταλυε κατάλυε καταλυθη καταλυθή καταλυθῇ καταλυθησεται καταλυθήσεται καταλύοντας καταλυόντων καταλύουσι καταλυσαι καταλύσαι καταλῦσαι καταλύσατε καταλυσει καταλύσει καταλυσή καταλύσης καταλύσομεν καταλύσουσιν καταλυσω καταλύσω καταλύσωσι καταλυσωσιν καταλύσωσιν καταλύω καταλυων καταλύων κατελύθης κατέλυον κατελυσα κατέλυσα κατέλυσαν κατέλυσας κατέλυσε κατέλυσεν katalue kataluon kataluōn katalusai katalusei kataluso katalusō katalusosin katalusōsin kataluthe kataluthē kataluthesetai kataluthēsetai katalye katálye katalyon katalyōn katalýon katalýōn katalysai katalŷsai katalysei katalýsei katalyso katalysō katalýso katalýsō katalysosin katalysōsin katalýsosin katalýsōsin katalythe katalythē katalythêi katalythē̂i katalythesetai katalythēsetai katalythḗsetai katelusa katelysa katélysa
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