the time for the fulfillment of the promise

χρόνος, ου, ὁ (Hom.+)

① an indefinite period of time during which some activity or event takes place, time, period of time πολὺς χρόνος a long time (PGiss 4, 11; PStras 41, 39; ApcSed 13:5; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 278 Just., D. 7, 1) Mt 25:19; J 5:6 (πολὺν ἤδη χ. as Jos., Ant. 8, 342; 19, 28). πλείων χρ. a longer time (Diod S 1, 4, 3; Dio Chrys. 78 [29], 15; SIG 421, 38; 548, 11; PPetr II, 9, 2, 3; Jos., Ant. 9, 228) Ac 18:20. ἱκανὸς χρόνος considerable time, a long time (ἱκανός 3b) Lk 8:27; Ac 8:11; 14:3; 27:9; Qua 2. μικρὸς χρ. (Is 54:7) J 7:33; 12:35; Rv 6:11; 20:3; IEph 5:1. ὀλίγος (Aristot., Phys. 218b, 15; SIG 709, 11; PPetr II, 40a, 14; Just., D. 2, 6; Ath. 7, 3) Ac 14:28; 2 Cl 19:3; Hs 7:6; AcPl Ha 9, 26 (restored after Aa I 112, 14). πόσος; Mk 9:21 (ApcMos 31; Just., D. 32, 4). τοσοῦτος (Lucian, Dial. Deor. 1, 1; ParJer 5:18; Jos., Bell. 2, 413) J 14:9 (τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ as Epict. 3, 23, 16); Hb 4:7. ὅσος Mk 2:19; Ro 7:1; 1 Cor 7:39; Gal 4:1; cp. Hs 6, 4, 1 (ὅσος 1b). ὁ πᾶς χρόνος the whole time, all the time (Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 132 §553; Jos., Ant. 3, 201; Just., D. 4, 5) Ac 20:18; AcPlCor 2:4; cp. Ac 1:21. ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ at every time D 14:3. χρόνον τινά for a time, for a while (Arrian, Anab. Alex. 6, 6, 5; Synes., Prov. 2, 3 p. 121d) 1 Cor 16:7; Hs 7:2. τῷ χρόνῳ in time (Herodas 4, 33 χρόνῳ) 9, 26, 4. στιγμὴ χρόνου (s. στιγμή) Lk 4:5. τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου (πλήρωμα 5) Gal 4:4 (cp. Pind., Fgm. 134 Bowra=147 Schr. foll. by BSnell ἐν χρόνῳ δʼ ἔγεντʼ Ἀπόλλων). Certain special verbs are used w. χρόνος: διαγενέσθαι Ac 27:9 (s. διαγίνομαι), διατρίβειν (q.v.) Ac 14:3, 28, πληρωθῆναι 7:23; 1 Cl 25:2; Hs 6, 5, 2 (πληρόω 2). χρόνον ἐπέχω (q.v. 3) Ac 19:22; ἔχω (q.v. 7b) J 5:6; ποιέω (q.v. 5c) Ac 15:33; 18:23; βιόω (q.v.) 1 Pt 4:2.—Pl. χρόνοι of a rather long period of time composed of several shorter ones (Diod S 1, 5, 1; 5, 9, 4; Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 312 D.; UPZ 42, 45 [162 B.C.]; JosAs 13:12; SibOr 3, 649; AcPlCor 2:10; Just. A I, 13, 3 al.; Tat. 1, 1; Iren. 1, 15, 4 [Harv. I 153, 1]; Hippol. Ref. 9, 10, 11; Did., Gen. 24, 9) χρόνοι αἰώνιοι (αἰώνιος 1) Ro 16:25; 2 Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2. ἀρχαῖοι χρ. Pol 1:2. χρόνοι ἱκανοί (ἱκανός 3b) Lk 8:27 v.l.; 20:9; 23:8. πολλοὶ χρόνοι (πολύς 2aαב Yet χρόνοι could somet. = years: Diod S 4, 13, 3 ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων=over a period of many years; 33, 5a μετὰ δέ τινας χρόνους=after a few years; Ps.-Callisth. 2, 33 ed. CMüller of the age of a child ἦν χρόνων ὡσεὶ δώδεκα; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 129, 14 [346 A.D.]; Lex. Vindob. p. 19, 104 ἀφήλικες ἄνδρες μέχρι τῶν κε´ χρόνων; Philip of Side: Anecdota Gr. Oxon. ed. JCramer IV 1837 p. 246 ἑκατὸν ἔτη … καὶ μετὰ ἄλλους ἑκατὸν χρόνους; Cyrill. Scyth. 45, 5; 108, 8 and oft. Frequently in later Byzantine writers, e.g. Constantin. Porphyr. ed. GMoravcsik ’49 p. 332 [index]) Lk 8:29; 1 Cl 42:5; 44:3. (οἱ) χρ. τῆς ἀγνοίας Ac 17:30. ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων 3:21. οἱ νῦν χρ. 2 Cl 19:4. οἱ πρότεροι χρ. Hs 9, 20, 4. οἱ καθʼ ἡμᾶς χρ. (Proclus In Pla., Tim. 40cd ἐν τοῖς κατʼ αὐτὸν χρόνοις [FBoll, Sternglaube und Sterndeutung ’66, 95]) MPol 16:2. εἰς τοὺς ἡμετέρους χρόνους Qua 2. ἐπʼ ἐσχάτου τῶν χρ. 1 Pt 1:20. χρόνοι w. καιροί (the same juxtaposition: Demosth., Ep. 2, 3; Straton of Lamps. [300 B.C.], Fgm. 10 Wehrli ’50; PLond I, 42, 23 p. 30 [168 B.C.]; PCairMasp 159, 36; 167, 45. Cp. Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 291 and 290 D.; Ath. 22, 4. On the difference betw. the two Demosth., Ep. 5, 6) Ac 1:7; 1 Th 5:1; GMary 463, 1 (s. καιρός, end).—Both sing. and pl. are very oft. governed by prepositions: by ἄχρι (q.v. 1aα); διά w. the gen. (διά A 2), w. the acc. (διά B 2a); ἐκ (MPol 22:3; s. ἐκ 5a); ἐν (Menand., Peric. 546 S. [=296 Kö.] ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ; CPR 13, 2; 23, 23; Jer 38:1) Ac 1:6; IEph 5:1; ἐπί w. dat. (ἐπί 18b) 2 Cl 19:4, w. acc. (ἐπί 18c); κατά w. acc. (κατά B 2); μετά w. acc. (μετά B 2); πρό (πρό 2).

② a point of time consisting of an occasion for some event or activity, time, occasion ὁ χρόνος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας the time for the fulfillment of the promise Ac 7:17; τῆς παροικίας 1 Pt 1:17; τῆς πίστεως B 4:9; D 16:2; τῆς ἀπάτης καὶ τρυφῆς Hs 6, 5, 1; cp. 6, 4, 4. ὁ χρ. τοῦ φαινομένου ἀστέρος the time when the star appeared Mt 2:7. ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρ. τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν Lk 1:57 (πίμπλημι 1bβ.—Ps.-Callisth. 1, 12 τελεσθέντος τοῦ χρόνου τοῦ τεκεῖν). Cp. also Mt 2:16; Lk 18:4; Ac 1:6; 13:18, Hb 5:12; 11:32; 1 Pt 4:3; Jd 18; Dg 9:1, 6; Hs 5, 5, 3.

③ a period during which someth. is delayed, respite, delay (Aeschyl., Pers. 692; Menand., Dyscolus 186; Diod S 10, 4, 3; Lucian, Syr. D. 20; Vi. Aesopi I c. 21 p. 278, 3 χρόνον ᾔτησε; Wsd 12:20; Jos., Bell. 4, 188 ἂν ἡμεῖς χρόνον δῶμεν, Vi. 370) ἔδωκα αὐτῇ χρόνον ἵνα μετανοήσῃ Rv 2:21 (Diod S 17, 9, 2 διδοὺς μετανοίας χρόνον). χρόνος οὐκέτι ἔσται there should be no more delay 10:6 (cp. 9:20; Goodsp., Probs. 200f).—For the history of the word s. KDietecrich, RhM n.s. 59, 1904, 233ff.—GDelling, D. Zeitverständnis des NTs ’40; OCullmann, Christus u. d. Zeit ’46, Engl. transl. Christ and Time, FFilson ’50, 3d ed. ’64, esp. 49f; 51–55; JWilch, Time and Event (OT) ’69.—B. 954. Schmidt, Syn. II 54–72. DELG. M-M. DNP II 1174f. ENDT. TW. Sv. Cp. αἰών.

πληρόω impf. 3 sg. ἐπλήρου; fut. πληρώσω; 1 aor. ἐπλήρωσα; pf. πεπλήρωκα; plpf. 3 sg. πεπληρώκει (on the omission of the augm. B-D-F §66, 1; Mlt-H. 190). Pass.: impf. ἐπληρούμην; 1 fut. πληρωθήσομαι; 1 aor. ἐπληρώθην; pf. πεπλήρωμαι; plpf. 3 sg. πεπλήρωτο (s. B-D-F §66, 1; Mlt-H. 190) (Aeschyl., Hdt.+).

① to make full, fill (full)

ⓐ of things τὶ someth. τὴν γῆν (Orig., C. Cels. 3, 8, 29) B 6:12 (Gen 1:28; cp. Ocellus [II B.C.] c. 46 Harder [1926] τὸν πλείονα τῆς γῆς τόπον πληροῦσθαι with their descendants). Pass., of a net ἐπληρώθη Mt 13:48. πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται Lk 3:5 (Is 40:4). ὀθόνη πλοίου ὑπὸ πνεύματος πληρουμένη a ship’s sail filled out by the wind MPol 15:2.—τόπον πληρῶσαι fill a space Hs 9, 7, 5. ἐπλήρωσεν τοὺς τύπους τῶν λίθων he filled in the impressions of the stones (that had been removed) 9, 10, 2.—Also of sounds and odors (as well as light: schol. on Pla. 914b) ἦχος ἐπλήρωσεν τὸν οἶκον a sound filled the house Ac 2:2 (Diod S 11, 24, 4 αἱ οἰκίαι πένθους ἐπληροῦντο=with cries of grief). ἡ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς the house was filled with the fragrance J 12:3 (cp. Diod S 4, 64, 1 τὴν οἰκίαν πληρώσειν ἀτυχημάτων; Ael. Aristid. 36, 84 K.=48 p. 471 D.: ὅταν οἴκημα πληρωθῇ; TestAbr A 4 p. 80, 23f [Stone p. 8] πλήρωσον τὸν οἶκον ἡμῶν [with aromatic plants]).—Also in other ways of the filling of impers. objects with real but intangible things or qualities: τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ (i.e. of the martyr Polycarp) χάριτος ἐπληροῦτο MPol 12:1 (χάρις 1 and 4). πεπληρώκατε τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching Ac 5:28. ὑμεῖς πληρώσατε (aor. impv. as a rhetor. demand; vv.ll. πληρώσετε, ἐπληρώσατε) τὸ μέτρον τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν of filling the measure of sins (cp. Da 8:23) Mt 23:32; cp. ἐπεὶ πεπλήρωτο ἡ ἡμετέρα ἀδικία Dg 9:2. θεὸς πληρώσει πᾶσαν χρείαν ὑμῶν Phil 4:19 (cp. Thu. 1, 70, 7). πλ. τὴν καρδίαν τινός fill someone’s heart, i.e. take full possession of it (cp. Eccl 9:3) ἡ λύπη πεπλήρωκεν ὑμῶν τ. καρδίαν J 16:6. διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ σατανᾶς τ. καρδίαν σοὺ; Ac 5:3 (Ad’Alès, RSR 24, ’34, 199f; 474f prefers the v.l. ἐπήρωσεν; against him LSt.-Paul Girard, Mém. de l’inst. franc. du Caire 67, ’37, 309–12). ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης πληροῖ τὰς ψυχάς Hm 11:2 (θείου πνεύματος πληρώσαντος … τὰς ψυχάς Orig., C. Cels. 3, 81, 20).—Of Christ, who passed through all the cosmic spheres ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα Eph 4:10 (cp. Jer 23:24; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 4 πάντα πεπλήρωκεν ὁ θεός, Vita Mos. 2, 238, Conf. Lingu. 136; Ath.8, 3 πάντα γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦτου πεπλήρωται). The mid. in the sense of the act. (B-D-F §316, 1; Rob. 805f. Cp. X., Hell. 6, 2, 14; 35 al.; Plut., Alc. 211 [35, 6]) τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν πληρουμένου Eph 1:23 (πλήρωμα 2).

ⓑ of persons fill w. powers, qualities, etc. τινὰ someone ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ προφητικοῦ πνεύματος πληροῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον Hm 11:9a. τινά τινος someone with someth. (OdeSol 11:2; B-D-F §172; Rob. 510) πληρώσεις με εὐφροσύνης Ac 2:28 (Ps 15:11). Cp. Ro 15:13 (cp. POxy 3313, 3 χαρ[ᾶ ἡμ]ᾶ ἐπλήρωσα). τινά τινι someone with someth. (B-D-F §195, 2) ὁ διάβολος πληροῖ αὐτὸν τῷ αὐτοῦ πνεύματι Hm 11:3.—Mostly pass., in pres., impf., fut., aor. become filled or full (Scholiast on Pla. 856e of μάντις: ἄνωθεν λαμβάνειν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ πληροῦσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ); in the perf. have been filled, be full: w. gen. of thing (Diod S 20, 21, 3 τῶν βασιλείων πεπληρωμένων φόνων=when the palace was full of murderous deeds; Diog. L. 5, 42 τὸ πάσης ἀρετῆς πεπληρῶσθαι) Lk 2:40 v.l.; Ac 13:52 (Jos., Ant. 15, 421 ἐπληρώθη χαρᾶς; cp. Just., A I, 49, 5); Ro 15:14; 2 Ti 1:4; Dg 10:3; IRo ins; Ox 840, 40f.—W. dat. of thing (Aeschyl., Sept. 464 et al.; Parthenius 10, 4 ἄχει ἐπληρώθη; 2 Macc 7:21; 3 Macc 4:16; 5:30; Just., D. 7, 1 πνεύματι. Cp. BGU 1108, 12 [I B.C.]) Lk 2:40; Ro 1:29; 2 Cor 7:4; Hm 5, 2, 7; 11:9b v.l. (for πλησθεί).—W. acc. of thing (pap use the act. and pass. w. acc. of thing in the sense ‘settle in full by [paying or delivering] someth.’: PLond II, 243, 11 p. 300 [346 A.D.]; 251, 30; POxy 1133, 8; 1134, 6; PFlor 27, 3 al.; B-D-F §159, 1; Rob. 510) πεπληρωμένοι καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης Phil 1:11. Cp. Col 1:9.—W. ἐν and dat. of thing ἐν πνεύματι with the Spirit Eph 5:18. ἐν πίστει καί ἀγάπῃ ISm ins. Cp. Col 4:12 v.l., in case ἐν κτλ. here belongs to πεπληρωμένοι (s. πληροφορέω 1b); but mng. 3 also merits attention. ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι Col 2:10 is prob. different, meaning not ‘with him’, but in him or through him.—Abs. Eph 3:19 (εἰς denotes the goal; s. πλήρωμα 3b). πεπλήρωμαι I am well supplied Phil 4:18 (cp. Diod S 14, 62, 5 πληροῦν τινα=supply someone fully).

② to complete a period of time, fill (up), complete (Pla., Leg. 9, 866a, Tim. 39d; Plut., Lucull. 516 [35, 8]; POxy 275, 24 [66 A.D.] μέχρι τοῦ τὸν χρόνον πληρωθῆναι; 491, 6; PTebt 374, 10; BGU 1047 III, 12 al. in pap; Gen 25:24; 29:21; Lev 8:33; 12:4; 25:30; Num 6:5; Tob 10:1; 1 Macc 3:49 al.; TestAbr B; TestJob 28:1 ἐπλήρωσα εἴκοσι ἔτη; ApcMos 13; Jos., Ant. 4, 78; 6, 49) in our lit. only pass. (Ps.-Callisth. 3, 17, 39; 41 πεπλήρωται τὰ τῆς ζωῆς ἔτη; Did., Gen. 195, 23) πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρός Mk 1:15; cp. J 7:8. χρόνος instead of καιρός Hs 6, 5, 2; cp. πληρωθέντος τοῦ χρόνου (pl.: Iren. 1, 17, 2 [Harv. I 168, 13]) when the time has elapsed 1 Cl 25:2. πεπλήρωνται αἱ ἡμέραι the days are over, have come to an end Hv 2, 2, 5. πληρωθέντων … τῶν ἡμερῶν GJs 5:2 (TestAbr B 1 p. 105, 4 [Stone p. 58]).—Ac 9:23. πεπλήρωται ὁ ὅρος τῶν ἐτῶν ending of Mk in the Freer ms. 6f. πληρωθέντων ἐτῶν τεσσερακοντα when forty years had passed Ac 7:30 (TestJud 9:2).—24:27; 1 Cl 25:5. ὡς ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ τεσσερακονταετὴς χρόνος when he had reached the age of 40 Ac 7:23 (PFlor 382, 6; 11 ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη ἐπλήρωσας). ἐπληρώθησαν οἱ μῆνες αὐτῆς ὡς εἶπεν ἕξ (Anna) had passed her sixth month as (the angel) said GJs 5:2 (but s. deStrycker ad loc.).

③ to bring to completion that which was already begun, complete, finish (X., Hell. 4, 8, 16; Herodian 1, 5, 8; Olympiodorus, Life of Plato p. 2 Westerm.: the hymn that was begun; Himerius, Or. 6 [2], 14 πληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν=fully gratify the desire, in that the Persians wished to incorporate into their great empire a small piece of the west, i.e. Greece; ApcSed 13:1 τὴν μετάνοιαν) τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ bring (the preaching of) the gospel to completion by proclaiming it in the most remote areas Ro 15:19; sim. πλ. τ. λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ Col 1:25. πληρώσατέ μου τ. χαράν Phil 2:2. Cp. 2 Th 1:11.—Pass. 2 Cor 10:6; Col 4:12 v.l. (s. 1b above). ὁ πᾶς νόμος ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ πεπλήρωται Gal 5:14 because of its past tense is prob. to be translated the whole law has found its full expression in a single word or is summed up under one entry (s. s.v. λόγος 2a; some would put this passage under 4b). οὐχ εὕρηκά σου ἔργα πεπληρωμένα Rv 3:2. Johannine usage speaks of joy that is made complete (the act. in Phil 2:2, s. above) J 3:29; 15:11; 16:24; 17:13; 1J 1:4; 2J 12.

④ to bring to a designed end, fulfill a prophecy, an obligation, a promise, a law, a request, a purpose, a desire, a hope, a duty, a fate, a destiny, etc. (Pla., Gorg. 63, 507e ἐπιθυμίας [cp. TestJos 4:7 ἐπιθυμίαν]; Herodian 2, 7, 6 ὑποσχέσεις; Epict. 2, 9, 3; 8 ἐπαγγελίαν; Plut., Cic. 869 [17, 5] τὸ χρεών [=destiny]; Procop. Soph., Ep. 68 τ. ἐλπίδας; Spartan ins in BSA 12, 1905/6, p. 452 [I A.D.] τὰ εἰθισμένα; pap, LXX; Philo, Praem. 83 τὰς θείας παραινέσεις μὴ κενὰς ἀπολιπεῖν τῶν οἰκείων πράξεων, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι τοὺς λόγους ἔργοις ἐπαινετοῖς=the divine exhortations it [God’s people] did not leave devoid of appropriate performance, but carried out the words with praiseworthy deeds; Jos., Ant. 5, 145; 14, 486).

ⓐ of the fulfillment of divine predictions or promises. The word stands almost always in the passive be fulfilled (Polyaenus 1, 18 τοῦ λογίου πεπληρωμένου; Alex. Aphr., Fat. 31, II 2 p. 202, 21 ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ τῆς εἱμαρμένης δρᾶμα; 3 Km 2:27; TestBenj 3:8 προφητεία; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 8, 4) and refers mostly to the Tanach and its words: τοῦτο γέγονεν ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου (cp. 2 Ch 36:21) Mt 1:22; cp. 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9 (PNepper-Christensen, D. Mt-evangelium, ’58, 136–62); Mk 14:49; 15:27(28) v.l. (after Lk 22:37); Lk 1:20; 4:21; 21:22 v.l.; 24:44; J 12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:24, 36; Ac 1:16 (cp. Test Napht 7:1 δεῖ ταῦτα πληρωθῆναι); Js 2:23. A vision ἔδει γὰρ τὸ τῆς … ὀπτασίας πληρωθῆναι for what (Polycarp) had seen in his vision was destined to be fulfilled MPol 12:3.—The OT type finds its fulfillment in the antitype Lk 22:16 (cp. MBlack, ET 57, ’45/46, 25f, An Aramaic Approach³, ’67, 229–36). At times one of Jesus’ predictions is fulfilled: J 18:9, 32. The act. bring to fulfillment, partly of God, who brings divine prophecies to fulfillment Ac 3:18; MPol 14:2, partly of humans who, by what they do, help to bring divine prophecies to realization (Vi. Thu. 1, 8 [=OxfT p. xii, 8] οὗτος ἐπλήρωσε τὰ μεμαντευμένα) Ac 13:27. Jesus himself fulfills his destiny by dying, as God’s messengers Moses and Elijah foretell Lk 9:31.—GPt 5:17.

ⓑ a prayer (Chariton 8, 1, 9 πεπληρώκασιν οἱ θεοὶ τὰς εὐχάς; Aristaen., Ep. 1, 16 the god πεπλήρωκε τ. εὐχήν [=prayer]; IBM 894, 8 of answered prayer) πληρῶσαί μου τὴν αἴτησιν answer my prayer ITr 13:3 (cp. Ps 19:5; TestAbr A 15 p. 96, 4 [Stone p. 40]). A command(ment) (Herodian 3, 11, 4 τὰς ἐντολάς; POxy 1252A, 9 πλήρωσον τὸ κεκελευσμένον; 1 Macc 2:55; SibOr 3, 246) πεπλήρωκεν ἐντολὴν δικαιοσύνης Pol 3:3. νόμον (Ps.-Demetr., Form. Ep. p. 12, 9; cp. Hdt. 1, 199 ἐκπλῆσαι τὸν νόμον) Ro 13:8; pass. Gal 5:14 (but s. 3 above and cp. Aeschyl., Ag. 313). τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου Ro 8:4. πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην (cp. 4 Macc 12:14 πλ. τὴν εὐσέβειαν) Mt 3:15 (s. AFridrichsen: Congr. d’Hist. du Christ. I 1928, 167–77; OEissfeldt, ZNW 61, ’70, 209–15 and s. βαπτίζω 2a, end); pass. ISm 1:1 (s. δικαιοσύνη 3b). Also ἐστὶ πρέπον πληρωθῆναι πάντα it is fitting that all things should be fulfilled GEb 18, 40 (cp. APF 3, 1906, 370 II, 7 [II A.D.] ἕως ἅπαντα τὰ κατʼ ἐμὲ πεπληρῶσθαι).—A duty or office βλέπε τὴν διακονίαν …, ἵνα αὐτὴν πληροῖς pay attention to your duty … and perform it Col 4:17 (cp. CIG 2336 πλ. πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν κ. λειτουργίαν; PFlor 382, 40 πληρῶσαι τὴν λειτουργίαν; ISardRobert I p. 39 n. 5).—Abs., in the broadest sense and in contrast to καταλύειν (s. καταλύω 3a): οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι Mt 5:17; depending on how one prefers to interpret the context, πληρόω is understood here either as fulfill=do, carry out, or as bring to full expression=show it forth in its true mng., or as fill up=complete (s. AKlöpper, ZWT 39, 1896, 1ff; AHarnack, Aus Wissenschaft u. Leben II 1911, 225ff, SBBerlAk 1912, 184ff; JHänel, Der Schriftbegriff Jesu 1919, 155ff; Dalman, Jesus 56–66 confirm; WHatch, ATR 18, ’36, 129–40; HLjungman, D. Gesetz Erfüllen, ’54; WKümmel, Verheissung u. Erfüllung³, ’56; JO’Rourke, The Fulfilment Texts in Mt, CBQ 24, ’62, 394–403).

⑤ to bring to completion an activity in which one has been involved from its beginning, complete, finish (1 Macc 4:19) πάντα τὰ ῥήματα Lk 7:1 (cp. TestBenj 12:1 τοὺ λόγου). τὴν διακονίαν Ac 12:25. [τὰς τοῦ κυρίου οἰκο]νομίας πληρῶσε (=πληρῶσαι) to carry out to the end God’s designs (i.e. Paul’s life as programmed by God is about to be concluded) AcPl Ha 5, 27; cp. the restoration in 6, 26 ο̣ἰ̣κο̣ν̣[ομίαν πληρώσω] (cp. the description of Jeremiah’s death ParJer 9:31 ἐπληρώθη αὐτοῦ οἰκονομία); τὸν δρόμον Ac 13:25; cp. the abs. ἕως πληρώσωσιν until they should complete (their course) Rv 6:11 v.l. (s. 6 below). τὸ ἔργον Ac 14:26. τὴν εὐχήν MPol 15:1. τὰ κυνηγέσια 12:2 (another probability here is the quite rare [Hdt. 2, 7 al.] intr. sense be complete, be at an end). Pass. be accomplished, be finished, at an end (Ps.-Callisth. 1, 24, 9 as a saying of Philip as he lay dying: ἐμοῦ τὸ πεπρωμένον πεπλήρωται = my destiny has been fulfilled; Mel., P. 43, 297 ὁ νόμος ἐπληρώθη τοῦ εὐαγγελίου φωτισθέτος) ὡς ἐπληρώθη ταῦτα Ac 19:21. ἄχρι οὗ πληρωθῶσιν καιροὶ ἐθνῶν Lk 21:24. αἱ ἀποκαλύψεις αὗται τέλος ἔχουσιν• πεπληρωμέναι γάρ εἰσιν these revelations have attained their purpose, for they are completed Hv 3, 3, 2.

⑥ complete a number, pass. have the number made complete (since Hdt. 7, 29; Iren. 1, 16, 2 [Harv. I 161, 6]; Hippol., Ref. 6, 51, 2) ἕως πληρωθῶσιν οἱ σύνδουλοι Rv 6:11 (s. 5 above).—CMoule, Fulfilment Words in the NT, NTS 14, ’68, 293–320. DELG s.v. πίμπλημι. M-M. EDNT. TW.