Word Study for G4134 (πλήρης)

plḗrēs /play'-race/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πλήθω

Meaningreplete, or covered over; by analogy, complete

KJV usagefull.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of plḗrēs — 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 plḗrēs, represented by G4134, is a key term for being full. It appears 17 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. The word denotes being replete or covered over, and is used by analogy to describe a state of completeness, whether it be spiritual, moral, or physical.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, G4134 describes various states of being filled. The Word made flesh is described as full of grace and truth John 1:14. It is a primary descriptor for those empowered by the Holy Spirit, such as Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost after returning from the Jordan Luke 4:1, and Stephen being full of faith and power Acts 6:8. The term is also applied to moral character, with Tabitha being full of good works Acts 9:36, while an enemy of righteousness is described as full of all subtilty Acts 13:10. In a literal sense, it is used for the baskets full of fragments after the feeding of the multitude Matthew 14:20.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the concept of fullness:

G4128 plēthos (a fulness, i.e. a large number, throng, populace): Derived from the same root as plḗrēs, this noun often refers to a multitude or a large quantity. It is used to describe the "whole multitude" that chose Stephen, a man described as full of faith Acts 6:5.
G5526 chortázō (to fodder, i.e. (generally) to gorge (supply food in abundance)): This verb meaning to be filled or satisfied is used in conjunction with plḗrēs in the accounts of the feeding miracles, where the people were filled, and the leftover baskets were full Matthew 14:20.
G4151 pneûma (a current of air, i.e. breath... or a spirit): This word is frequently the source of fullness described by plḗrēs. Individuals are repeatedly described as being full of the Holy Ghost or Spirit, indicating divine empowerment and presence (Luke 4:1, Acts 6:3, Acts 7:55).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G4134 is significant, particularly in describing the nature of Christ and the believer's spiritual state.

Christological Fullness: G4134 is used to describe the divine nature of Christ, who, as the Word made flesh, was full of grace and truth, demonstrating the complete presence of God's character in Him John 1:14.
Empowerment by the Spirit: A person being full of the Holy Ghost is a sign of spiritual readiness and empowerment for service in the early church. This state is linked to possessing faith, wisdom, and power to perform great wonders (Acts 6:3, Acts 6:5, Acts 6:8).
Moral and Ethical States: The word illustrates a state of being completely characterized by a certain quality. This can be positive, such as being full of good works and almsdeeds Acts 9:36, or negative, such as being full of wrath or subtilty (Acts 19:28, Acts 13:10). It also extends to the concept of receiving a full reward 2 John 1:8.

Summary

In summary, G4134 conveys a state of being completely filled, whether physically, morally, or spiritually. It is used to describe both the overflowing abundance of miraculous provision, such as baskets full of fragments Matthew 14:20, and the complete endowment of a person with spiritual qualities like the Holy Ghost Acts 7:55. Ultimately, plḗrēs highlights a core biblical concept: that from the fullness of God in Christ John 1:14, believers can be filled for lives of faith and service.

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 an adjective and a noun across 17 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Nominative Singular Masculine 7×
Accusative Plural Masculine 3×
Accusative Singular Masculine 2×
Accusative Plural Feminine 1×
Accusative Plural Neuter 1×
Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
Vocative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Vocative: Direct address — naming who is spoken to.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter: Neuter grammatical gender.

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 17 verses across 6 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (8 verses); never once in the other 21.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

2 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.