Life’s Completion: τελευτή (Strong’s G5054: teleutē) Reveals Death’s Transformative Purpose

Strong’s G5054: A feminine noun meaning “end of life” or “death,” derived from τέλος (end). Used in the New Testament to describe death as completion rather than termination. Carries dignified connotations of finishing one’s earthly course and transitioning to eternal life.

U – Unveiling the Word

τελευτή represents more than just physical death; it embodies the concept of completing one’s earthly journey. Its single appearance in Matthew 2:15 occurs in a quotation from Hosea, referring to the death of Herod and marking a pivotal moment in salvation history. The early church understood τελευτή as expressing not merely the cessation of life but the completion of one’s divinely appointed purpose. This understanding transformed the concept of death from an ending to a transition, viewing it through the lens of resurrection hope. Today, this word continues to remind believers that death, viewed through faith in the Messiah, becomes a doorway to fuller life.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τελευτή, teleutē, tel-yoo-tay’
• Phonetic Guide: tel (as in “tell”) + yoo (as in “you”) + tay (as in “day”)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From τέλος (telos) – end, goal, purpose
• -τη (-tē) – feminine noun suffix
• Related to τελέω (teleō) – to complete, finish

D – Defining Meanings

• End of life
• Death
• Completion of life
• Final stage
• Life’s conclusion

Translation Options:

• “death” – direct and clear meaning
• “life’s end” – emphasizes completion aspect
• “final departure” – captures transitional nature

E – Exploring Similar Words

• θάνατος (thanatos) – death See G2288
• τελευτάω (teleutaō) – to die See G5053
• κοίμησις (koimēsis) – falling asleep, death See G2837

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Nominal Features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First declension

Examples:

• Nominative: τελευτή (death)
• Genitive: τελευτῆς (of death)
• Dative: τελευτῇ (to/for death)
• Accusative: τελευτήν (death as object)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

Lexical sources provide rich understanding of τελευτή. BDAG emphasizes its use as a dignified term for death. Thayer’s notes its connection to completion rather than mere cessation. LSJ traces its development from general “ending” to specifically referring to life’s end. Vine’s highlights its relationship to purpose fulfillment. Strong’s connects it to the concept of reaching a goal. Moulton and Milligan document its common use in funeral epitaphs, often with hopeful connotations. The combined evidence suggests τελευτή was chosen for its dignified and purposeful representation of death.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“He remained there until the death [τελευτῆς] of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.'” Matthew 2:15

Additional References:
This word appears only once in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τελευτή beautifully expresses the Christian understanding of death as completion rather than termination. Through the Messiah’s resurrection, this word takes on renewed significance, pointing to death as a transition to eternal life rather than a final end. It reminds us that even death serves God’s purposes, as seen in how Herod’s death facilitated the return of the young Messiah from Egypt. The good news transforms τελευτή from a term of ending to one of transition and hope in Christ’s victory over death.

D – Did You Know?

• τελευτή appears only once in the New Testament
• Ancient Greek epitaphs often used this word with hope-filled expressions
• Early Christians adapted this term to express death’s transformation through resurrection hope

Strong’s G5054: A feminine noun meaning “end of life” or “death,” derived from τέλος (end). Used in the New Testament to describe death as completion rather than termination. Carries dignified connotations of finishing one’s earthly course and transitioning to eternal life.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: death, completion, end-of-life, transition, purpose, mortality, resurrection, hope, Herod, Matthew​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​