κοίμησις (G2838) — Greek Lexicon

κοίμησις

koímēsis

G2838 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Act of sleeping; the state or condition of sleep. In extended and figurative contexts, also refers to the act of resting in death, particularly the death of a person described as 'falling asleep.' The core sense is 'the act or experience of sleep' and can be applied both to ordinary rest as well as, in later Jewish and Christian usage, to death, especially of the righteous.

Semantic Range

sleep, act of sleeping, state of sleep, rest, repose, figurative sleep as death, peaceful death

Root / Etymology

From the verb κοιμάω (to sleep, lay to rest, cause to sleep). The noun is formed with the nominal suffix -σις, indicating a state or action. No evidence of derivation from non-Greek roots; standard formation in Koine and classical Greek.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κοίμησις primarily denotes the physical act of sleeping, a state of rest or repose. In the Hellenistic period, the term maintains this usage but develops an extended sense, particularly in Jewish and emerging Christian contexts, of sleep as a euphemism for death. In the Septuagint (LXX), the verb κοιμάω and its derivative forms are commonly employed to describe the 'sleep' of death, especially regarding ancestors or revered figures (e.g., 'he lay down [slept] with his ancestors'). The noun κοίμησις itself appears rarely but, where found, can take on the same nuance. In the New Testament, the related verb κοιμάω is often used to describe those who have died, particularly in passages emphasizing resurrection hope or peaceful transition. The noun κοίμησις was later adopted in Christian liturgical tradition to refer especially to the death ('Dormition') of significant figures, such as Mary ('Koimesis Theotokou'). Standard English translations often obscure the metaphorical force, rendering both the literal and figurative usages as 'sleep' or 'rest'; attention should be paid to interpretive context for intended nuance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κοιμάω; sleeping, i.e. (by implication) repose:--taking of rest.

Root Family

κοίμησις (koímēsis) — sleep, act of sleeping, state of sleep, rest, repose

Root κοιμ- to sleep, to lie down, to rest

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2838-01`	κοιμήσεως	koimeseos	`N GEN F SG`	sleeping	of sleep	sleeping	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2838-01`	John 11:13	κοιμήσεως	koimeseos	`N GEN F SG`	sleeping	of sleep	sleeping

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