← G5052 G5054 →

τελευτάω

teleutáō

G5053 verb

SILEX Entry

Root τελευτ- to end, to complete, to bring to a close

Definition

To bring to an end; specifically, to come to the end of one's life, to die. In broader usage, to complete a process or event. In the context of personal existence, most often means 'to die,' describing the moment when life is finished or reaches its conclusion. The verb emphasizes the completion or fulfillment of a life or task, rather than the act or means of dying itself.

Semantic Range

to finish, to bring to completion, to finish one's life, to come to an end (of life or event), to die, to pass away

Root / Etymology

From τελευτή (end, completion, the end of life) and ultimately rooted in the verb τελέω (to finish, accomplish, complete). τελευτάω is a denominative verb formed from τελευτή. No evidence supports a Hebrew or Aramaic loan origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, τελευτάω carried the sense of 'to end,' 'to complete,' or 'to finish' (e.g., a project, speech, or journey), but frequently meant 'to die,' especially from the 5th century BCE onward. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term is used almost exclusively in the sense of 'to die' or 'pass away,' often paralleling Hebrew מת (to die) in translation. The connotation focuses on the conclusion or fulfillment of life, rather than violence or suffering accompanying death. In English Bibles, typically rendered as 'die,' 'decease,' or 'be dead,' but the underlying idea is one of life brought to completion. Not to be confused with ἀποθνῄσκω, which more directly means 'to die' (often focusing on the act itself). The word's use in Koine sources outside the Bible preserves a similar range: to complete, finish, generally, and specifically, to die; but by the Hellenistic period, the sense of physical death predominates when the subject is a person. Standard English translations adequately convey the primary New Testament sense, though sometimes miss broader connotations of 'completion' or 'fulfillment.'

Translation Consistency

primary "die" 11 occurrences

Most common and natural English equivalent for τελευτάω in biblical contexts is ‘die’ (to come to the end of one’s life). This matches the typical SILEX sense emphasizing completion of life while still covering broader ‘come to an end/finish’ usages in context; it is the clearest, most idiomatic single-word choice for consistent rendering.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"finish one's life" (1x) "dying" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a presumed derivative of τελέω; to finish life (by implication, of βίος), i.e. expire (demise):--be dead, decease, die.

Root Family

τελευτάω (teleutaō) — to end, to complete, to bring to a close

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5053-01 ἐτελεύτησεν eteleutesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG died he/she/it completed life died 4
G5053-02 τελευτᾷ teleuta V PRS ACT IND 3P SG dies comes to his end dies 3
G5053-04 τελευτάτω teleutato V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG let him die let him finish his life let him die 2
G5053-06 τελευτῶν teleuton V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG when he was dying finishing life dying 1
G5053-07 τετελευτηκότος teteleutekotos V PRF ACT PTCP GEN M SG dead of the one who has completed life of the one who has died 1
G5053-05 τελευτήσαντος teleutesantos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG having died of having finished life of having died 1
G5053-03 τελευτᾶν teleutan V PRS ACT INF to die to finish one's life to finish one's life 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5053-05 Matthew 2:19 τελευτήσαντος teleutesantos V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG having died of having finished life of having died
G5053-01 Matthew 9:18 ἐτελεύτησεν eteleutesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG has died he/she/it completed life died
G5053-04 Matthew 15:4 τελευτάτω teleutato V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG let him die let him finish his life let him die
G5053-01 Matthew 22:25 ἐτελεύτησεν eteleutesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG died he/she/it completed life died
G5053-04 Mark 7:10 τελευτάτω teleutato V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG let-him-die let him finish his life let him die
G5053-02 Mark 9:44 τελευτᾷ teleuta V PRS ACT IND 3P SG dies comes to his end dies
G5053-02 Mark 9:46 τελευτᾷ teleuta V PRS ACT IND 3P SG dies comes to his end dies
G5053-02 Mark 9:48 τελευτᾷ teleuta V PRS ACT IND 3P SG dies comes to his end dies
G5053-03 Luke 7:2 τελευτᾶν teleutan V PRS ACT INF to die to finish one's life to finish one's life
G5053-07 John 11:39 τετελευτηκότος teteleutekotos V PRF ACT PTCP GEN M SG dead of the one who has completed life of the one who has died
← G5052 Greek Lexicon G5054 →