Great Deliverance: τηλικοῦτος (Strong’s G5082: telikoutos) Magnifies Divine Rescue

Strong’s G5082: A demonstrative adjective meaning “so great” or “so vast,” formed from τηλίκος (so old/great) and οὗτος (this). Used to emphasize the magnitude of God’s deliverance, salvation, and works, highlighting their extraordinary scale and significance.

U- Unveiling the Word

τηλικοῦτος carries immense rhetorical power in its New Testament usage, emphasizing the extraordinary magnitude of what it describes. The word appears in contexts highlighting God’s dramatic interventions, from Paul’s deliverance from death to the scope of salvation itself. In its compound form, it combines the concept of greatness with demonstrative force, creating an expression of supreme magnitude. The early church employed this term to emphasize the incomparable nature of God’s acts of deliverance and salvation. Today, it continues to remind believers of the overwhelming scale of God’s interventions in human affairs.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τηλικοῦτος, telikoutos, /tay-li-KOO-tos/
• Detailed pronunciation: tay-lee-KOO-toss (emphasis on KOO)
• Part of Speech: Demonstrative Adjective

Etymology:

• τηλίκος (telikos) – “of such an age/size”
• οὗτος (houtos) – demonstrative “this”
• Combined to intensify the demonstration of magnitude

D – Defining Meanings

• So great
• So large
• So mighty
• Of such magnitude

For compound words:
τηλίκος provides the sense of size or magnitude, while οὗτος adds demonstrative force, creating an emphatic expression of greatness.

Translation Options:

• “So great” – Most common translation emphasizing magnitude
• “So vast” – Emphasizing spatial or conceptual extent
• “Of such magnitude” – More formal equivalent

E – Exploring Similar Words

• τοσοῦτος (tosoutos) /to-SOO-tos/ – so much, so many. See G5118
• τοιοῦτος (toioutos) /toy-OO-tos/ – such as this, of this kind. See G5108
• μέγας (megas) /ME-gas/ – great, large. See G3173

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as an Adjective:

• Case: Nominative/Accusative
• Number: Singular/Plural
• Gender: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter
• Declension: Mixed

Forms include:

• Nominative singular: τηλικοῦτος (masculine)
• Accusative singular: τηλικοῦτον
• Neuter: τηλικοῦτο
• Plural: τηλικοῦτοι

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes τηλικοῦτος’s role in expressing extraordinary magnitude, particularly in contexts of divine intervention. Thayer’s notes its compound structure and intensive force. LSJ documents its classical usage for emphasizing size, age, or importance. Vine’s highlights its application to God’s acts of deliverance. Strong’s details its etymological components and demonstrative force. Moulton and Milligan show its use in papyri for expressing exceptional circumstances. The synthesis reveals a term carefully chosen to convey the overwhelming scale of divine actions and their significance in human experience.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“Who delivered us from [so great] [τηλικοῦτος] a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” 2 Corinthians 1:10

Additional References:
Hebrews 2:3
James 3:4
Revelation 16:18

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τηλικοῦτος appears at crucial moments in Scripture to emphasize the extraordinary magnitude of God’s interventions. Whether describing deliverance from death, the greatness of salvation, or the power of divine judgment, this word proclaims the good news that King Jesus’s actions on our behalf are of incomparable scale. It reminds believers that God’s salvation and deliverance are not mere solutions but overwhelming demonstrations of His power and love.

D – Did You Know?

1. The word was used in legal documents to emphasize extraordinary circumstances.
2. Early church writers used it to describe the incomparable nature of Christian salvation.
3. It appears in ancient Greek literature to describe pivotal historical moments.

Strong’s G5082: A demonstrative adjective meaning “so great” or “so vast,” formed from τηλίκος (so old/great) and οὗτος (this). Used to emphasize the magnitude of God’s deliverance, salvation, and works, highlighting their extraordinary scale and significance.

Part of speech: Demonstrative Adjective

Tags: magnitude, greatness, demonstration, size, scale, importance, deliverance, salvation, power, divine intervention, extraordinary, vast​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​