Word Study for G1705 (ἐμπίπλημι)

empíplēmi /em-play'-tho/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐν and the base of πλεῖστος

Meaningto fill in (up), i.e. (by implication) to satisfy (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagefill.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of empíplēmi — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word empíplēmi, represented by G1705, means to fill in or satisfy, either literally or figuratively. It appears 6 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. This term conveys a sense of being made full or completely satisfied, whether with physical substance like food or with intangible states like fellowship and joy.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1705 is used to illustrate both physical and spiritual fulfillment. It describes the literal satisfaction of the crowd after Jesus miraculously provided food, when the disciples were told to gather the fragments after "they were filled" John 6:12. In a broader sense, God is shown as the one who provides for His creation by filling our hearts with food and gladness Acts 14:17. The term is also used to highlight a great reversal of fortunes, where God has filled the hungry with good things while sending the rich away empty Luke 1:53. A woe is even pronounced on those who are currently full, for they will later experience hunger Luke 6:25. Paul uses it to describe relational fulfillment, expressing his hope to be filled with the company of the Roman believers Romans 15:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of being filled by providing context and contrast:

G3983 peináō (to famish): This term is the direct opposite of being filled and often appears in contrast. It describes the state of the hungry whom God fills Luke 1:53 and the future state of those who are currently full Luke 6:25.
G18 agathós (good): This word specifies the nature of God's provision. The hungry are not just filled, but filled with "good things" Luke 1:53, connecting the act of filling with the benevolent character of God.
G2167 euphrosýnē (joyfulness): This expands the meaning of satisfaction beyond physical needs. God fills hearts not only with food but also with joyfulness, indicating that true fulfillment from Him is both material and emotional Acts 14:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1705 is significant, highlighting key aspects of God's character and His interaction with humanity.

Divine Provision as Witness: God's act of filling creation with food and gladness serves as a constant witness to His goodness and power, even among those who do not explicitly follow Him Acts 14:17.
The Great Reversal: The word is central to the theme of divine justice. God's act of filling the hungry while the rich are left empty demonstrates a value system that upends worldly standards of status and satisfaction Luke 1:53.
Physical and Spiritual Satisfaction: The usage of G1705 for both literal food John 6:12 and relational fellowship Romans 15:24 illustrates that God is the source of all fulfillment, meeting both our physical and deeper spiritual needs.

Summary

In summary, G1705 moves beyond the simple idea of having enough to eat. It is a powerful word that communicates complete satisfaction and is used to illustrate profound theological truths about divine justice, God's provision for both body and soul, and the nature of true fulfillment. It shows how God satisfies the deepest needs of humanity, often in ways that reverse the expectations of the world.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Aorist Passive Subjunctive 1st Singular 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Vocative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Vocative: Direct address — naming who is spoken to.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (2 verses); never once in the other 23.

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.