Word Study for G1794 (ἐντυλίσσω)

entylíssō /en-too-lis'-so/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom ἐν and (to twist; probably akin to εἱλίσσω)

Meaningto entwine, i.e. wind up in

KJV usagewrap in (together).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of entylíssō — 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 entylíssō, represented by G1794, means to entwine or wind up in something. Its definition is to "wrap in (together)". It is a very specific term, appearing only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, each instance relating to the burial of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1794 is used exclusively to describe the preparation of Christ's body for burial and the state of the burial cloths after His resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body in a clean linen cloth before placing it in the tomb Matthew 27:59. Similarly, after taking the body down from the cross, he wrapped it in linen and laid it in a sepulchre Luke 23:53. The final use of the word describes the napkin from Jesus' head, which was found not with the other linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself in the empty tomb John 20:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the act of burial and the scene at the tomb:

G4616 sindṓn (linen cloth): This refers to the byssos or bleached linen used for the burial wrappings. Joseph purchased and wrapped Jesus' body in this material Matthew 27:59.
G4676 soudárion (napkin): This sweat-cloth was used to bind the face of a corpse. In the empty tomb, this napkin was found wrapped by itself, separate from the other linens John 20:7.
G3418 mnēma (sepulchre, tomb): This is the burial-place where the wrapped body was laid. The body of Jesus was placed in a sepulchre where no one had previously been laid Luke 23:53.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1794 is tied directly to the passion and resurrection of Christ.

Honorable Burial: The use of the word to describe Joseph's actions shows the care and respect given to Jesus' body. He wrapped the body in a clean linen cloth, an act of devotion Matthew 27:59.
Evidence of Resurrection: The description of the napkin as wrapped together by itself provides crucial evidence of an orderly, divine event. It suggests the cloths were not hastily removed by thieves but left behind in a deliberate manner John 20:7.
Narrative Connection: This single word links the act of burial to the discovery at the empty tomb. The same action of "wrapping" performed by Joseph is noted in the state of the grave clothes, providing a powerful testament to the resurrection narrative.

Summary

In summary, G1794 is a precise and meaningful term within the gospel accounts. While its usage is rare, its application is focused entirely on the burial of Jesus. It conveys both the honor of Christ's interment and the profound, orderly mystery of His resurrection, showing how a specific action word can frame one of the most significant events in scripture.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Neuter 1×

Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
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.
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 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew, Luke, and John (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Matthew

Luke

John

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.