2837. koimaó from NG2749
Lexical Summary
koimaó from NG2749: To sleep, to fall asleep, to die

Original Word: κοιμάω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: koimaó from NG2749
Pronunciation: koy-MAH-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (koy-mah'-o)
KJV: (be a-, fall a-, fall on) sleep, be dead
NASB: fallen asleep, asleep, fell asleep, sleep, sleeping, dead
Word Origin: [from G2749 (κεῖμαι - laid)]

1. to put to sleep
2. (passively or reflexively) to slumber
3. (figuratively) to decease

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sleep, fall asleep, die

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

see GREEK keimai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
to put to sleep, fall asleep
NASB Translation
asleep (3), dead (1), fallen asleep (7), fell asleep (3), sleep (2), sleeping (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2837: κοιμάω

κοιμάω, κοίμω: passive, present κοιμάομαι. κοιμωμαι; perfect κεκοίμημαι (cf. Winer's Grammar, 274 (257)); 1 aorist ἐκοιμήθην; 1 future κοιμηθήσομαι; (akin to κεῖμαι; Curtius, § 45); to cause to sleep, put to sleep (Homer, et al.); metaphorically, to still, calm, quiet, (Homer, Aeschylus, Plato); passive to sleep, fall asleep: properly, Matthew 28:13; Luke 22:45; John 11:12; Acts 12:6; the Sept. for שָׁכַב. metaphorically, and euphemistically equivalent to to die (cf. English to fall asleep): John 11:11; Acts 7:60; Acts 13:36; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Corinthians 15:6, 51 (cf. Winers Grammar, 555 (517); Buttmann, 121 (106) note); 2 Peter 3:4; οἱ κοιμώμενοι, κεκοιμημένοι, κοιμηθέντες, equivalent to the dead: Matthew 27:52; 1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; with ἐν Χριστῷ added (see ἐν, I. 6 b., p. 211b), 1 Corinthians 15:18; in the same sense Isaiah 14:8; Isaiah 43:17; 1 Kings 11:43; 2 Macc. 12:45; Homer, Iliad 11, 241; Sophocles Electr. 509.

Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term

Strong’s Greek 2837 (κοιμάω / κοιμάομαι) is consistently rendered “to sleep” in the sense of natural rest, yet in every New Testament occurrence it is used of people who are actually or apparently dead. The verb thus becomes a gentle, faith-filled euphemism that frames physical death as temporary, anticipating awakening at the resurrection. It appears eighteen times across ten New Testament books, uniting Gospel narrative, Acts history, Pauline instruction, and Petrine eschatology with a common vocabulary of hope.

Sleep as a Metaphor for Death

Scripture presents the believer’s death as “sleep” to underscore two truths: the absence of conscious suffering in the body and the certainty of future awakening. “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The metaphor never implies soul-sleep or annihilation; rather, it stresses the transient nature of bodily death for those united to Christ.

Continuity with Old Testament Usage

The Septuagint employs κοιμάομαι to translate Hebrew שָׁכַב (shakav) in formulae like “David slept with his fathers” (for example, 1 Kings 2:10), preparing Jewish readers to hear the same concept in the apostolic proclamation. Luke echoes that heritage in Stephen’s speech: “After he had served his own generation by the will of God, David fell asleep and was laid with his fathers” (Acts 13:36).

In the Ministry of Jesus

Jesus Himself adopts the terminology to signal His authority over death. Concerning Lazarus He announces, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up” (John 11:11). The disciples misunderstand, thinking of natural sleep (John 11:12), allowing Jesus to clarify that He speaks of death and of His power to reverse it. At the cross, Matthew records, “The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:52), previewing the wider resurrection harvest.

In the Early Church Narrative

Luke’s history shows the term marking both martyrdom and miraculous deliverance. Stephen “fell asleep” beneath the stones of persecution (Acts 7:60), whereas Peter, “sleeping between two soldiers” the night before probable execution (Acts 12:6), is awakened by an angelic rescue. The juxtaposition displays divine sovereignty: some servants are taken home, others are spared, but all rest secure.

Pauline Theology of ‘Those Who Sleep’

Paul uses the verb ten times, shaping Christian eschatology.
• In corrective pastoral tone he warns the Corinthians that abuses at the Lord’s Table result in temporal judgment: “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30).
• He defends the resurrection by citing eyewitnesses, “most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6), and proclaims Christ as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
• The mystery of the parousia is framed with the same verb: “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51), and again, “We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

In each case the metaphor situates death inside the larger redemptive narrative of resurrection.

Petrine Perspective

Peter anticipates scoffers who will say, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). The mocking phrase unwittingly affirms the biblical metaphor while denying its eschatological payoff, prompting Peter’s reminder that the Lord’s timetable cannot be judged by human patience.

Eschatological Consolation and Warning

By calling the dead “those who sleep,” Scripture balances sober realism with triumphant assurance. Grief is permitted—“so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)—yet grief is transformed by the certainty of bodily resurrection and reunion. Conversely, 1 Corinthians 15:18 underscores the stakes: “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” if Christ is not raised. The metaphor is no empty comfort; it stands or falls with the historical resurrection of Jesus.

Pastoral Application

1. Funeral liturgy: Believers are commended to God as “asleep in Jesus,” rooting sorrow in hope.
2. Ethical sobriety: Awareness of possible premature “sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30) calls the church to examine itself.
3. Evangelistic appeal: The contrast between peaceful sleep in Christ and eternal death apart from Him presses the gospel upon the hearer.

Historical and Liturgical Usage

Early Christians called burial places κοιμητήρια (koimētēria), “sleeping rooms,” the source of the English word cemetery. Inscriptions frequently read κοιμᾶται (“he sleeps”), testifying to the term’s embeddedness in Christian consciousness from the catacombs onward.

Doctrinal Synthesis

Strong’s 2837 threads together creation order, redemptive history, and future glory. It affirms the goodness of embodied life, acknowledges the curse of physical death, and proclaims Christ’s victory that renders death a mere sleep until the resurrection dawn.

Forms and Transliterations
εκοιμηθη εκοιμηθή εκοιμήθη ἐκοιμήθη εκοιμήθημεν εκοιμήθην εκοιμήθης εκοιμηθησαν εκοιμήθησαν ἐκοιμήθησαν εκοιμώντο κεκοιμημενων κεκοιμημένων κεκοίμησαι κεκοιμηται κεκοίμηται κεκοίμηταί κοιμά κοιμάσθαι κοιμάται κοιμηθείς κοιμηθέντα κοιμηθεντας κοιμηθέντας κοιμηθεντες κοιμηθέντες κοιμηθη κοιμηθή κοιμηθῇ κοιμηθήναι κοιμηθήσεσθε κοιμηθήσεται κοιμηθήση κοιμηθήσομαι κοιμηθησομεθα κοιμηθησόμεθα κοιμηθήσονται κοιμηθήτε κοιμήθητι κοιμηθήτω κοιμηθώ κοιμηθώμεν κοιμηθώσιν κοιμώμενον κοιμωμενος κοιμώμενος κοιμωμενους κοιμωμένους κοιμωμενων κοιμωμένων κοιμωνται κοιμώνται κοιμῶνται ekoimethe ekoimēthē ekoimḗthe ekoimḗthē ekoimethesan ekoimēthēsan ekoimḗthesan ekoimḗthēsan kekoimemenon kekoimeménon kekoimēmenōn kekoimēménōn kekoimetai kekoimētai kekoímetai kekoímētai koimethe koimēthē koimethêi koimēthē̂i koimethentas koimethéntas koimēthentas koimēthéntas koimethentes koimethéntes koimēthentes koimēthéntes koimethesometha koimethesómetha koimēthēsometha koimēthēsómetha koimomenon koimoménon koimōmenōn koimōménōn koimomenos koimōmenos koimṓmenos koimomenous koimoménous koimōmenous koimōménous koimontai koimôntai koimōntai koimō̂ntai
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 27:52 V-RPM/P-GMP
GRK: σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθησαν
NAS: of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
KJV: of the saints which slept arose,
INT: bodies of the fallen asleep saints arose

Matthew 28:13 V-PPM/P-GMP
GRK: αὐτὸν ἡμῶν κοιμωμένων
NAS: and stole Him away while we were asleep.'
KJV: him [away] while we slept.
INT: him we being asleep

Luke 22:45 V-PPM/P-AMP
GRK: μαθητὰς εὗρεν κοιμωμένους αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ
NAS: and found them sleeping from sorrow,
KJV: he found them sleeping for sorrow,
INT: disciples he found sleeping them from

John 11:11 V-RIM/P-3S
GRK: φίλος ἡμῶν κεκοίμηται ἀλλὰ πορεύομαι
NAS: Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go,
KJV: friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go,
INT: friend of us has fallen asleep but I go

John 11:12 V-RIM/P-3S
GRK: Κύριε εἰ κεκοίμηται σωθήσεται
NAS: if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.
KJV: Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
INT: Lord if he has fallen asleep he will get well

Acts 7:60 V-AIP-3S
GRK: τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη
NAS: this, he fell asleep.
KJV: when he had said this, he fell asleep.
INT: this having said he fell asleep

Acts 12:6 V-PPM/P-NMS
GRK: ὁ Πέτρος κοιμώμενος μεταξὺ δύο
NAS: Peter was sleeping between
KJV: Peter was sleeping between two
INT: Peter sleeping between two

Acts 13:36 V-AIP-3S
GRK: θεοῦ βουλῇ ἐκοιμήθη καὶ προσετέθη
NAS: generation, fell asleep, and was laid
KJV: of God, fell on sleep, and
INT: of God counsel fell asleep and was added

1 Corinthians 7:39 V-ASP-3S
GRK: ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ ὁ ἀνήρ
NAS: her husband is dead, she is free
KJV: her husband be dead, she is at liberty
INT: if however might have fallen asleep the husband

1 Corinthians 11:30 V-PIM/P-3P
GRK: ἄρρωστοι καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί
NAS: and sick, and a number sleep.
KJV: and many sleep.
INT: sick and are fallen asleep many

1 Corinthians 15:6 V-AIP-3P
GRK: τινὲς δὲ ἐκοιμήθησαν
NAS: now, but some have fallen asleep;
KJV: but some are fallen asleep.
INT: some however are fallen asleep

1 Corinthians 15:18 V-APP-NMP
GRK: καὶ οἱ κοιμηθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ
NAS: also who have fallen asleep in Christ
KJV: they also which are fallen asleep in
INT: also the [ones] having fallen asleep in Christ

1 Corinthians 15:20 V-RPM/P-GMP
GRK: ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων
NAS: of those who are asleep.
KJV: the firstfruits of them that slept.
INT: first-fruit of those fallen asleep

1 Corinthians 15:51 V-FIP-1P
GRK: πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα πάντες δὲ
NAS: we will not all sleep, but we will all
KJV: not all sleep, but we shall
INT: All not we will fall asleep all however

1 Thessalonians 4:13 V-PPM/P-GMP
GRK: περὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων ἵνα μὴ
NAS: those who are asleep, so
KJV: concerning them which are asleep, that
INT: concerning those who have fallen asleep that not

1 Thessalonians 4:14 V-APP-AMP
GRK: θεὸς τοὺς κοιμηθέντας διὰ τοῦ
NAS: with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
KJV: even so them also which sleep in Jesus
INT: God the [ones] having fallen asleep through

1 Thessalonians 4:15 V-APP-AMP
GRK: φθάσωμεν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας
NAS: those who have fallen asleep.
KJV: prevent them which are asleep.
INT: might precede the [ones] having fallen asleep

2 Peter 3:4 V-AIP-3P
GRK: οἱ πατέρες ἐκοιμήθησαν πάντα οὕτως
NAS: the fathers fell asleep, all
KJV: the fathers fell asleep, all things
INT: the fathers fell asleep all things thus

Strong's Greek 2837
18 Occurrences


ἐκοιμήθη — 2 Occ.
ἐκοιμήθησαν — 2 Occ.
κεκοιμημένων — 2 Occ.
κεκοίμηται — 2 Occ.
κοιμηθῇ — 1 Occ.
κοιμηθησόμεθα — 1 Occ.
κοιμηθέντας — 2 Occ.
κοιμηθέντες — 1 Occ.
κοιμωμένων — 2 Occ.
κοιμώμενος — 1 Occ.
κοιμωμένους — 1 Occ.
κοιμῶνται — 1 Occ.

2836
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