to hold back/fast
katecho describes retaining something firmly, keeping possession, or restraining what would otherwise proceed.
The attested uses chiefly describe continuing to retain a received word, tradition, confidence, confession, or what is good. Other verses show keeping or possessing persons and things, while a smaller group depicts restraint: preventing departure, holding back truth, or delaying a revealing.
Senses in use
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Retaining what has been received or affirmed · dominant
In 1 Corinthians 11:2, the present plural form occurs with remembering what was delivered, and the APB renders the clause "you hold fast the traditions." In 1 Corinthians 15:2, Hebrews 10:23, and Luke 8:15, the term is used of continuing with the proclaimed word, confession of hope, and word heard in a good heart.
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Keeping or possessing persons, places, or things · common
In Philemon 1:13, the infinitive concerns keeping a person nearby for service. In 1 Corinthians 7:30 and 2 Corinthians 6:10, participial forms occur in statements about goods and "holding all things"; Luke 14:9 places the infinitive in the situation of giving up a place.
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Restraining or preventing an outcome · occasional
In Luke 4:42, the imperfect plural form describes crowds attempting to prevent departure. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6 and 2 Thessalonians 2:7, present participles identify what or who is holding back in relation to a revealing, while Romans 1:18 places a present participle with people holding back truth in unrighteousness.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously renders the term with "hold fast," "holding," "keep," and "holding back," and it presents related contexts of possession and restraint. Because the APB is a whole-verse translation text, these renderings indicate the clauses' overall presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.