συγκλείω (sugkleiō)
sugkleiō
to confine
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb sugkleiō means to shut up together or enclose completely. Its core image is one of total confinement, where something is held fast on all sides. In Luke 5:6, this literal sense appears when the disciples haul in a net so full of fish that it begins to break. The word captures the physical weight and pressure of being surrounded by an overwhelming catch.
Paul uses this concrete image metaphorically in Romans and Galatians to describe humanity’s spiritual condition. He argues that Scripture has "shut up" all people under sin, leaving no escape route through their own efforts. This confinement is not arbitrary; it serves a specific purpose. By closing off every other path, the law ensures that everyone stands equally dependent on God’s mercy.
The prefix syn- ("together") emphasizes that this restriction applies universally. Whether referring to fish in a net or people under sin, sugkleiō implies a complete enclosure with no loopholes. Translators often render it "confined" or "imprisoned," highlighting the helplessness of those inside and the inevitability of the need for divine intervention outside.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sugkleiō paints a picture of total enclosure. In Luke’s gospel, it describes a net so heavy with fish that it threatens to break under the weight. Paul later uses this same image to describe our spiritual state before Christ. He suggests that Scripture has shut us in, leaving no exit through our own efforts or moral achievements.
This confinement is not a punishment designed to crush us, but a necessary step toward grace. By closing off every other path, the law ensures that we stand equally dependent on God’s mercy. When we realize there is no escape route from our limitations, we stop striving and start trusting. The enclosure makes room for faith to enter.
There is comfort in this truth. You do not need to manufacture your own salvation or climb out of your struggles alone. The very sense of being trapped can drive you to the only One who holds the key. His mercy is the door that opens when human effort fails.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they enclosed1×
- imprisoned1×
- being locked up1×
- Has bound up1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- συνέκλεισεν2×
- συνέκλεισαν1×
- συγκλειόμενοι1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 5:6
When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.
This verse provides the literal background for Paul’s metaphor, showing a physical net overwhelmed by an abundance of fish.
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Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Here Paul explicitly links the confinement under sin to the purpose of receiving the promise through faith in Jesus Christ.
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Galatians 3:23
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
This occurrence highlights the temporary nature of being kept in custody under the law until faith was revealed.
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Romans 11:32
For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.
Though translated as 'bound' here, it reflects the same concept of universal confinement that leads to mercy for all.