τελευτή (teleutē)
teleutē
death
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun teleutē simply means death, or more precisely, the end of life. It comes from a root meaning to bring something to its conclusion or finish. In classical Greek, it could refer to the end of any event, but in Scripture it is used almost exclusively for human mortality.
This word appears only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 2:15. The Gospel writer quotes Hosea to describe how Joseph and Mary stayed in Egypt until Herod died. By using teleutē here, the text emphasizes that their return was tied to a specific historical endpoint—the cessation of Herod’s life.
While other Greek words for death carry heavy theological weight about sin or sacrifice, teleutē is straightforward. It marks a boundary. The sources note it corresponds to Hebrew terms for dying in the Old Testament, focusing on the fact that life has reached its natural close rather than the spiritual state of the soul.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word teleutē appears only once in the New Testament, found in Matthew 2:15. It simply means death or the end of life. The Gospel writer uses it to mark a clear historical boundary: Joseph and Mary remained in Egypt until the death of King Herod. This was not a theological statement about sin or sacrifice, but a straightforward note that a specific political era had finished.
For your faith, this offers a quiet comfort. It reminds us that God’s timing is tied to real-world events. Even when circumstances seem uncertain, like the safety of a family in exile, God is working through history. The end of one chapter often opens the door for the next, guiding His people toward their promised destination.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- death1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τελευτῆς1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 2:15
and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
This verse uses teleutē to mark the precise historical endpoint that allowed the Holy Family to return from Egypt.