Luke 19:37

The Greek noun κατάβασις (from καταβαίνω, "to go down") denotes a descent or the act of going down. The phrase τῇ καταβάσει in the dative case indicates location or time, thus is best rendered as “in the descent” or “during the going down”. While some English translations may try to give the term as a “slope” or “decline,” this is interpretive and not literal.

The noun κατάβασις does not inherently denote a physical feature such as a slope but rather the motion or event of descending. Classical and Koine usage support this verbal-nominal interpretation, distinguishing it from terms like κατήφορος (downhill path) or κλίσις (inclination), which more directly refer to terrain.