πλήρης (plērēs)
plērēs
full
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective plērēs describes something that is full, complete, or filled to capacity. It applies to physical containers, such as the baskets left over after Jesus fed the crowds (Matthew 14:20; Mark 8:19), and to abstract qualities like wisdom or anger (Acts 6:3; 19:28). The word conveys a state of having no lack, whether in material substance or moral character.
In the New Testament, plērēs often modifies people who are thoroughly permeated by a specific trait. Stephen is called full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), while Barnabas is described as full of grace and power (Acts 11:24). John’s Gospel uses it to describe Jesus as full of grace and truth (John 1:14), suggesting a person whose entire being reflects divine character.
The term emphasizes completeness rather than mere quantity. It appears in contexts where nothing is missing or lacking, whether in the harvest described in Mark 4:28 or the service rendered by Tabitha in Acts 9:36. Translators typically render it as "full" or "complete," capturing its sense of wholeness and adequacy.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word plērēs describes a state of completeness, where nothing is missing or lacking. It applies to physical containers, like the baskets left after Jesus fed the crowds, but also to human character. When Scripture calls someone full of faith or the Holy Spirit, it points to a life thoroughly permeated by divine grace.
This word invites us to consider what fills our own lives. Just as Stephen was known for his faith and power, we are encouraged to seek a heart that reflects God’s presence in every area. It is not about striving for perfection on our own, but allowing the Spirit to fill us until our actions naturally overflow with love and wisdom.
Whether you are facing a season of need or looking to serve others, this word reminds us that God provides abundantly. We can trust that He supplies what we need, not just in material things, but in the spiritual strength required for daily living.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- full14×
- full.2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πλήρης10×
- πλήρεις3×
- πλήρεις.2×
- πλήρη1×
Key Verses
-
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
This verse describes Jesus as full of grace and truth, showing that plērēs characterizes His complete divine nature dwelling among humanity.
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Acts 6:5
These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,
Stephen is chosen as a leader because he is full of faith and the Holy Spirit, indicating that spiritual maturity is the basis for service.
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Luke 4:1
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
Jesus being full of the Spirit before His wilderness testing highlights that divine empowerment precedes and sustains spiritual victory.
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Matthew 14:20
They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
The twelve baskets full of leftovers demonstrate God’s abundant provision, where plērēs signifies a surplus beyond mere satisfaction.