to devour
Katesthio describes consuming something, whether seed, a scroll, people’s resources, or persons destroyed by fire.
The attested uses chiefly describe the consuming or destruction of a concrete object or target: birds take seed, a scroll is eaten, a dragon seeks a child, and fire destroys enemies. The same verb also describes the exploitative taking of houses or property and figurative forces that consume a person or mutual opponents.
Senses in use
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Consume or destroy a target · dominant
In Matthew 13:4, Mark 4:4, and Luke 8:5, the aorist form names what the birds did to seed beside the road; the APB renders the clause "the birds came and devoured it." Revelation 10:9 and Revelation 10:10 use imperative and aorist forms for taking in the little scroll, while Revelation 20:9 uses an aorist form where fire came from heaven and destroyed those surrounding the city.
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Exploitatively take property or households · common
Luke 15:30 applies an aorist participle to the son who used up his father's property, and the APB renders the clause "who has devoured your property with prostitutes." In Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47, present participial or indicative forms describe those who "devour the houses of widows" while making long prayers.
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Figuratively consume or overwhelm · common
In Galatians 5:15, the present plural form occurs in the warning about people who "bite and devour one another" and may be consumed by one another. John 2:17 places a future form in the statement that zeal for the house "will devour me," and Revelation 12:4 uses an aorist subjunctive for the dragon's intended action against the woman's child.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB most often uses "devour" or "devoured," including for seed, property, houses, a scroll, and the child threatened by the dragon. It uses "consumes" for fire in Revelation 11:5; These renderings confirm the clauses' overall presentation rather than supplying separate definitions.