Our thoughts naturally turn to such passages as Job 38: 4 and Isa. 48: 13

where the Lord speaks of "laying the foundation of the earth". Now, happily, we have a

New Testament quotation in Heb. 1: 10, where the word "foundation" is expressed by

the word themelion, but when we turn to any of the passages where the words "before" or

"from" the foundation of the world occur, themelion is not found, but instead the word

katabole is employed.

Now it is impossible to argue that Paul, for some peculiar reason, would not and did

not employ the word themelion, for it occurs as the translation of the foundation of a

temple in Eph. 2: 20, "the foundation of the apostles and prophets", and again in

I Cor. 3: 10 and II Tim. 2: 19.  Therefore, there must be some good reason for

choosing so different a word as katabole. This word has entered into our own language

as a biological term, metabolism, being the name given to the process in an organism or a

living cell, by which nutritive material is built up into living matter and this process is

divided into  (1)  constructive metabolism which is called anabolism, by which

protoplasm is broken down into simpler substances to perform special functions;  and

(2) destructive metabolism, which is called katabolism.

In its biological use, katabole indicates "destruction". It is strange, that a word which

means "to place upon a foundation", should have been adopted by scientists to indicate

the very opposite, namely disruption. Very clear evidence of the essential meaning of

katabole can be gathered from the usage of the verbal form kataballo.  This verb

kataballo is used three times in the New Testament:

indicate very clearly the meaning of the word.

In Heb. 6: 1 the word is used with themelion, the true word for a foundation, and

there it appears to have its primitive meaning "cast down", but whether in the sense of

overthrowing, or of laying a foundation, only a most exhaustive study of the context can

decide. Job 12: 14, quoted below, has a bearing.

Kataballo occurs twenty-nine times in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament

Scriptures. It will strengthen the faith of many, and deepen the conviction of most, if

these references which contain the word kataballo are quoted, but to avoid occupying a

disproportionate amount of space, verses will not be given in full. We will also quote

from the A.V. instead of giving a translation of the LXX version, except in those cases

where the LXX uses an entirely different text. Those who have access to the LXX will

not be hindered by this course and those who cannot refer to it will be helped.