Quick Definition
κατάκειμαι v. I recline, am lying ill
Strong's Definition
from 2596 and 2749; to lie down, i.e. (by implication) be sick; specially, to recline at a meal
KJV Usage: keep, lie, sit at meat (down)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | κεῖμαι
17.27 · Stances and Events Related to Stances · Lie
to lie, lying down to lie down, often with the implication of some degree of incapacity
MRK 1:30 · MRK 2:4 · LUK 5:25 · JHN 5:3 · JHN 5:6 · ACT 9:33 · ACT 28:8
17.23 · Stances and Events Related to Stances · Recline [to eat]
to recline, to eat, to be at table, to eat, to dine, to sit down to eat to be in a reclining position as one eats (with the focus either upon the position or the act of eating) For the interpretation of ἀνάκειμαι and κατάκειμαι focusing upon eating, see 23.21.
23.21 · Physiological Processes and States · Eat, Drink
to eat a meal to eat a meal, with possible reference to the fact of the people reclining to eat In biblical times there were apparently three different positions involved in the eating of a meal. People might, for example, (1) be seated on cushions around a low table or (2) be seated on chairs around a table or (3) recline on couches facing a table. Meals which involved reclining on couches would normally have been more elaborate, but the verbs ἀνάκειμαι[b] and κατάκειμαι[c] have been generalized in meaning to denote the eating of a meal without necessarily specifying the particular reclining position of those who participated in the meal.
For the translator, it may be extremely awkward to speak of ‘reclining to eat,’ since this may have connotations of people who are too lazy to sit up at the table or who are too sick to partake of an ordinary meal. It is for that reason that instead of rendering ἀνάκειμαι[b] or κατάκειμαι[c] as ‘to recline to eat,’ translators use expressions such as ‘to sit down to eat’ or ‘to eat a meal.’
1 One would assume that ἀνάκειμαι[b] and κατάκειμαι[c] would have almost opposite meanings in view of the prefixes ἀνα and κατα. It is, of course, possible that ἀνάκειμαι[b] refers to being propped up on a couch where one was eating and κατάκειμαι[c] refers specifically to reclining, that is to say, lying down, but the contexts in which these two expressions occur do not provide a clear basis for such a distinction in meaning. In fact, the two are largely generalized to simply mean to eat a meal, though their etymological history may be significantly different. See also Domain 17, footnote 8.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
κατάκειμαι katakeimai 12x
to lie, be in a recumbent position, be laid down, Mk. 1:30; 2:4; Lk. 5:25; Jn. 5:3, 6; Acts 9:33; 28:8; to recline at table, Mk. 2:15; 14:3; Lk. 5:29; 7:37; 1 Cor. 8:10*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
κατά-κειμαι,
[in LXX: Pr 6:9 23:34 (שׁכב), Jth 13:15, Wi 17:7*;]
to lie down.
to lie sick: Mk 1:30 2:4, Jo 5:6, Ac 28:8; seq. ἐπί c. gen., Ac 9:33; id. c. acc., Lk 5:25; ἐν, Jo 5:3.
to recline at meals (cf. ἀνάκειμαι): Mk 14:3, Lk 5:29; seq. ἐν, Mk 2:15, Lk 7:37, I Co 8:10.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
κατάκειμαι. For this verb used of one ill, as in Mk 189 a/., cf. P Ryl II. 685 (B.C. 89) [ore] διὰ τὰς πληγὰς ἀρρωστήσασα (/. --σαν) κατακεῖσαι (/. -κεῖσθαι) κινδυνεύρυσα (1. - σαν) τῶι βίωι, ‘the blows caused me to be laid up with sickness and my life is endangered ’’ (Edd.), P Tebt II. 422° (iii/A.D.) kataκιται, ‘‘she is laid up,’’ and see Field Mores, p. 25. The , κατακλαω word has a technical significance in P Oxy VII. 1040%* (a.D. 225) κύρια [τὰ γ]ράμματα δισσὰ γραφέντα ὡς ἐν [δ]ημοσίῳ κατακείμενα, ‘this bond, which is written in duplicate, is valid as if publicly registered” (Ed.), 73. X. 12571 (iii/A.D.) τῷ kar ἄνδρα τῷ ἐν δίη)μοσ[ίῳ κατα]κειμένῳ, “to the individual list lodged in the archives” (Edd.). See also P Strass I. 4129 (A.D. 250) δύο ταλάντ]ων παρ᾽ ἐκείνῳ κ[ατ]ακειμένων, “‘indem die zwei Talente bei ihm beruhten” (Ed.), and the contracted karak in Meyer Ostr 767 (A.D. 68) which the editor resolves into κατακ(ειμένου) and understands as referring to ‘‘verfallenen (?)” wheat. In Kazbe/ 7027 κατάκειμε λιπὼν πένθος γονέϊεσ]σι, the compound takes the place of the simplex κεῖμε in }.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
κατάκειμαι (katakeimai) — to recline. κατάκειμαι, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural κατακείαται [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Ionic dialect pluperfect κατεκέατο [Refs 5th c.BC+]; subjunctive -κέωμαι[Refs 5th c.BC+] —passive, only in present and imperfect with future middle -κείσομαι:—lie down, μῆλα τὰ δὴ κατάκειτ᾽ ἐσφαγμένα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ πλευρὰς κ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; νέκυς κ. [Refs 7th c.BC+]
2. lie hid, ἐν λόχμῃ.. κατέκειτο μέγας σῦς [Refs 8th c.BC+]
3. lie stored up, δοιοὶ γάρ τε πίθοι κατακείαται ἐν Διὸς οὔδει [Refs 8th c.BC+]
3. b to be deposited, of deeds in a registry, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
4. lie sick, keep one's bed, [NT+5th c.BC+]; lie in bed, [NT+5th c.BC+]
5. lodge, reside, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
6. to be idle, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of things, lie neglected, καθεύδειν ἐᾶν ἐν τῇ γῇ κατακείμενα τὰ τείχη [Refs 5th c.BC+]
7. recline at meals, πῖνε, κατάκεισο [NT+5th c.BC+]
8. of land, lie sloping to the sea, πρῶνες ἔξοχοι -κεινται [Refs 5th c.BC+]
9. ἀρετᾷ κατάκειται πᾶσαν ὀργάν is expended in every impulse on.., [Refs]