What does κύπτω (kýptō) mean in the Bible?
G2955 describes bending forward or stooping down. In John 8 it appears when Jesus bends down and writes on the ground while His opponents are testing Him.
Greek · G2955
κύπτω
To bend forward
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κύπτω G2955
Pronunciation kýptō
What does κύπτω (kýptō) mean in the Bible?
G2955 describes bending forward or stooping down. In John 8 it appears when Jesus bends down and writes on the ground while His opponents are testing Him.
Reader summary
Full entry for κύπτω (G2955) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2955?
The BSB source-word alignment has 3 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include bent (1), He bent down (1), to stoop down (1).
Where does κύπτω (kýptō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Mark 1:7. Its strongest book concentrations include John (2), Mark (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2955 describes bending forward or stooping down. In John 8 it appears when Jesus bends down and writes on the ground while His opponents are testing Him. Because this is a textual-history-sensitive passage, the companion should use the word cautiously. It helps readers notice Jesus' refusal to let the accusers control the pace of judgment. He bends, writes, answers, and bends again; the scene moves by His measured response, not by their trap.
The word does not explain what Jesus wrote, and it should not become a doctrine of writing in the dust. Where the passage is taught, G2955 serves observation and restraint, keeping attention on Jesus' words.
How the Bible Uses It
G2955 marks Jesus bending down in John 8. Because the passage has textual-history questions, this entry keeps claims modest and uses the word only for close observation.
- John.8.6
They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
Jesus bends down and writes while His opponents test Him. In this textual-history-sensitive scene, the word supports observation of His measured response.
- John.8.8
And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.
Jesus bends down again after answering the accusers. The repeated posture keeps the reader from rushing past the pace of the scene.
Passage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It bent 1× John 8:6
He bent down 1× John 8:8
to stoop down 1× Mark 1:7
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Mark 1:7
Aligned rows 3
Books represented 2
Mark 1 John 2
Source forms
κύψας 2x kypsas Mark 1:7, John 8:6
κάτω¦κύψας 1x katō¦kypsas John 8:8
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 3x Mark 1:7, John 8:6, John 8:8
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Acknowledge the textual-history sensitivity of John 7:53-8:11 when teaching from this scene.
- Use the posture as observation, not as speculation about hidden writing.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim to know what Jesus wrote on the ground.
- Do not build doctrine on G2955 or on Jesus' posture in this passage.
Pastoral applicationPassage context
Evidence Summary
Greek word. to bend forward
Strong's G2955
Lexical occurrences 1 verse Greek text appearances 3 times Word forms 1 form 1 reference Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to bend forward
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
3 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Mark 1:7 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
κύψας kuyav
I bend, stoop down
Read verse John 8:6 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
κύψας, kuyav
I bend, stoop down
Read verse John 8:8 Verb Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
κύψας kuyav
I bend, stoop down
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 1 Tenses Aorist Voices Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 1×
Aorist Active Mark 1:7 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 3 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 3
Voice
active 3
Mood
participle 3
NT Occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
κύπτω is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G2955 can help readers slow down in John 8, but it must not be overused. The passage is textual-history-sensitive, and the text does not tell readers what Jesus wrote. What can be observed is His posture and pace. He bends down while the accusers test Him, then He answers, then bends down again. The word helps the teacher resist speculation and attend to Jesus' words.
The scene exposes sin and restrains accusation, but the theological weight rests on what Jesus says and does in context, not on an imagined explanation of the writing.
Anchor passage
John.8.6
Doctrinal connections
- John.8.6 - Jesus bends down and writes while His opponents test Him. In this textual-history-sensitive scene, the word supports observation of His measured response.
- John.8.8 - Jesus bends down again after answering the accusers. The repeated posture keeps the reader from rushing past the pace of the scene.
To bend forward or stoop down is a reviewed display gloss for G2955. In this John-focused companion, the local discourse foregrounding data shows 2 John use(s), with tense patterns summarized as Aorist 2. Use these grammar signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
From Old to New Testament
The broader Scripture connection should remain modest: measured response in a tested scene is visible in the cited passages, while the full theological claim must come from each passage's context rather than from the word alone.
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain