γέμω (gemō)
gemō
be full
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb gemō simply means to be full or filled. In the New Testament, it appears in eleven verses, with notable occurrences in Matthew, Romans, and Revelation. It describes a state of complete possession or saturation, whether referring to physical objects or abstract qualities.
This word is used with striking variety. Jesus employs it to describe tombs that are full of dead bones (Matthew 23:27) and bowls that are full of incense (Revelation 5:8). Paul uses it to list the contents of human speech, noting that mouths are full of cursing (Romans 3:14). The imagery is direct and unadorned, focusing on the condition of being filled rather than the process of filling.
Its usage highlights a static state rather than an action. Unlike words that describe the act of pouring or adding, gemō points to the result: something has reached its capacity. This distinction helps clarify passages where the focus is on the completeness of a condition, such as the fullness of judgment or the fullness of worship.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gemō describes a state of being completely filled to capacity. It does not describe the act of pouring or adding, but the result: something has reached its limit. When Jesus speaks of tombs full of dead bones or bowls full of incense, He is pointing to a static condition. The focus is on what already exists inside, rather than how it got there.
This distinction matters for your spiritual life. It invites you to examine what fills your heart and mind. Are you occupied by bitterness and cursing, as Paul notes in Romans? Or are you filled with the prayers of the saints, like the bowls in Revelation? The word suggests that we cannot be empty; something always takes our place.
Consider the imagery of the living creatures full of eyes, watching and worshiping constantly. This points to a life fully engaged with God’s presence. You are invited to reflect on what currently occupies your inner space. It is not about striving to fill yourself, but allowing God to be the content that remains.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- being full4×
- they are full2×
- full2×
- is full.1×
- is full1×
- are being full1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- γέμουσιν3×
- γέμοντα2×
- γεμούσας2×
- γέμον1×
- γέμει.1×
- γέμει1×
- γεμόντων1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
Jesus uses gemō to contrast external beauty with internal corruption, showing that a person can appear clean while being completely filled with uncleanness.
-
Romans 3:14
“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
Paul applies this word to human speech, indicating that a mouth full of cursing reflects a heart saturated with bitterness rather than just isolated bad words.
-
Revelation of John 5:8
Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Here gemō describes golden bowls filled with incense, which John explicitly identifies as the prayers of the saints, linking fullness to intercession.
-
Revelation of John 4:8
The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”
The living creatures are described as full of eyes, emphasizing their constant awareness and ceaseless worship before God’s throne.