Word Study for G4958 (συστέλλω)

systéllō /soos-tel'-lo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom σύν and στέλλω

Meaningto send (draw) together, i.e. enwrap (enshroud a corpse for burial), contract (an interval)

KJV usageshort, wind up.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of systéllō — 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 systéllō, represented by G4958, is used to mean to draw together, enwrap for burial, or to contract an interval. It appears 3 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning is twofold: one literal, involving the preparation of a corpse, and the other metaphorical, concerning the contraction of time.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G4958 is applied in two distinct contexts. Its literal meaning is seen in the account of Ananias, where after his death, the young men "arose, wound him up" Acts 5:6 in preparation for burial. The word is used here to describe the physical act of enshrouding a body. In a different context, the word takes on a metaphorical sense of time being compressed. Paul uses it to warn the Corinthian church that "the time is short" 1 Corinthians 7:29, implying a sense of urgency.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which G4958 is used:

G450 anístēmi (to stand up... arise): This action verb appears immediately before G4958 in Acts 5:6, where the young men "arose" in order to perform the task of winding up the body.
G2290 tháptō (to... bury): This term for burial directly follows the action of G4958 in Acts 5:6, showing the complete sequence from preparing the body to its final interment.
G2540 kairós (an occasion... time): This word for a specific "time" or "season" is the subject being described as "short," or contracted, by G4958 in 1 Corinthians 7:29.

Theological Significance

The dual meaning of G4958 points to significant underlying themes:

Finality and Preparation: The use of G4958 in Acts 5:6 highlights the finality of death and the immediate, practical steps required. The act of "winding up" a body is a definitive action that precedes burial.
Eschatological Urgency: In 1 Corinthians 7:29, the word shifts from a physical to a temporal contraction. The statement that "the time is short" serves as a call to live with an awareness of the limited nature of the present age.
Drawing Together: The base definition "to send (draw) together" is central to both uses. In one instance, a corpse is physically wrapped and drawn together. In the other, time itself is drawn together into a contracted, shorter interval.

Summary

In summary, G4958 conveys a powerful idea of contraction, whether applied to a physical body or a period of time. It functions both as a practical term for preparing the dead Acts 5:6 and as a theological declaration about the brevity of the current era 1 Corinthians 7:29. Through its limited but potent usage, systéllō illustrates how a single Greek word can capture both the tangible actions surrounding death and the abstract concept of temporal urgency.

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 2 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 Plural 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine 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 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts and 1 Corinthians (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

Acts

1 Corinthians

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.