συμπληρόω

I fill completely

Definition

The verb συμπληρόω means to fill completely or to bring to completion, often with a sense of things coming together to fulfill a predetermined measure or time. In its active voice, it describes the action of filling something up, as seen in Luke 8:23 where the boat was 'filling' with water during the storm. In the passive voice, it carries the sense of being fulfilled or completed, particularly regarding a period of time. This is its primary usage, as in Luke 9:51, which notes the days 'were being fulfilled' for Jesus' ascension, and Acts 2:1, where the day of Pentecost 'had fully come,' indicating the completion of the fifty days after Passover.

Biblical Usage

This verb is used only three times in the New Testament, all in Luke-Acts, showing the author's stylistic preference for marking significant, divinely appointed transitions. In Luke 8:23, it describes a physical filling (the boat with water). In Luke 9:51 and Acts 2:1, it is used passively to denote the fulfillment of a divinely ordained timeframe, signaling a major shift in the narrative: the beginning of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, respectively.

Etymology

Derived from the preposition σύν (syn), meaning 'with' or 'together,' and the common verb πληρόω (plēroō, G4137), meaning 'to fill' or 'to fulfill.' The compound form intensifies the root meaning, adding a sense of completeness achieved through things coming together or a collective filling. It shares a root with words like πλήρης (plērēs, 'full') and πλήρωμα (plērōma, 'fullness').

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it highlights God's sovereign timing in salvation history. Its use in Luke 9:51 and Acts 2:1 frames critical junctures—Jesus' resolute turn toward his sacrificial mission and the birth of the Church—as events that occur precisely when God's predetermined period has reached its complete measure. It teaches that God works through history, bringing elements together to fulfill his promises at the appointed 'fullness of time.'

In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of a destined or fulfilled time was common in historical and philosophical writing. For Luke's original audience, using this term to frame narrative transitions would resonate with ideas of providential order and epochal change, lending divine authority and literary weight to the events described.

πληρόω (plēroō, G4137) — The root verb, meaning simply 'to fill' or 'fulfill,' without the compounded sense of 'together' or 'completely.' τελέω (teleō, G5055) — Means to bring to an end or finish, focusing more on the conclusion of an action rather than the filling of a measure. ἀναπληρόω (anaplēroō, G378) — Means to fill up or fulfill in the sense of supplying what is lacking or completing a deficiency.

Word Details

Scripture References