Original Word: καταβολή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: katabolé
Pronunciation: kat-ab-ol-AY
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ab-ol-ay')
KJV: conceive, foundation
NASB: foundation
Word Origin: [from G2598 (καταβάλλω - laying)]

1. a deposition, i.e. founding
2. (figuratively) conception

conception, foundation.

From kataballo; a deposition, i.e. Founding; figuratively, conception -- conceive, foundation.

see GREEK kataballo

2602 katabolḗ (from 2596 /katá, "exactly according to," down from the most general to the most specific detail, "following all the way along," and 906 /bállō, "to cast") – properly, a foundation, cast according to a blueprint (original design); the substructure which determines the entire direction (destination) of all that follows; the foundation-plan, upon which the entire super-structure is built; (figuratively) the beginning (founding) that purposefully designs all that follows.

2602 /katabolḗ ("foundation-plan") typically relates to Christ's incarnation, i.e. coming to earth in the flesh to be our Redeemer. This divine plan was set and sealed (guaranteed) before creation (Heb 9:26; 1 Pet 1:20; Rev 13:8). In general, 2602 (katabolḗ) refers to the basis God has established, upon which all people can know Him. This was laid down before the first ray of sunshine or drop of water touched the earth.

Word Origin
from kataballó
Definition
a laying down
NASB Translation
conceive* (1), foundation (10).

STRONGS NT 2602: καταβολή

καταβολή, καταβολῆς, ἡ (καταβάλλω, which see);

1. a throwing or laying down: τοῦ σπέρματος (namely, εἰς τήν μήτραν), the injection or depositing of the virile semen in the womb, Lucian, amor. 19; Galen, aphorism. iv. § 1; of the seed of animals and plants, Philo de opif. mund. §§ 22, 45; σπέρματα τά εἰς γῆν ἤ μήτραν καταβαλλομενα, Antoninus 4, 36; accordingly many interpret the words Σάρρα δύναμιν εἰς καταβολήν σπέρματος ἔλαβε in Hebrews 11:11, she received power to conceive seed. But since it belongs to the male καταβάλλειν τό σπέρμα, not to the female, this interpretation cannot stand ((according to the reading of WH marginal reading αὐτῇ Σάρρα, Abr. remains the subjunctive of ἔλαβεν; but see 2 below)); cf. Bleek (and, on the other side, Kurtz) at the passage

2. a founding (laying down a foundation): εἰς καταβολήν σπέρματος, to found a posterity, Hebrews 11:11 (but compare above) (πυραννιδος, Polybius 13, 6, 2; ἅμα τῇ πρώτη καταβολή τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Plato, aquae et ignis comp. C. 2). ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου, from the foundation of the world: Matthew 13:35 (L T Tr WH omit κόσμου); ; Luke 11:50; Hebrews 4:3; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; πρό καταβολῆς κόσμου, John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20.

Overview of New Testament Usage

Strong’s Greek 2602 appears eleven times and consistently draws attention to the moment God “laid the foundation” of the created order, or, in one case, to the inception of human life. Whether it is Jesus speaking, an apostle teaching, or John recording prophetic vision, the term marks the dividing line between the eternal purposes of God and the unfolding of time in history.

"From the Foundation of the World": An Eternal Perspective

Nine occurrences attach the word to the phrase “of the world,” pressing readers to look back before Genesis 1:1. Jesus twice employs it in teaching: He discloses hidden truths “since the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35) and promises a kingdom “prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Luke 11:50 widens the view to include accountability for all bloodshed “since the foundation of the world,” demonstrating that divine justice ranges across millennia.

John 17:24 lifts the curtain on intra-Trinitarian love: “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Here the word links the Son’s glory to the Father’s eternal affection, assuring believing readers that redemption flows from everlasting fellowship within the Godhead.

Election and the Believer’s Identity

Paul writes, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence” (Ephesians 1:4). The term thus anchors election not in human merit or chronology but in the timeless counsel of God. Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8 echo the theme negatively, noting those “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world,” underscoring the same eternal ledger that secures the saints.

Christ Foreknown and His Sacrifice Determined

Peter states, “He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:20). Hebrews complements this, declaring that the Son’s single offering replaces any need for repeated sacrifices “since the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 9:26). The cross, then, is not God’s contingency plan; it is the historical manifestation of an eternal decree.

Completion of God’s Works

Hebrews 4:3 asserts, “His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.” The motif reassures believers of God’s sovereign rest: nothing in redemptive history takes Him by surprise, and Sabbath rest remains available to those who trust His completed work.

Judgment and Accountability

Revelation’s references present the sobering counterpart to assurance. The same timeless perspective that secures the redeemed also exposes the lost. Because God’s purposes predate creation, final judgment will be unassailable in its righteousness.

Conception and the Miracle of Faith (Hebrews 11:11)

Hebrews 11:11 stands alone in applying the word to the beginning of a human life rather than the cosmos: “By faith even Sarah herself…received power to conceive.” The shift in scale—from universe to womb—highlights God’s consistent creative power. The writer links Sarah’s faith to the promise-keeping character of God, showing that the One who founded the world also initiates life and fulfills personal promises.

Worship Implications

When John records heavenly worship, the Lamb is praised precisely because His redemptive achievements reach back “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Corporate adoration on earth mirrors this pattern when congregations confess that salvation was planned before time, accomplished in time, and celebrated for eternity.

Pastoral and Missional Applications

1. Assurance: Believers take comfort that their salvation rests on a plan older than creation.
2. Holiness: Knowing we were chosen “to be holy and blameless” motivates ethical living.
3. Urgency: Those not yet written in the Book of Life face judgment; evangelism presses forward.
4. Perseverance: The God who finished His works “since the foundation of the world” will finish His work in each saint.
5. Humility: Election prior to creation removes boasting and fuels gratitude.

Summary

Across the New Testament, Strong’s 2602 weaves a golden thread from eternity past to eternity future. It magnifies God’s sovereignty, secures the believer’s hope, grounds ethical exhortation, and frames both worship and mission. Whether contemplating the birth of Isaac or the consummation of the age, the term invites the church to marvel at a Lord whose purposes are older than the world itself yet unfold with perfect fidelity in time.

καταβολην καταβολήν καταβολὴν καταβολης καταβολής καταβολῆς καταβοσκήσαι καταβοσκήση katabolen katabolēn katabolḕn kataboles katabolês katabolēs katabolē̂sInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts