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G1667 · Greek · New Testament
ἑλίσσω
Helissō
Verb
to roll up, wrap, coil, fold

Definition

The Greek verb helissō (also spelled elissō) means to roll up or wrap — like scrolling a scroll or coiling something. It appears in Hebrews 1:12 (citing Psalm 102:26): "You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed." The word describes the ultimate cosmic transformation: the created order folded up like an old garment.

Usage & Theological Significance

Helissō (to roll up) is used in Hebrews 1:12 in one of the most astonishing declarations in Scripture: the heavens and earth — vast, seemingly permanent — will be rolled up by God like a worn-out robe. This imagery (from Psalm 102) underscores the radical contingency of creation. Everything visible is temporary, subject to God's sovereign disposal. The Son, however, "remains the same, and your years will never end" (Hebrews 1:12). Creation is the garment; the Son is the one who wears it and can change it. Christian eschatology is not annihilation but transformation — the rolling up of the old, the unfolding of the new.

Key Bible Verses

Hebrews 1:12You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Psalm 102:26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.
Isaiah 34:4All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll.
Revelation 6:14The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
2 Peter 3:10The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire.

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