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Greek · G2776 · unreviewed

κεφαλή

The head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively

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κεφαλή G2776
Pronunciation kephalḗ

What does κεφαλή (kephalḗ) mean in the Bible?

κεφαλή (kephalḗ) is a Greek word meaning "the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively". κεφαλή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX nearly always for רֹאשׁ ;] the head: Mat. Jesus’ exaltation as cornerstone affirms His central, indispensable role in salvation. This term runs through the canonical themes of Redemption.

Full entry for κεφαλή (G2776) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figuratively
Extended definition

Metaphorically denotes authority and preeminence, especially Christ's headship over the church.

the head: Mat.5:35, Mrk.6:24, Rev.1:14 9:7, al. mult.; figuratively, ἄνθρακες ἐπὶ τὴν κ., Rom.12:20 (LXX); αἷμι, Act.18:6; metaphorically, of a husband, with genitive, 1Co.1:13, Eph.5:23; of Christ, 1Co.11:3, Eph.4:15 5:23, Col.1:18 2:10, 19; of things, κ. γωνίας, Mat.21:42 (LXX)

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Jesus’ exaltation as cornerstone affirms His central, indispensable role in salvation. Acts 4:1-12
Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 14:11 · 1 Cor 11:3 · 1 Cor 12:21 · Eph 4:15 · Eph 5:23 · Col 1:18 · Col 2:10 · Rev 1:14 11×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Rev 9:17 · Rev 17:9 3×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Matt 10:30 · Matt 26:7 · Matt 27:29 · Matt 27:37 · Mark 14:3 · Luke 7:38 · Luke 12:7 · Luke 21:18 · John 20:7 · Acts 27:34 · 1 Cor 11:4 · 1 Cor 11:10 · Rev 12:1 · Rev 14:14 14×
Genitive · Plural · Feminine Rev 13:3 1×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Matt 5:36 · John 19:2 · John 20:12 · 1 Cor 11:5 4×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 6:17 · Matt 8:20 · Matt 14:8 · Matt 21:42 · Matt 27:30 · Mark 6:24 · Mark 6:25 · Mark 6:27 · Mark 6:28 · Mark 12:10 · Mark 15:19 · Luke 7:46 · Luke 9:58 · Luke 20:17 · John 13:9 · John 19:30 29×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Matt 27:39 · Mark 15:29 · Luke 21:28 · Rev 4:4 · Rev 9:7 · Rev 9:19 · Rev 12:3 · Rev 13:1 · Rev 17:3 · Rev 17:7 · Rev 18:19 13×
75 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Canonical Themes
Redemption
Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

New Testament Witnesses
Acts 4:1-12 Cornerstone kephalḗ
Head of the corner, the foundational stone aligning the structure.
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

θρίξ · κεφαλή G2359, G2776
hairs of your head
κεφαλή · γωνία G2776, G1137
Head of the corner, cornerstone
κινέω · κεφαλή G2795, G2776
shaking heads
κλίνω · κεφαλή G2827, G2776
bowing the head
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

1 Corinthians 11 — Honor, Worship Order, and the Lord’s Supper Under the Lordship of Christ Acts 4 — Christ Alone Saves and His Witnesses Speak Boldly Colossians 2 — Fullness in Christ and Freedom from Christ-Plus Religion Ephesians 1 — Blessed in Christ and Enlightened to Know His Power Ephesians 5 — Walking in Love, Light, Wisdom, and Spirit-Filled Order John 19 — The Crucified King: Behold the Man, Behold Your King, It Is Finished, and the Pierced Son Luke 20 — The Rejected Son, the Questioned Authority, and the Lord Who Silences His Opponents Mark 12 — The Rejected Son, the Greatest Commandment, the Lord of David, and the Widow’s Offering Mark 15 — The Crucified King: Condemnation, Mockery, Death, Confession, and Burial Matthew 14 — The Death of John, the Compassion of Jesus, and the Son of God over Bread, Sea, and Fear Matthew 21 — The King Enters Jerusalem, Judges Fruitless Religion, and Exposes Rejected-Son Leadership

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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