καταστρώννυμι

I scatter on the ground

Definition

Katastrōnnymi literally means 'to strew or spread something down over a surface,' often implying a scattering or laying low. In its only New Testament occurrence, it carries the metaphorical sense of 'to overthrow' or 'to lay prostrate,' describing a decisive defeat. This usage in 1 Corinthians 10:5 refers to God's judgment, where He 'overthrew' the disobedient Israelites in the wilderness. The word combines the idea of forceful spreading with a resulting state of being brought down.

Biblical Usage

This verb is used only once in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 10:5. Paul employs it in a historical narrative context, recalling God's severe judgment during the Exodus. The usage is metaphorical and punitive, describing the divine act of overthrowing the unfaithful generation in the wilderness so that they were 'scattered over' the desert. There is no other pattern of usage in the NT.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition κατά (kata), meaning 'down' or 'against,' combined with the verb στρώννυμι (strōnnymi), meaning 'to spread' or 'to strew.' The compound form intensifies the base meaning to 'spread down over,' which naturally extended to concepts of covering, scattering, and ultimately overthrowing or laying low. It is a cognate of the more common verb στρωννύω (strōnnyō, G4766).

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it vividly depicts God's active judgment against sin and covenant unfaithfulness within the community of His people. In 1 Corinthians 10:5, Paul uses this stark term as a sobering warning to the Corinthian church, connecting their spiritual privileges to the Israelites' history and highlighting the seriousness of God's discipline. Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading by emphasizing the totality and finality of that historical judgment, which serves as a paradigm for New Testament believers.

In the Greco-Roman world, the literal action of 'strewing' or 'spreading' could refer to practical acts like spreading bedding, straw, or even corpses. The metaphorical leap to 'overthrow' would be readily understood in a military or conflict context, where an army is 'laid low' or scattered across the ground. This imagery of being strewn upon the earth powerfully communicated utter defeat and destruction to the original audience.

καταβάλλω (kataballō, G2598) — to throw down, with a stronger sense of forceful casting down; often used for foundations or in warfare. πίπτω (piptō, G4098) — to fall; a more general term for descending or collapsing, not necessarily implying an agent who causes the fall.

Word Details

Scripture References