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κοιμάω

koimáō

G2837 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cause to sleep or to fall asleep; in passive and middle forms, to sleep or be asleep. Figuratively, especially in Hellenistic and later Jewish-Greek sources including the New Testament, used as a euphemism for dying ('to fall asleep' = 'to die'). The core primary meaning is inducing or experiencing sleep, with an extended figurative usage referring to death as a peaceful sleep.

Semantic Range

to sleep, to cause to sleep, to fall asleep, to be put to sleep, to die (figurative), to lie asleep (literal and euphemistic)

Root / Etymology

From the root κεῖμαι (keimai, 'to lie down, to be laid'), with the formation indicating an action of putting down to sleep. Related to classical and later Greek notions of sleep and rest. Etymologically, it developed into a standard euphemism for death in Koine and later Greek.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In earlier Greek (classical through Hellenistic), κοιμάω primarily referred to literal sleep—either causing someone to sleep or sleeping oneself. By the Hellenistic period and especially in the Greek of the Septuagint and New Testament, the passive and middle forms frequently occur as euphemisms for death, reflecting an Israelite and broader Mediterranean practice of speaking about death as sleep. This usage is clear in funeral inscriptions and Jewish-Greek literature. English Bible translations often render the figurative sense simply as 'to sleep,' sometimes with marginal notes or context indicating death is meant; however, this can obscure the euphemistic function of the term in Greek. In narrative or dialogic contexts, κοιμάω can ambiguously refer to literal sleep or to death depending on indicators in the surrounding text. Contrasts with more clinical or violent Greek terminology for death (e.g., θνήσκειν 'to die'). The transformation of κοιμάω into a common euphemism for death mirrors earlier Hebrew and ANE idioms and reflects evolving attitudes toward death in the late Second Temple and early Christian periods.

Translation Consistency

primary "sleep" 5 occurrences

The primary, literal sense of κοιμάω is to sleep or cause to sleep; 'sleep' is the most natural, simple English base that covers intransitive (to be asleep), causative (to put to sleep), and the common figurative euphemism for death ('fell asleep'). It preserves the typical New Testament usage and yields natural English across all inflected forms.

Alternatives (13 occurrences):
"fell asleep" (4x) "having fallen asleep" (3x) "those having slept" (2x) "fallen asleep" (2x) "those being asleep" (1x) "falls asleep" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κεῖμαι; to put to sleep, i.e. (passively or reflexively) to slumber; figuratively, to decease:--(be a-, fall a-, fall on) sleep, be dead.

Root Family

κοιμάω (koimaō) — to sleep, to cause to sleep

Root κοιμ- to sleep, to cause to sleep

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2837-09 κοιμωμένων koimomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL were asleep of those sleeping of those sleeping 2
G2837-03 κεκοιμημένων kekoimemenon V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL who had fallen asleep of those having fallen asleep of those having slept 2
G2837-04 κεκοίμηται kekoimetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG has fallen asleep has fallen asleep has fallen asleep 2
G2837-06 κοιμηθέντας koimethentas V AOR PASS PTCP ACC M PL who have fallen asleep having fallen asleep having fallen asleep 2
G2837-01 ἐκοιμήθη ekoimethe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG fell asleep fell asleep fell asleep 2
G2837-02 ἐκοιμήθησαν ekoimethesan V AOR PASS IND 3P PL have fallen asleep they fell asleep fell asleep 2
G2837-05 κοιμηθῇ koimethe V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG dies may fall asleep falls asleep 1
G2837-12 κοιμῶνται koimontai V PRS PASS IND 3P PL sleep they are sleeping are sleeping 1
G2837-10 κοιμώμενος koimomenos V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG sleeping sleeping one sleeping 1
G2837-08 κοιμηθησόμεθα koimethesometha V FUT PASS IND 1P PL will sleep we will be put to sleep we will be put to sleep 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2837-03 Matthew 27:52 κεκοιμημένων kekoimemenon V PRF PASS PTCP GEN M PL who had fallen asleep of those having fallen asleep of those having slept
G2837-09 Matthew 28:13 κοιμωμένων koimomenon V PRS MID PTCP GEN M PL were asleep of those sleeping of those sleeping
G2837-11 Luke 22:45 κοιμωμένους koimomenous V PRS PASS PTCP ACC M PL sleeping those being asleep those being asleep
G2837-04 John 11:11 κεκοίμηται kekoimetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG has fallen asleep has fallen asleep has fallen asleep
G2837-04 John 11:12 κεκοίμηται kekoimetai V PRF PASS IND 3P SG he has fallen asleep has fallen asleep has fallen asleep
G2837-01 Acts 7:60 ἐκοιμήθη ekoimethe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG fell asleep fell asleep fell asleep
G2837-10 Acts 12:6 κοιμώμενος koimomenos V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG sleeping sleeping one sleeping
G2837-01 Acts 13:36 ἐκοιμήθη ekoimethe V AOR PASS IND 3P SG fell asleep fell asleep fell asleep
G2837-05 1 Corinthians 7:39 κοιμηθῇ koimethe V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG dies may fall asleep falls asleep
G2837-12 1 Corinthians 11:30 κοιμῶνται koimontai V PRS PASS IND 3P PL sleep they are sleeping are sleeping
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