συστέλλω G4958
to shorten, wrap up, draw together
This verb means to draw together, contract, or shorten. Acts 5:6 describes young men wrapping up Ananias's body for burial after his sudden death. First Corinthians 7:29 declares the time has been shortened, urging believers to live with eschatological urgency. The term conveys contraction or compression, whether of fabric around a corpse or of time itself.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Indicates drawing together, contracting, shortening, or wrapping up, whether literally (of a body) or metaphorically (of time). The multilingual renderings (Spanish 'acortado/envolvieron,' French 'former,' German 'zusammengedrängt') show the range from wrapping to shortening. Acts 5:6 uses it literally for wrapping Ananias's body, while Paul uses it metaphorically in 1 Cor 7:29 to declare that the appointed time has been shortened, compressed, demanding urgent reorientation of priorities in light of Christ's return. 2×
AR["لَفُّوهُ", "مُخْتَصَرٌ"]·ben["জড়ালো", "সংক্ষিপ্ত"]·DE["zusammengedraengt", "συνέστειλαν"]·EN["having-been-shortened", "wrapped"]·FR["former"]·heb["מְקֻצָּר", "עָטְפוּ"]·HI["उसे", "संक्षिप्त"]·ID["membungkus", "telah-singkat"]·IT["avvolgere"]·jav["cekak", "mbungkus"]·KO["싸매서", "짧아졌다"]·PT["abreviado"]·RU["обернули", "сокращённое"]·ES["acortado", "envolvieron"]·SW["umefupishwa", "walimfunika"]·TR["kısaltılmıştır-", "sardılar"]·urd["لپیٹا", "ٹھہرا-ہوا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
συστέλλω, draw together: shorten sail, συστείλας ἄκροισι χρώμενος τοῖς ἱστίοις Refs 5th c.BC+; draw in, contract, of the mouth, Refs 5th c.BC+; σ. ἑαυτόν, of a snake, Refs 4th c.BC+; σ. τὸ πρόσωπον, so as to express disgust, Refs 2nd c.AD+; of soldiers, σ. τινὰς εἰς τὸ τεῖχος, εἴσω τοῦ χάρακος ἑαυτούς, Refs 1st c.AD+:— passive, contract oneself, draw in, Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰς τρίβωνα ῥᾳδίως…