ἐπιτελ-έω G2005
To complete, bring to fulfillment; to be accomplished or perfected (passive); to carry out sacred duties
An action verb of completion that moves from the workshop to the temple. Paul uses it of finishing the collection for Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:6, 11) and of God completing the good work he began in believers (Phil 1:6) -- a promise that has encouraged countless saints. The passive appears in Gal 3:3, where Paul asks pointedly whether what the Spirit began can be 'completed' by the flesh. In cultic contexts (Heb 9:6), it describes priests performing their ritual duties. Spanish differentiates nicely between 'completar' for finishing a task and 'perfeccionando' for sacred refinement, while German uniformly uses 'vollenden,' capturing the word's consistent emphasis on bringing something to its intended end.
1. complete, bring to completion — To bring a work, task, or divine purpose to completion; to finish what has been started. Used of completing the financial collection (2 Cor 8:6, 11), Paul's delivery of contributions to Jerusalem (Rom 15:28), and God's promise to finish the good work begun in believers (Phil 1:6). Spanish 'completar/completara' and German 'vollenden' both emphasize purposeful, active completion. The consistent presence of a prior beginning (ἐνάρχομαι in Phil 1:6) underlines the 'already started, now finishing' trajectory. 6×
AR["أَكمِلوا","أَنْ-يُكَمِّلَ","الإكمالُ","سَيُكَمِّلُهُ","مُتَمِّمًا","يُكمِلَ"]·ben["সম্পন্ন-করতে","সম্পন্ন-করে,","সম্পূর্ণ-কর;","সম্পূর্ণ-করবেন","সম্পূর্ণ-করা,","সম্পূর্ণ-করেন"]·DE["vollenden"]·EN["complete","having-completed","he-might-complete","to-complete","will-complete"]·FR["achever"]·heb["הַשְׁלִימוּ","יְשַׁלֵּם","יַשְׁלִים","לְאַחַר-מַלְּאוֹתִי","לְהַשְׁלִים"]·HI["पूरा-करके","पूरा-करना","पूरा-करने-वाला-था","पूरा-करो","पोओर-करेग","वह-पूरा-करे"]·ID["akan menyempurnakan","ia-menyempurnakan","menyelesaikan","menyelesaikan,","selesaikanlah"]·IT["completare"]·jav["badhé-nyampurnakaken","ngrampungaken","nyampurnakaké","piyambakipun-nyampurnakaké","sampun-ngrampungi,","sampurnakakéna"]·KO["마치고","완성하게","완성하기를","완성하라","완성하시리라","완성할-때에"]·PT["completai","completar","completará","complete","tendo-completado,"]·RU["завершение","завершивший","завершит","завершите","завершить","совершил"]·ES["completad","completar","completará","complete","de-completar","habiendo-cumplido"]·SW["akamilishe","atalimaliza","kukamilisha,","kumaliza","maliza;","nikiisha-timiza,"]·TR["o-","tamamlamak","tamamlasın","tamamlayacak","tamamlayın","tamamlayınca"]·urd["ختم-کر-کے","مکمل-کرنا","مکمل-کرو","مکمل-کرے","پُورا-کرے-گا"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. be completed, be accomplished (passive) — In passive or middle voice, to be brought to completion, to reach accomplishment, or to be perfected. Paul's rhetorical question in Gal 3:3 -- 'having begun by the Spirit, are you now being completed by the flesh?' -- uses the passive to challenge the Galatians' regression. In 1 Pet 5:9, sufferings are 'being accomplished' throughout the brotherhood. Spanish 'os perfeccionais' reveals the perfectionist nuance that the passive lends to the root idea of completion. 2×
AR["تُتَمَّمُ","تُكمِلونَ"]·ben["সম্পন্ন-হচ্ছে","সম্পূর্ণ-হচ্ছ?"]·DE["vollenden"]·EN["are-you-completed","being-accomplished"]·FR["achever"]·heb["מְסַיְּמִים-אַתֶּם","נִשְׁלָמִים"]·HI["तुम-समअप्त-करते-हो?","पूरे-होते-हैं"]·ID["kamu-mengakhiri","sedang-dipenuhi"]·IT["completare"]·jav["kang-kalampahan.","panjenengan-ngrampungaken?"]·KO["마치려는가?","이루어지는-것을"]·PT["acabais"]·RU["заканчиваете","совершаются."]·ES["cumplirse","os-perfeccionáis"]·SW["mnamalizia","yanatimizwa"]·TR["tamamlanıyor","tamamlanıyorsunuz"]·urd["پورے-ہوتے-ہیں۔","کامل-کیے-جاتے-ہو"]
3. accomplish, carry out (religious duties) — To perform or carry out religious rites, sacred duties, or acts of consecrated service. In Heb 9:6 priests enter the outer tabernacle 'performing' their ritual services; in 2 Cor 7:1 believers are exhorted to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Spanish splits between 'cumpliendo' (carrying out duties) and 'perfeccionando' (perfecting holiness), capturing the dual nuance of ritual execution and spiritual refinement that distinguishes this sense from ordinary task completion. 2×
AR["مُتَمِّمينَ","مُكَمِّلينَ"]·ben["সম্পন্ন-করে","সম্পূর্ণ-করতে"]·DE["vollenden"]·EN["perfecting","performing"]·FR["achever"]·heb["מַשְׁלִימִים"]·HI["पूरा-करते-हुए","पूरी-करते-हुए;"]·ID["menyempurnakan","yang-melaksanakan"]·IT["completare"]·jav["ngrampungaken","nyampurnakaké"]·KO["완성하며","이행하면서"]·PT["aperfeiçoando","realizando"]·RU["совершающие","совершая"]·ES["cumpliendo","perfeccionando"]·SW["tukikamilisha","wakimaliza"]·TR["tamamlayarak","tamamlayıp"]·urd["انجام-دیتے-ہوئے","مکمل-کرتے-ہوئے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπιτελ-έω, future -τελῶRefs 4th c.BC+, Doric dialect3rd.pers. plural future -τελεσσεῦντιRefs 2nd c.BC+, 3rd.pers. plural perfect -τετελέκαντιRefs 3rd c.BC+:—complete, finish, accomplish, ἐ. τὰ ἐπιτασσόμενα Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸν προκείμενον ἄεθλονRefs 5th c.BC+; especially of the fulfilment of oracles, visions, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+; εὐχήνRefs 5th c.BC+ —middle, τὴν κρίσιν ἐπιτελέσασθαι get it…