τελευτ-άω G5053
to die, to come to the end of life — verb denoting physical death
Teleutao derives from telos ('end') and in classical Greek could mean 'to bring to completion' or 'to fulfill.' By the Koine period, however, the meaning had narrowed almost entirely to 'die' — to reach the end of one's life. All 13 New Testament occurrences carry this meaning without exception. The verb appears in legal pronouncements (Matt 15:4, 'let him be put to death,' quoting the Decalogue), narrative succession formulas (Matt 2:19, 'when Herod died'), and Sadducean test cases about levirate marriage (Matt 22:25; Mark 12:20-22). The translations are perfectly aligned: Spanish 'morir,' French 'mourir,' German 'sterben.'
Senses
1. die, come to an end of life — To reach the terminus of physical life; to die. In the NT this verb consistently denotes biological death across every grammatical form — aorist participle ('having died,' Matt 2:19), present imperative ('let him die,' Matt 15:4; Mark 7:10, citing Exod 21:17), and aorist indicative in the Sadducees' hypothetical scenario (Matt 22:25; Mark 12:20-22). The verb's etymological connection to telos ('end, completion') is fully lexicalized as physical death, with no residual sense of 'accomplish' surviving in the NT corpus. 13×
AR["أَن-يَموتَ", "فَ-لَمَّا-مَاتَ", "ماتَ", "ماتَتْ", "مَائِتًا", "مَاتَ", "مُتَوَفَّى", "يَمُوتُ"]·ben["মরতে", "মরুক", "মরে", "মারা-গেছে", "মারা-গেল", "মারা-গেলেন", "মৃত-ব্যক্তির", "মৃত্যুবরণ-করিলেন", "মৃত্যুর-পর", "শেষ-হচ্ছিলেন"]·DE["sterben", "Τελευτήσαντος", "τελευτάτω", "τελευτᾶν", "ἐτελεύτησεν"]·EN["Having-died", "died", "dies", "dying", "having-died", "he-died", "let-him-die", "to-die"]·FR["mourir"]·heb["גּוֹוֵעַ", "הַמֵּת", "וְ-", "יָמוּת", "כְּשֶׁמֵּת", "לָמוּת", "מֵת", "מֵתָה"]·HI["और", "मरती", "मरते-हुए,", "मरने-को", "मरने-पर", "मरा", "मरी", "मरे", "मरे-हुए-की"]·ID["Setelah-meninggal", "biarlah-mati", "dia-meninggal", "mati", "meninggal", "meninggal,", "menjelang-akhir,", "yang-telah-meninggal"]·IT["fine", "morire", "teleutōn"]·jav["Sasampunipun-séda", "dipun-tilar.", "ingkang-sampun-pejah,", "kedah-pejah.", "pejah", "sampun-séda;", "séda", "séda,", "tilar-donya"]·KO["끝나지", "마칠-것이다", "임종하며", "좽고", "죽기를", "죽었다", "죽은-자의", "죽을지니라"]·PT["Tendo-morrido", "a-morrer", "ao-morrer", "morra", "morre", "morreu", "morreu,"]·RU["Умершего", "да-умрёт", "кончаясь", "он-умер", "скончался", "умер,", "умерла", "умершего", "умирает", "умирать"]·ES["Habiendo-muerto", "morir", "muera", "muere", "muerto", "murió", "terminando"]·SW["Alipofariki", "afe", "akafa", "akifa", "alikufa", "aliyekufa", "amekufa;", "bila", "hafi", "kufa", "na-afe"]·TR["bitsin", "gömüldü", "Ölünce", "öldü", "ölmek,", "ölmüşün", "ölsün", "ölürken", "ölüyor"]·urd["مر-گئی", "مر-گیا", "مرا", "مرتا", "مرتے-وقت", "مرنے-پر", "مرنے-کو", "مرے", "مُردے-کی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τελευτ-άω, future -ήσωRefs 5th c.BC+: perfect τετελεύτηκα Refs 5th c.BC+ —passive, future middle τελευτήσομαι always in passive sense, Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist ἐτελευτήθην Refs 8th c.BC+:—bring to pass, accomplish, ὄφρα.. τελευτήσω τάδε ἔργα Refs 8th c.BC+; fulfil an oath or promise, wish or hope, τ. ἐέλδωρ Refs 8th c.BC+; τελευτᾶν τινι κακὸν ἦμαρ bring about an evil day for one, Refs 8th c.BC+; τὸ…