κοιμάω (koimaō)
koimaō
to sleep
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb koimaō literally means to put someone to sleep or to fall asleep, but in Scripture it is most often used as a gentle metaphor for death. This usage appears frequently in the New Testament, particularly in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Thessalonians, where he describes believers who have died as "sleeping." By choosing this term, the text emphasizes that death is not an end but a state of rest, awaiting a future awakening.
Its root connects to the idea of lulling or calming, suggesting peace rather than finality. For instance, when Lazarus dies in John 11:11, Jesus refers to him as sleeping before revealing he has died, framing the event with hope. Similarly, Stephen’s death in Acts 7:60 and the many believers mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 are described using this word, reinforcing the Christian hope of resurrection.
Translators typically render koimaō as "sleep" or "fallen asleep," preserving the original sense of temporary rest. This choice distinguishes the physical body’s repose from the soul’s continued existence with God, a concept supported by passages like Acts 13:36, which contrasts David’s death and burial with his enduring hope in God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Scripture uses the word koimaō for death, it offers a gentle picture of rest rather than finality. Jesus described Lazarus as sleeping before raising him (John 11:11), framing mortality as a temporary pause. This language invites us to view the end of earthly life not as a dark void, but as a peaceful state awaiting awakening.
Paul expands this hope in his letters, noting that those who have fallen asleep in Christ are not lost forever (1 Corinthians 15:6). Instead, their rest is part of God’s larger story of resurrection. This perspective helps believers face grief with calm assurance, knowing that separation is brief and reunion is promised.
Even when we feel the weight of loss, this word reminds us that death has lost its sting. The early church found comfort in these terms, trusting that sleep is followed by dawn. We can hold onto this hope, letting it steady our hearts during difficult seasons.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- having fallen asleep4×
- sleeping2×
- were fallen asleep.1×
- we will sleep,1×
- themselves falling asleep,1×
- shall have died1×
- he has fallen asleep,1×
- he fell asleep.1×
- he fell asleep1×
- having fallen asleep;1×
- has fallen asleep;1×
- fell asleep,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- κεκοιμημένων2×
- ἐκοιμήθησαν.1×
- ἐκοιμήθησαν,1×
- ἐκοιμήθη.1×
- ἐκοιμήθη1×
- κοιμῶνται1×
- κοιμώμενος1×
- κοιμωμένων.1×
- κοιμωμένων,1×
- κοιμωμένους1×
- κοιμηθῇ1×
- κοιμηθέντες1×
Key Verses
-
John 11:11
He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
Jesus uses this term to describe Lazarus’s death, establishing a pattern where sleep precedes miraculous awakening.
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Acts 7:60
He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen’s death is described with this word, showing how early Christians viewed martyrdom as a peaceful transition rather than a defeat.