Original Word: καταφέρεια
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: katépheia
Pronunciation: kat-ef'-i-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ay'-fi-ah)
KJV: heaviness
NASB: gloom
Word Origin: [from a compound of G2596 (κατά - according) and perhaps a derivative of the base of G5316 (φαίνω - appeared) (meaning downcast in look)]

1. demureness
2. (by implication) sadness

gloominess, dejection

From a compound of kata and perhaps a derivative of the base of phaino (meaning downcast in look); demureness, i.e. (by implication) sadness -- heaviness.

see GREEK kata

see GREEK phaino

Word Origin
from katéphés (with eyes downcast)
Definition
dejection
NASB Translation
gloom (1).

STRONGS NT 2726: κατήφεια

κατήφεια, κατηφειας, ἡ (from κατηφής, of a downcast look; and this from κατά, and τά φαη the eyes; Etym. Magn. (496, 53) κατήφεια. ἀπό τοῦ κάτω τά φαη βάλλειν τούς ὀνειδιζομενους ἤ λυπουμενους; because, as Plutarch,de dysopia (others,de vitioso pudore (528 e.))

c. 1 says, it is λύπη κάτω βλέπειν ποιοῦσα), properly, a downcast look expressive of sorrow; hence, shame, dejection, gloom (A. V. heaviness"): James 4:9. (Homer, Iliad 3, 51; 16, 498 etc.; Thucydides 7, 75; Josephus, Antiquities 13, 16, 1; Plutarch, Cor. 20; (Pelop. 33, 3, and often; Dionysius Halicarnassus, Char., etc.); often in Philo.)

Term Overview

Katēpheia (Strong’s Greek 2726) is the state of downcast gloom that accompanies genuine conviction of sin. In the New Testament it appears once, in James 4:9, yet the spiritual dynamic it expresses—face-falling sorrow that precedes repentance—echoes across Scripture’s call to humility.

Biblical Usage

James 4:9: “Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Placed at the climax of James’s summons to submit to God (James 4:7-10), katēpheia is not permanent despondency but the fitting emotional response when believers confront their worldliness. It stands between unrepentant laughter and divinely granted exaltation.

Theological Significance

1. Repentance. Katēpheia reflects the “godly sorrow” that “produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
2. Humility. The gloom James commands is a practical expression of humbling oneself before the Lord, opening the way for grace (James 4:6, 10).
3. Holiness. By embracing katēpheia, believers rechristen their emotions under the rule of Christ, refusing to trivialize sin.

Old Testament Continuity

• Sackcloth and Ashes (Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:5-8): outward signs of the inward heart that James now names.
• Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29): national “affliction of soul” anticipates individual katēpheia.
• Wisdom’s Counsel (Ecclesiastes 7:3-4): sorrow’s refining work prepares the heart for righteous living.

Historical and Cultural Background

In classical literature katēpheia describes the shame of someone publicly exposed. Early Christian writers—Ignatius, Clement of Rome—borrowed the term to exhort believers toward penitence when church discipline unveiled sin. While Greco-Roman religion soothed guilt through ritual, the apostolic faith directed gloom toward the cross, where sorrow meets forgiveness.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Faithful exposition of sin should encourage hearers toward katēpheia before assuring them of grace.
• Counseling: Moments of downcast sorrow are essential steps toward restoration; rushing to comfort can short-circuit repentance.
• Corporate Worship: Seasons of confession (for example, before Communion) invite congregations to enter katēpheia, then rise into joy.
• Revival: Historical awakenings—from the First Great Awakening to 20th-century college revivals—were marked by collective gloom over sin preceding outbursts of praise.

Practical Implications

1. Resisting superficial cheerfulness that masks sin.
2. Avoiding legalistic despair by remembering that katēpheia is temporary, always leading to Christ’s uplifting.
3. Cultivating a balanced emotional life—sorrow for sin, rejoicing in salvation—reflecting the whole counsel of God.

Related Biblical Concepts

Penthos (mourning, Matthew 5:4)

Lupe (grief, 2 Corinthians 7:8)

Tapeinos (humble, James 4:6)

Metanoia (repentance, Acts 3:19)

Katēpheia, though appearing only once, serves as Scripture’s solemn reminder that genuine joy grows best in soil first watered by tears.

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