The Greek verb diatelēō (διατελέω) means to continue through, to carry on to the end, to remain constant throughout a period. It combines dia (through) with teleō (to complete/end). It appears in Acts 27:33, where Paul urges the shipwrecked crew to eat: 'you have continued (diatelēō) in suspense and without food, having taken nothing.'
Acts 27 is one of the most vivid narratives in the New Testament — a storm at sea, fourteen days of terror, and Paul as the calm center encouraging those around him. His observation that they had diatelēō — continued throughout — in fear and fasting captures the sustained nature of their ordeal. Yet Paul's response is not panic but faith: he had received a word from God that no one would perish (Acts 27:23–24) and he called them to eat, trust, and persevere. Diatelēō here speaks of the endurance required in prolonged crisis — and of the sustaining grace that sees people through what they cannot survive on their own.