plēroō · fulfill, fill

What it means

plēroō (πληρόω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “fulfill, fill”.

Fill; fulfill: bring about what a word announced.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To occupy something completely, leaving no gap.
2. To carry something through to its end, with nothing lacking.
3. For what was foretold to come true.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To fill something until it is full; from there to complete, finish and fulfill: to make real what a word announced. Thayer: to fill; to make full, complete; to fulfill a prophecy, a promise or a command. Of the same family are πλήρης, “full”, and πλήρωμα, “fullness”.

• “So that what was spoken… might be fulfilled” Matthew 1:22Luke 4:21
• “I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” Matthew 5:17Romans 13:8
• “The time is fulfilled” Mark 1:15
• Filling: the house, the Spirit, joy Acts 2:2Ephesians 5:18Acts 2:28
• Making complete: “your joy may be complete” John 15:11

How we translate it

“Fulfilled” 20 times, “filled” 18, “might be fulfilled” 16, above all in Matthew's formula (Matthew 1:22); “complete” 9, “fulfill” 6, “had passed” 3. The context decides between “fill”, “complete” and “fulfill”; in Luke 7:1, “he had completed all his words”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• fulfilled ×20
• filled ×18
• might be fulfilled ×16
• complete ×9
• fulfill ×6
• had passed ×3
• will fill ×2
• fill up ×1
• fills ×1
• having completed ×1
• others ×9

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×16
• Mark×2
• Luke×9
• John×15
• Acts×16
• Romans×6
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Galatians×1
• Ephesians×4
• Philippians×4
• Colossians×4
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• 2 Timothy×1
• James×1
• 1 John×1
• 2 John×1
• Revelation×2

• Matthew 1:22

  And all this has happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says:

• Matthew 2:15

  and he was there until the death of Herod, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

• Matthew 2:17

  Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, when he says:

• Matthew 2:23

  and he came and settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

• Matthew 3:15

  But Jesus answered and said to him, “Allow it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allows him to do so.

• Matthew 4:14

  so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says:

• Matthew 5:17

  “Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

• Matthew 8:17

  so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says, “He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.”

• Matthew 12:17

  so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says,

• Matthew 13:35

  so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will pour out things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

• Matthew 13:48

  when it was full, they hauled it up onto the shore and sat down and gathered the good ones into containers, but threw the bad ones away.

• Matthew 21:4

  Now this took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, when he says,

• Matthew 23:32

  And you, fill up the measure of your fathers.

• Matthew 26:54

  How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”

• Matthew 26:56

  But all this has happened so that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

• Matthew 27:9

  Then was fulfilled what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, when he says, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set, whom they priced from the sons of Israel,

• Mark 1:15

  and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; change your minds and believe in the good news.”

• Mark 14:49

  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.”

• Luke 1:20

  And look, you will be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

• Luke 2:40

  And the child grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.

• Luke 3:5

  Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; and the crooked places will become straight, and the rough places smooth roads;

• Luke 4:21

  And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

• Luke 7:1

  When he had completed all his words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.

• Luke 9:31

  who, appearing in glory, were speaking of his departure, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.

• Luke 21:24

  And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by nations until the times of the nations are fulfilled.

• Luke 22:16

  For I tell you that I will never eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

• Luke 24:44

  And he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

• John 3:29

  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.

• John 7:8

  You go up to the feast; I am not going up to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled.”

• John 12:3

  Then Mary took a litra of perfume, pure nard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

• John 12:38

  so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

• John 13:18

  I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘The one who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’

• John 15:11

  I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.

• John 15:25

  But this is so that the word that is written in their law may be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’

• John 16:6

  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

• John 16:24

  Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

• John 17:12

  When I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

• John 17:13

  But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.

• John 18:9

  This was so that the word might be fulfilled that he had spoken, “Of those whom you have given me, I have not lost a single one.”

• John 18:32

  This was so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled that he had spoken, showing by what kind of death he was going to die.

And 46 more times.