Greek word · G355

ἀναλίσκω

analiskō

to consume

'To use up, spend, consume', and so 'to destroy'. It is used especially of fire consuming something, and of money or resources being spent until none is left.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

ἀν-αλίσκω

(on the etymology, see MM, VGT, see word), [in LXX chiefly for אָכַל also for כָּלָה, etc. ;]

1. to expend.

2. to consume, destroy: Luke 9:54, Galatians 5:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Rec. WH, mg.†

(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 Galatians 5:15

Range of meaning: 'To use up, spend, consume', and so 'to destroy'. It is used especially of fire consuming something, and of money or resources being spent until none is left.
Against the English: KJV, BSB, ESV, NASB and WEB say 'consumed'. NIV and NLT say 'destroyed / destroying', which makes the sense of ruin clearer but loses the picture of being used up or burned away. NLT also turns the passive into an active verb.
How it drifted: In current English, 'consumed by' often means 'obsessed or preoccupied with' (consumed by jealousy, consumed by work). That is not the sense here. Paul means destroyed, used up until nothing is left.
Used elsewhere in the period: Luke 9:54: 'fire from heaven to consume them'. Some manuscripts of 2 Thess 2:8 use it for the Lord consuming the lawless one. In the Septuagint it is used of fire consuming and of resources being spent. Only these few New Testament uses.

From the study of Luke 9:54

Range of meaning: To use up, spend, consume. By extension it means to destroy completely, and it is used especially of fire, famine or war devouring something (BDAG s.v.). In the NT it appears only here and in Gal 5:15 ('watch out that you are not consumed by one another'). It is also the reading of some manuscripts at 2 Thess 2:8.
Against the English: 'Consume' (KJV, BSB, ESV, NASB) keeps the image of fire eating something up. 'Destroy' (NIV, WEB) gives the result but loses the fire picture. NLT's 'burn them up' brings the image back in plain words.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the Greek Old Testament, Genesis 41:30 says the famine 'will consume the land.' Classical and Koine writers use it of spending money until it is gone or of fire destroying property. The idea is always total using-up.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

Luke 9:54 ἀναλῶσαι to consume

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

Here: 'To consume' in the full sense of using something up until nothing is left. They are asking for the village to be wiped out, not just punished.

Galatians · 1

Galatians 5:15 ἀναλωθῆτε.¶ you may be consumed.

But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Here: 'You be consumed / used up.' A passive verb pointing to one final result: total destruction, like something burned up by fire or spent until nothing is left. The end point is a community wiped out.

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