Greek word · G466

ἀνταναπληρόω

antanaplēroō

to fill up in turn

'To fill up', 'to make up a deficit', with the added idea of correspondence or turn-taking from the prefix ἀντί: filling up from one side what is lacking on another, or filling up in place of someone or in one's own turn. The simpler ἀναπληρόω means 'to fill up, complete, supply'.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

ἀντ-ανα-πληρόω, -ῶ

(ἀντί, ἀναπληρόω),

to fill up in turn: Colossians 1:24 (see Lft., in l; MM, VGT, see word).†

(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 Colossians 1:24

Range of meaning: 'To fill up', 'to make up a deficit', with the added idea of correspondence or turn-taking from the prefix ἀντί: filling up from one side what is lacking on another, or filling up in place of someone or in one's own turn. The simpler ἀναπληρόω means 'to fill up, complete, supply'.
Against the English: 'Fill up' (KJV, BSB, WEB, YLT, ESV) is accurate but drops the 'in turn' or 'on my part' sense. WEB's 'fill up on my part' and NASB's 'I do my share' try to keep it.
Used elsewhere in the period: This is its only use in the New Testament, and the word is rare everywhere. Lexicons (BDAG; Lightfoot's commentary) cite Demosthenes, who uses it of making up a shortfall in public contributions, later historians such as Dio Cassius, and the grammarian Apollonius Dyscolus, who uses it of one word filling in for another. Compare Paul's simpler ἀναπληρόω + ὑστέρημα in Phil 2:30 and 1 Cor 16:17, where friends 'fill up what was lacking', meaning they supplied help that was still owed. Nothing was defective.

Where it appears

Colossians · 1

Colossians 1:24 ἀνταναπληρῶ I am filling up

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.

Here: A rare double compound meaning 'fill up', with the prefix 'anti': 'in turn', 'on my part', or 'in answer to' what is lacking. Paul is taking up the share that falls to him.

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