Bible Dictionary
FINISH
To finish means to end, complete, accomplish, or bring something to its appointed conclusion. Jesus’ declaration “It is finished” expresses the completion of His work on the cross.
Definition
To finish is to end, complete, accomplish, or bring something to its appointed conclusion. Depending on context, the word may be rendered complete, accomplish, fulfill, end, or bring to completion. It can also describe something becoming full-grown rather than merely being completed.
Biblical Usage
Scripture uses finish for completing a work, accomplishing a purpose, ending an activity, and fulfilling what has been appointed. Its most prominent biblical use is Jesus’ declaration “It is finished” on the cross, expressing the completion of the work being described in that passage.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>fin'-ish (kalah; teleo, with other Hebrew and Greek words): The proper sense of "finish" is to end or complete; so for "finish," "finished," in the King James Version, there is sometimes met with in the Revised Version (British and American) the change to "complete" (Lu 14:28; 2Co 8:6), "accomplish" (Joh 4:34; 5:36; 17:4), "made an end of doing" (2Ch 4:11; compare 2Ch 24:14), etc. In Jas 1:15, for "sin, when it is finished," the Revised Version (British and American) reads "sin when it is full-grown," corresponding to "conceived" of the previous clause. On the other hand, the Revised Version (British and American) has frequently "finished" for other words, as "ended" (Ge 2:2; De 31:30), "accomplished" (Joh 19:28), "filled up," "fulfilled" (Re 15:1,8), etc. The grandest Scriptural example of the word is the cry upon the cross, "It is finished" (Tetelestai, Joh 19:30).</p><p>W. L. Walker</p>