Skip to content
The Historic Faith
Strong's Concordance
Greek Word Study

Strong's G2853 κολλάω (kollao)

Kollao means “cleave” — full meaning, definition, and every linked Bible usage across the indexed canon.

Same number, other testament: Strong's H2853 — chathal (“swaddle”) in the Hebrew Bible.

Strong's Number G2853
Language Greek
Linked Usages 44
Books 18

Strong's G2853 Quick Answer

Strong's G2853 κολλάω (kollao) is a Greek Strong's word-study entry. kollao (kol-lah'-o) v. 1. to glue 2. (passively or reflexively) to stick (figuratively) It has 44 linked Bible usages across 18 books. Visible English usage signals include joined, join, keep, and cleave. Indexed coverage on this page includes New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

Meaning
kollao (kol-lah'-o) v. 1. to glue 2. (passively or reflexively) to stick (figuratively)
Usage
44 linked usages
Books
18 indexed books
Corpus
New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Usage Words
joined, join, keep, and cleave

Meaning and Definition

kollao (kol-lah'-o) v. 1. to glue 2. (passively or reflexively) to stick (figuratively) [from kolla ("glue")] KJV: cleave, join (self), keep company

Original Word
κολλάω
Transliteration
kollao
Morphology
verb

Across Lexicons

How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's G2853. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.

Extended Strong's Greek Lexicon (Abbott-Smith based)

to join

Usage: κολλάω, -ῶ (κόλλα, glue), [in LXX chiefly for דָּבַק ;] __1. to glue or cement together. __2. Generally, to unite, to join firmly. Pass., to cleave to, join (oneself to): with dative of person(s), Mat.19:5(LXX), Luk.10:11 15:15, Act.5:13 (but see Field, Notes, 118) Act.9:26 10:28 (see Field, l.with) Act.17:34; τ. πόρνῃ, 1Co.6:16; τ. Κυρίῳ, 1Co.6:17; with dative of thing(s), ἅρματι, Act.8:29; τ. ἀγαθῴ, Rom.12:9; of sins joining together, ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ, Rev.18:5, of dust, Luk.10:11 (cf. τροσ-κολλάω).† (AS)

STEPBible · Tyndale House, Cambridge · CC BY 4.0

How Strong's G2853 Is Translated

The English word each shown verse actually uses to render kollao, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.

join Acts 5:13 joined Luke 15:15 cleave Romans 12:9 keep Acts 10:28

How Strong's G2853 Usage Compares

Indexed coverage includes Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, New Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.

  • The largest indexed corpus on this page is Septuagint / Greek Old Testament with 26 linked usages.
  • This page lets readers compare New Testament usage with Septuagint / Greek Old Testament usage, which is a key THF advantage over narrower Strong's pages.
  • Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha rows are counted separately so readers can decide how those texts relate to the main word study.

In the Septuagint (LXX)

Strong's G2853 (κολλάω) appears 35 times in the Greek Septuagint — the Old Testament the New Testament authors quoted.

Sample Septuagint occurrences:

Read the full Greek Septuagint interlinear with Strong's →

Strong's G2853 by Corpus

Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.

Strong's G2853 in the New Testament

10 indexed usages in New Testament.

Luke 10:11 KJV

Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Luke 15:15 KJV

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Acts 5:13 KJV

And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

Strong's G2853 in the Septuagint / Greek Old Testament

26 indexed usages in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:13 Septuagint / Brenton

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.

Deuteronomy 10:20 Septuagint / Brenton

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt cleave to him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deuteronomy 28:60 Septuagint / Brenton

And he shall bring upon thee all the evil pain of Egypt, of which thou wast afraid, and they shall cleave to thee.

Strong's G2853 in the deuterocanonical books / Apocrypha

8 indexed usages in Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

1 Esdras 4:20 Septuagint / Brenton

A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife.

1 Maccabees 3:2 Septuagint / Brenton

And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.

Usage Excerpts

First 44 linked usage excerpts for Strong's G2853.

Deuteronomy 6:13 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.
Deuteronomy 10:20 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt cleave to him, and shalt swear by his name.
Deuteronomy 28:60 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And he shall bring upon thee all the evil pain of Egypt, of which thou wast afraid, and they shall cleave to thee.
Deuteronomy 29:19 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And it shall be if one shall hear the words of this curse, and shall flatter himself in his heart, saying, Let good happen to me, for I will walk in the error of my heart, lest the sinner destroy the guiltless with him:
Ruth 2:8 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And Boaz said to Ruth, Hast thou not heard, my daughter? go not to glean in another field; and depart not thou hence, join thyself here with my damsels.
2 Kingdoms 20:2 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 Kingdoms 11:2 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
of the nations concerning whom the Lord forbade the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall not go in to them, and they shall not come in to you, lest they turn away your hearts after their idols: Solomon clove to these in love.
4 Kingdoms 3:3 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
Only he adhered to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not from it.
4 Kingdoms 5:27 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
The leprosy also of Naaman shall cleave to thee, and to thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence leprous, like snow.
4 Kingdoms 18:6 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And he clove to the Lord, he departed not from following him; and he kept his commandments, as many as he commanded Moses.
Job 29:10 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
And they that heard me blessed me, And their tongue clove to their throat.
Job 38:38 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
For it is spread out as dusty earth, And I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.
Job 41:8 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
One part cleaves fast to another, And the air cannot come between them.
Job 41:15 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
The flesh also of his body is joined together: If one pours violence upon him, he shall not be moved.
Psalms 21:16 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue is glued to my throat; And thou hast brought me down to the dust of death.
Psalms 24:21 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
The harmless and upright joined themselves to me: For I waited for thee, O Lord.
Psalms 43:26 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
For our soul has been brought down to the dust; Our belly has cloven to the earth.
Psalms 62:9 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
My soul has kept very close behind thee: Thy right hand has upheld me.
Psalms 100:4 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
A perverse heart has not cloven to me; I have not known an evil man, forasmuch as he turns away from me.
Psalms 101:6 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
By reason of the voice of my groaning, My bone has cloven to my flesh.
Psalms 118:25 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
My soul has cloven to the ground; Quicken thou me according to thy word.
Psalms 118:31 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
I have cloven to thy testimonies, O Lord; Put me not to shame.
Psalms 136:6 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
May my tongue cleave to my throat, if I do not remember thee; If I do not prefer Jerusalem as the chief of my joy.
Jeremiah 13:11 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
For as a girdle cleaves about the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to myself the house of Israel, and the whole house of Judah; that they might be to me a famous people, and a praise, and a glory: but they did not hearken to me.
Lamentations 2:2 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
In the day of his wrath The Lord has overwhelmed her as in the sea, And not spared: He has brought down in his fury All the beautiful things of Jacob; He has brought down to the ground The strongholds of the daughter of Judah: He has profaned her king and her princes.
Lamentations 4:4 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, Septuagint / Brenton
The tongue of the sucking child Cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: The little children ask for bread, And there is none to break it to them.
Luke 10:11 New Testament, KJV
Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Luke 15:15 New Testament, KJV
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Acts 5:13 New Testament, KJV
And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
Acts 8:29 New Testament, KJV
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Acts 9:26 New Testament, KJV
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
Acts 10:28 New Testament, KJV
And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Acts 17:34 New Testament, KJV
Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Romans 12:9 New Testament, KJV
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
1 Corinthians 6:16 New Testament, KJV
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:17 New Testament, KJV
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1 Esdras 4:20 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife.
Tobit 6:19 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
1 Maccabees 3:2 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.
1 Maccabees 6:21 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:
Wisdom of Sirach 2:3 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Cleave unto him, and depart not away, That thou mayest be increased at thy last end.
Wisdom of Sirach 19:2 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: And he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent.
Baruch 1:20 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
Wherefore the evils clove unto us, and the curse, which the Lord appointed by Moses his servant at the time that he brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land that floweth with milk and honey, like as it is to see this day.
Baruch 3:4 Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha, Septuagint / Brenton
O Lord Almighty, thou God of Israel, hear now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which have sinned before thee, and not hearkened unto the voice of thee their God: for the which cause these plagues cleave unto us.

All Indexed Usage Links

Every indexed verse link for Strong's G2853, grouped by book.

Deuteronomy 4 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Ruth 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
2 Kingdoms 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
3 Kingdoms 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
4 Kingdoms 3 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Job 4 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Psalms 9 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Jeremiah 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Lamentations 2 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Luke 2 usages, New Testament
Acts 5 usages, New Testament
Romans 1 usage, New Testament
1 Corinthians 2 usages, New Testament
1 Esdras 1 usage, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Tobit 1 usage, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
1 Maccabees 2 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Wisdom of Sirach 2 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha
Baruch 2 usages, Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha

Strong's G2853 FAQ

What does kollao (κολλάω) mean?

Kollao (Strong's G2853) is a Greek word most simply glossed "cleave". kollao (kol-lah'-o) v. 1. to glue 2. (passively or reflexively) to stick (figuratively)

How many times is kollao (κολλάω) used in the Bible?

This page currently indexes 44 linked usages for Strong's G2853 across 18 books.

Where can I study kollao (κολλάω) in context?

Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's G2853 in context. The indexed coverage includes New Testament, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament, and Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha.

What English words translate kollao (κολλάω)?

The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as joined, join, keep, and cleave. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.

Does Strong's G2853 appear in the Septuagint or deuterocanonical books?

Yes. The current local index includes 26 in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament and 8 in Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha for Strong's G2853, with linked reader references where each row is available.