Greek word · G3325

μεστόω

mestoō

to fill

To fill full, to fill to the brim. Related to mestos, "full". It is used of vessels and, figuratively, of people being full of something.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μεστόω, -ῶ

(μεστός), [in LXX: 3Ma.5:1 3Mac 5:10 * ;]

to fill: pass., with genitive of thing(s), Acts 2:13.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 2:13

Range of meaning

To fill full, to fill to the brim. Related to mestos, "full". It is used of vessels and, figuratively, of people being full of something.

Against the English

KJV and WEB "full of" or "filled with" keep the image. BSB "drunk on" gives the meaning but loses the picture of filling.

Used elsewhere in the period

This is its only New Testament use. The related adjective mestos is common, for example "full of wine" in Greek authors and "full of hypocrisy" in Matthew 23:28.

Where it appears

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 2:13 μεμεστωμένοι filled

    But others mocked them and said, “They are drunk on new wine!”

    Here: Perfect participle: "having been filled up and still full". It describes a state of being sated, "tanked up". The idea of filling ironically echoes v.4, where the disciples "were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (a different Greek verb).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.