περιλείπομαι (perileipomai)
perileipomai
to remain
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb perileipomai means to be left remaining or to survive after others have gone. It describes a state of continuing existence when circumstances or people around you change. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.
Paul uses it to describe believers who are still alive at Christ’s return. He contrasts those who have died with those who remain, clarifying that the living will not precede the fallen. The word emphasizes continuity and endurance rather than sudden removal.
Its root combines peri, meaning around or about, and leipo, meaning to leave behind. This combination suggests being left standing within a situation while others depart. The term carries no emotional weight of abandonment; it simply states a fact of survival.
Translators typically render it as "remain" or "survive." The word appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 and 4:17, where Paul reassures the church about the fate of those still living when Jesus returns. It functions as a neutral descriptor of who is present at that moment.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word perileipomai describes a simple but profound reality: being left behind, or more accurately, remaining. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul uses it to speak about believers who are still alive when Jesus returns. It is not a word of loss or abandonment, but one of continuity. It reminds us that our presence in this world is part of God’s ongoing plan, even as circumstances change around us.
When we read that those who remain will be caught up together with those who have fallen asleep, there is a deep comfort in the unity it describes. No group precedes another; all are included in the same hope. This word invites us to trust that our current season, whether marked by waiting or activity, is held securely in God’s hands. We do not need to fear being overlooked, for we are part of the whole body of Christ.
Ultimately, this term points to a future where death is no longer a separation but a transition into eternal presence with the Lord. It encourages us to live faithfully today, knowing that our time on earth is purposeful and that our final destination is secure in Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- remaining1×
- are remaining1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- περιλειπόμενοι2×
Key Verses
-
I Thessalonians 4:15
For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
Paul uses this word to establish that living believers will not have any advantage over those who have died, ensuring equality in the resurrection hope.
-
I Thessalonians 4:17
then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.
The term identifies the group that will be caught up together with the resurrected dead, emphasizing their shared destiny to meet the Lord.