John 20:23:10John.20.23.W10TAB
κρατῆτε
kratête
“you retain”
- Transliteration
- kra-TÊ-te
- Extended
- krah-TÊ-teh
- IPA
- /kra.ˈteː.te/
Meaning by language
- English
- you retain
Greek · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Kappa | k — as in kite | |
| Rho | r — rolled r | |
| Alpha | ah — as in father | |
| Tau | t — as in top | |
| Eta | i — as in machine | |
| Tau | t — as in top | |
| Epsilon | e — as in met (short) |
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The word
Word in context
- word
kra-TÊ-te
- clause
AN ti-NÔN kra-TÊ-te ke-KRA-tên-tai
- sentence
AN ti-NÔN a-PHÊ-te TAS ha-mar-TI-as a-PHÉ-ôn-tai au-TOIS AN ti-NÔN kra-TÊ-te ke-KRA-tên-tai
Exegesis
The second clause repeats the pattern with kratete {κρατῆτε | kratēte} ‘you retain’ and kekratentai {κεκράτηνται | kekrátēntai} ‘they have been retained’, so the perfect passive form again emphasizes an already established condition with continuing force. The shared structure heightens the authority granted in the saying and preserves the stark symmetry between forgiveness and retention.
Root and etymology
krateōkappa rho alpha tau epsilon omega
“to hold fast, seize”
In context — John 20:23
If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of anyone, they have been retained.
About this coordinate
John 20:23:10 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 10 of John 20:23, so the Greek word κρατῆτε (kratête) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written John.20.23.W10, which extends further down to each syllable (John.20.23.W10.S1) and character.