τέλος G5056
End, conclusion, termination (esp. eschatological); tax, toll, or customs duty; goal, outcome, or purpose.
The Greek noun telos embraces both termination and consummation — not merely where something stops, but where it reaches fulfillment. Its dominant NT use (36 occurrences) is eschatological: 'the end is not yet' (Matt 24:6), 'the one who endures to the end will be saved' (Matt 24:13). But telos also carries a fiscal sense: the 'toll' or 'tax' kings exact (Matt 17:25; Rom 13:7), where Spanish shifts from fin to impuesto and German from Ende to Steuer. A third sense means the designed goal or purpose: 'the goal of the commandment is love' (1 Tim 1:5). Paul's claim that Christ is 'the telos of the law' (Rom 10:4) famously oscillates between 'end' and 'goal.'
Senses
1. [split] end, conclusion, termination — The end-point, conclusion, or termination of a period, process, or state — frequently carrying eschatological weight as the end of the age. This dominant sense (36 occurrences) appears in the Olivet Discourse's repeated 'the end is not yet' (Matt 24:6; Mark 13:7) and 'he who endures to the end' (Matt 10:22; 24:13). The phrase eis telos ('to the end, utterly, finally') intensifies the sense of completion in John 13:1 ('he loved them to the end') and 2 Corinthians 3:13 (the fading glory). Spanish fin, French fin, and German Ende converge uniformly here. Paul's declaration that Christ is the telos of the law (Rom 10:4) straddles this sense and sense 3 in one of the NT's great lexical ambiguities. 0×
AR["النِّهايَةُ","النِّهايَةِ","النِّهَايَةَ","النِّهَايَةِ","غَايَةُ","نِهايَةً","نِهايَةٌ","نِهايَةُ","نِهايَةِ","نِهايَتَها","نِهَايَةٌ","نِهَايَةٍ","نِهَايَةُ"]·ben["শেষ","শেষ,","শেষে","শেষের","শেষের,","সমাপ্তি"]·DE["Ende","Steuer"]·EN["an-end","end","the-end"]·FR["fin"]·heb["הַ-סּוֹף","הַסּוֹף","סוֹף","קֵץ","תַּכְלִית"]·HI["अंत","अन्त","अन्त-तक"]·ID["akhir","akhirnya","kesudahan","kesudahan,"]·IT["fine"]·jav["pungkasan","pungkasan,","pungkasan.","wekasanipun"]·KO["끝","끝-을","끝-이","끝까지","끝은","끝을","끝이","끝이-아니다","끝이니","끝이라"]·PT["Fim","fim","fim,","o-fim"]·RU["конец","конца","тех"]·ES["el-fin","fin"]·SW["Wakati","huyu","mwisho","mwisho,"]·TR["o-","son","sona","sonu","sonuna-kadar","suçsuz"]·urd["آخر","اختتام","انتہا","انجام","خاتمہ"]
Matt 10:22, Matt 24:6, Matt 24:13, Matt 24:14, Matt 26:58, Mark 3:26, Mark 13:7, Mark 13:13, Luke 1:33, Luke 18:5, Luke 21:9, Luke 22:37 (+24 more)
1. temporal end (eschatological terminus) — Split from sense 77517. Criteria: The end of the age, the eschatological end-point; 'the end is not yet,' 'endure to the end,' 'then the end will come'; predominantly articular ὁ τέλος in apocalyptic discourse 20×
AR["النِّهايَةُ","النِّهايَةِ","النِّهَايَةِ","نِهاياتُ","نِهايَةُ","نِهَايَةٌ","نِهَايَةَ","نِهَايَةُ"]·ben["অন্ত","শেষ","শেষ,","শেষে","শেষের","শেষের,"]·DE["Ende","Steuer"]·EN["end","ends","the-end"]·FR["Ende","fin"]·heb["אַחֲרִית","הַ-קֵּץ","הַסּוֹף","סוֹף","קִצֵּי","קֵץ","תָּם"]·HI["अंत","अंत}","अन्त","अन्त-तक"]·ID["akhir","akhirnya","akhir}","kesudahan","kesudahan,"]·IT["fine"]·jav["pungkasan","pungkasan,","pungkasan."]·KO["끝","끝-이","끝까지","끝까지.","끝은","끝이","끝이-아니다","끝이니","끝이다"]·PT["fim","fim,","fins","o-fim"]·RU["конец","конец}","конца","концы"]·ES["el-fin","fin","fin.","fines"]·SW["Wakati","huyu","mwisho","mwisho,","mwisho.","mwisho}","wa-mwisho"]·TR["-o","o-","son","sona","sonu","sonuna","suçsuz"]·urd["آخر","اختتام","انتہا","انجام","تک"]
Matt 10:22, Matt 24:6, Matt 24:13, Matt 24:14, Mark 13:7, Mark 13:13, Luke 1:33, Luke 21:9, 1 Cor 1:8, 1 Cor 10:11, 1 Cor 15:24, 1 Thess 2:16 (+8 more)
2. tax, toll, revenue — A tax, customs duty, or toll collected by the state — a well-attested classical sense derived from telos as a 'payment due' or 'completion of obligation.' With 3 NT occurrences, this appears in Jesus' question to Peter about whether kings collect tele (taxes) from their own sons or from others (Matt 17:25), and in Paul's instruction to render telos to whom telos is owed alongside phoros (tribute) in Romans 13:7. Spanish shifts decisively to impuesto/impuestos, French retains impôt, and German moves from Ende to Steuer — a lexical bifurcation that confirms translators recognize a categorically different meaning from 'end.' 3×
AR["-الضَّرِيبَةَ","ضَرَائِبَ"]·ben["কর","শুল্ক,","শুল্ক;"]·DE["Ende","Steuer"]·EN["revenue","taxes"]·FR["fin"]·heb["מִסִּים","מֶכֶס"]·HI["कर","चुंगी"]·ID["cukai,","cukai;","pajak"]·IT["fine"]·jav["cukai,","cukai;","pajeg"]·KO["관세가","관세를","세금을"]·PT["imposto,","imposto;","impostos"]·RU["подати"]·ES["impuesto","impuestos"]·SW["kodi","ushuru,","ushuru;"]·TR["gümrük","vergi"]·urd["محصول","چنگی"]
2. fulfillment, completion, outcome — Split from sense 77517. Criteria: The completion or outcome of a process; 'the end of sin is death,' 'the end of sanctification is eternal life,' 'the things concerning Jesus have an end (fulfillment)'; telic rather than terminal 16×
AR["النِّهايَةُ","النِّهايَةِ","النِّهَايَةَ","النِّهَايَةِ","عاقِبَةَ","عَاقِبَتُهَا","غَايَةُ","نِهايَةً","نِهايَةٌ","نِهايَةُ","نِهايَةِ","نِهايَتَها","نِهايَتُهُمْ","نِهَايَةٍ"]·ben["শেষ","শেষের","সমাপ্তি"]·DE["Ende","Steuer"]·EN["an-end","end","the-end"]·FR["Ende","fin"]·heb["הַ-סּוֹף","סוֹף","קֵץ","תַּכְלִית"]·HI["अंत","अन्त","अन्त;"]·ID["akhir","akhirnya"]·IT["fine"]·jav["pungkasan","wekasanipun"]·KO["결말을","끝","끝-을","끝까지","끝은","끝을","끝이","끝이라"]·PT["Fim","fim","o-fim"]·RU["конец","конца","тех"]·ES["fin"]·SW["mwisho"]·TR["o-","son","sonu","sonuna","sonuna-kadar","sonunu"]·urd["آخر","انتہا","انجام","خاتمہ"]
Matt 26:58, Mark 3:26, Luke 18:5, Luke 22:37, John 13:1, Rom 6:21, Rom 6:22, Rom 10:4, 2 Cor 1:13, 2 Cor 3:13, 2 Cor 11:15, Phil 3:19 (+4 more)
3. goal, outcome, purpose — The intended outcome, goal, or ultimate purpose toward which something aims — telos in its teleological sense of designed result rather than mere cessation. With 3 occurrences, this appears in 1 Timothy 1:5 ('the goal of the commandment is love from a pure heart'), 1 Peter 1:9 ('receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls'), and 1 Peter 3:8's summons to unity as the telos of community life. Spanish propósito and fin compete here, while German Ziel occasionally replaces Ende, signaling the purposive rather than terminal force. This sense preserves the Aristotelian philosophical heritage of telos as final cause. 3×
AR["خِتامًا","غايَةَ","غايَةُ"]·ben["লক্ষ্য","শেষ","শেষে"]·DE["Ende"]·EN["end"]·FR["Ende"]·heb["סוֹף","תַּכְלִית"]·HI["परिणाम","लकश्य","सब"]·ID["akhirnya","hasil","tujuan"]·IT["fine"]·jav["ancas","pungkasan,","tujuan"]·KO["끝으로","목적","목적은"]·PT["fim","fim,"]·RU["конец","наконец,","цель"]·ES["fin"]·SW["hatimaye","lengo","matokeo"]·TR["amacı","sonucunu","sonuç"]·urd["آخر،","انجام","مقصد"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τέλος, εος, τό, (τέλλομαι, τέλλω) coming to pass, performance, consummation, εἰ γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀρῇσιν τ. ἡμετέρῃσι γένοιτο Refs 8th c.BC+; δίκη δ᾽ ὑπὲρ ὕβριος ἴσχει ἐς τ. ἐξελθοῦσα issuing in fulfilment, execution,Refs 4th c.BC+; καθήκει νῦν [τὰν γνώμαν] ἐπὶ τέλος ἀχθῆμεν Refs 1st c.AD+; ἔλπομαι μέν, ἐν θεῷ γε μὰν τ. Refs 8th c.BC+; result, τ. δ᾽ οὔ πώ τι πέφανται Refs 8th c.BC+ the coming to pass…