Lexical Summary kleió: To shut, close, lock Original Word: κλείω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shutA primary verb; to close (literally or figuratively) -- shut (up). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition to shut NASB Translation close (1), closed (1), closes (1), locked (1), shut (11), shuts (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2808: κλείωκλείω; future κλείσω, Revelation 3:7 L T Tr WH; 1 aorist ἐκλεισα; passive, perfect κεκλεισμαι, participle κεκλεισμένος; 1 aorist ἐκλείσθην; Hebrew סָגַר; (from Homer down); to shut, shut up; properly: τήν θύραν, Matthew 6:6; passive, Matthew 25:10; Luke 11:7; plural, John 20:19, 26; Acts 21:30; a prison, passive Acts 5:23; πυλῶνας, passive Revelation 21:25; τήν ἄβυσσον, Revelation 20:3 G L T Tr WH. Metaphorically: τόν οὐρανόν, i. e. to cause the heavens to withhold rain, Luke 4:25; Revelation 11:6; τά σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπό τίνος, to shut up compassion so that it is like a thing inaccessible to one, to be devoid of pity toward one (Winers Grammar, § 66, 2 d., cf. Buttmann, 322 (277)), 1 John 3:17; τήν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, to obstruct the entrance into the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 23:13 (14); so used that τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ must be understood, Revelation 3:7; τήν θύραν, namely, τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, Revelation 3:8; cf. Bleek at the passage (Compare: ἀποκλείω, ἐκκλείω, κατακλείω, συγκλείω.) Topical Lexicon Semantic Scope and Central Motif The verb κλείω consistently conveys the act of shutting, closing, or locking. Whether applied to literal doors, the heavens, a prison, or the human heart, the term marks a decisive barrier that only an authorized agent can remove. In Scripture the One with ultimate authority to shut or open is God Himself, and that sovereignty frames every New Testament use of 2808. Domestic and Personal Contexts Matthew 6:6 situates κλείω in everyday piety: “go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” The closed door preserves privacy, guards concentration, and signifies that genuine communion with the Father is not for display. Luke 11:7 pictures a household already “shut” for the night, underscoring ordinary boundaries that must be respected unless an overriding need arises. By employing κλείω in such scenes, the Gospels affirm that believers may—and often must—establish godly limits protecting devotion, rest, and family life. Entrance into the Kingdom The most sobering use appears in Matthew 23:13, where religious leaders “shut the door of the kingdom of heaven” in others’ faces while refusing to enter themselves. κλείω here exposes hypocrisy that weaponizes spiritual authority to exclude seekers. By contrast, Jesus at the wedding parable (Matthew 25:10) allows the prepared virgins inside and then “the door was shut.” Read together, these texts warn that both legalistic obstruction and personal unreadiness can leave a person on the wrong side of a door whose closure is final. Heaven, Earth, and Cosmic Boundaries Luke 4:25 recalls Elijah’s era when “the sky was shut for three and a half years,” invoking κλείω to describe a divine decree that no human effort could reverse. Revelation 11:6 returns to that prophetic power: the two witnesses “have authority to shut the heavens so that no rain will fall.” The same authority binds Satan in the Abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:3). κλείω thus underscores God’s absolute control of cosmic boundaries—meteorological, spiritual, and eschatological. Locked Rooms and Resurrection Presence John’s resurrection narratives twice note the disciples gathered “with the doors locked” (John 20:19, 26). κλείω highlights human fear and precaution, yet Jesus bypasses the barrier and stands among them. The locked doors emphasize the true physicality of the resurrection body—able to transcend obstacles without negating them—and provide pastoral assurance that Christ’s peace penetrates every fortress of anxiety. Temple and Civic Security Acts 21:30 depicts Jerusalem’s populace seizing Paul and “the gates were shut,” reflecting a protocol meant to preserve sanctity but now misapplied in violence. Earlier, Acts 5:23 records a jail “securely locked” that nonetheless cannot hold apostles whom the Lord releases. κλείω in Luke–Acts therefore alternates between human attempts to control access and God’s prerogative to override those measures for gospel advance. Interior Life and Compassion 1 John 3:17 transfers κλείω from architecture to the affections: “If anyone... sees his brother in need but withholds his compassion from him.” A closed heart is likened to a barred door, incompatible with the indwelling love of God. This moral application widens κλείω’s reach beyond entrances to the very seat of Christian charity. Christ’s Key of David Revelation 3:7–8 concentrates κλείω in Christ: “What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.” Addressing Philadelphia, the Lord promises an “open door” for witness that hostile powers cannot bar. The imagery reaffirms Isaiah 22:22 and elevates Jesus as Messianic steward over redemptive access. Eternal City Wide Open In stark contrast to every prior closure, the New Jerusalem’s gates “will never be shut” (Revelation 21:25). Once final judgment is complete and night abolished, κλείω is forever negated inside the renewed creation. Security rests in the Lamb’s completed work, not in locked doors. Ministry Implications 1. Spiritual gatekeeping must align with Christ’s criteria. Leaders who illegitimately “shut” access to grace mirror the condemned scribes. Summary Strong’s 2808 encapsulates the decisive act of closing, whether for protection, judgment, or misuse. Threaded through the New Testament, κλείω magnifies divine sovereignty, exposes human sin, and points to the day when redeemed humanity will live in a city whose gates never need to be shut. Forms and Transliterations εκλείετο έκλεισαν έκλεισε εκλεισεν ἔκλεισεν εκλεισθη εκλείσθη ἐκλείσθη εκλεισθησαν εκλείσθησαν ἐκλείσθησαν κεκλεισμένη κεκλεισμενον κεκλεισμένον κεκλεισμένος κεκλεισμενων κεκλεισμένων κεκλεισται κέκλεισται κλειει κλείει κλειέσθωσαν κλειετε κλείετε κλεισαι κλείσαι κλεῖσαι κλεισας κλείσας κλεισει κλεισεί κλείσει κλειση κλείση κλείσῃ κλεισθή κλεισθήσονται κλεισθωσιν κλεισθώσιν κλεισθῶσιν κλείσουσι κλείσωμεν κλειων κλείων ekleisen ékleisen ekleisthe ekleisthē ekleísthe ekleísthē ekleisthesan ekleisthēsan ekleísthesan ekleísthēsan kekleismenon kekleismenōn kekleisménon kekleisménōn kekleistai kékleistai kleiete kleíete kleion kleiōn kleíon kleíōn kleisai kleîsai kleisas kleísas kleise kleisē kleisei kleísei kleísēi kleisthosin kleisthôsin kleisthōsin kleisthō̂sinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:6 V-APA-NMSGRK: σου καὶ κλείσας τὴν θύραν NAS: into your inner room, close your door KJV: and when thou hast shut thy INT: of you and having shut the door Matthew 23:13 V-PIA-2P Matthew 25:10 V-AIP-3S Luke 4:25 V-AIP-3S Luke 11:7 V-RIM/P-3S John 20:19 V-RPM/P-GMP John 20:26 V-RPM/P-GMP Acts 5:23 V-RPM/P-ANS Acts 21:30 V-AIP-3P 1 John 3:17 V-ASA-3S Revelation 3:7 V-FIA-3S Revelation 3:7 V-PPA-NMS Revelation 3:8 V-ANA Revelation 11:6 V-ANA Revelation 20:3 V-AIA-3S Revelation 21:25 V-ASP-3P Strong's Greek 2808 |
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