Lexical Summary
phós: Light
Original Word: φῶς
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: phós
Pronunciation: foce
Phonetic Spelling: (foce)
KJV: fire, light
NASB: light, lights, fire, firelight
Word Origin: [from an obsolete phao "to shine or make manifest" (especially by rays)]
1. luminousness
{in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative}
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fire, light.
From an obsolete phao (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare phaino, phemi); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative) -- fire, light.
see GREEK phaino
see GREEK phemi
HELPS Word-studies
5457 phṓs (a neuter noun) – properly, light (especially in terms of its results, what it manifests); in the NT, the manifestation of God's self-existent life; divine illumination to reveal and impart life, through Christ.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origincont. of phaos (light, daylight); from the same as
phainóDefinitionlight
NASB Translationfire (1), firelight (1), light (68), lights (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5457: φῶςφῶς,
φωτός,
τό (contracted from
φάος, from
φάω to shine), from
Homer (who (as well as
Pindar) uses the form
φάος) down, Hebrew
אור,
light (opposed to
τό σκότος,
ἡ σκοτία);
1. properly,
a. universally: ὁ Θεός ὁ εἰπών ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι, 2 Corinthians 4:6 (Genesis 1:3); λευκά ὡς τό φῶς, Matthew 17:2; νεφέλη φωτός (Griesbach text) i. e. consisting of light, equivalent to φωτεινεη in R L T Tr WH, Matthew 17:5; τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, of the sun, John 11:9; τό φῶς οὐκ ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ, the light (i. e. illumining power) is not in him, consequently he does not see or distinguish the filings about him, John 11:10; the light emitted by a lamp, Luke 8:16; (
b. by metonymy, anything emitting light: a heavenly luminary (or star), plural James 1:17 (see πατήρ, 3 a.); fire, because it is light and gives light: Luke 22:56; θερμαίνεσθαι πρός τό φῶς, Mark 14:54 (1 Macc. 12:29; Xenophon, Hell. 6, 2, 29; Cyril 7, 5, 27); a lamp or torch: plural φῶτα, Acts 16:29 (φῶς ἔχειν, Xenophon, Hell. 5, 1, 8; in plural often in Plutarch).
c. light i. e. brightness (Latinsplendor) (see a. above), ἡλίου, Revelation 22:5; of a lamp, John 5:35 (where it symbolizes his rank, influence, worth, mighty deeds); with the addition of λύχνου, Revelation 18:23 (Jeremiah 25:10); of the divine Shechinah (see δόξα, III. 1), Revelation 21:24 (Psalm 88:16
2. φῶς is often used in poetic discourse, in metaphor, and in parable;
a. The extremely delicate, subtile, pure, brilliant quality of light has led to the use of φῶς as an appellation of God, i. e. as by nature incorporeal, spotless, holy (cf. Westcott, Epistles of St. John, p. 15ff): 1 John 1:5 (Wis. 7:26 where cf. Grimm); he is said εἶναι ἐν τῷ φωτί, in a state of supreme sanctity, 1 John 1:7; φῶς οἴκων ἀπρόσιτον, a figure describing his nature as alike of consummate majesty and inaccessible to human comprehension, 1 Timothy 6:16 (Psalm 103:2
b. By a figure frequently in the N. T. (cf. in classic Greek τῆς ἀληθείας τό φῶς, Euripides, L T. 1046 etc.; see Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2), φῶς is used to denote truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity congruous with it (opposed to τό σκότος b., ἡ σκοτία, which see): ἡ ζωή ἦν τό φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, had the nature of light in men, i. e. became the source of human wisdom, John 1:4; especially the saving truth embodied in Christ and by his love and effort imparted to mankind, Matthew 4:16; John 1:5; John 3:19-21; Acts 26:18, 23; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:13{a} (cf. below); τό φῶς τό ἀληθινόν, 1 John 2:8; τό θαυμαστόν τοῦ Θεοῦ φῶς, 1 Peter 2:9 (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 36, 2 [ET] cf. 59, 2 [ET]); τό φῶς ὑμῶν, the divine truth with which ye are imbued, Matthew 5:16; ἔχειν τό φῶς τῆς ζωῆς, the light by which the true life is gained, John 8:12; τά ὅπλα (Lachmann marginal reading ἔργα) τοῦ φωτός, Romans 13:12; καρπός τοῦ φωτός, Ephesians 5:9 G L T Tr WH; ἐν τῷ φωτί περιπατεῖν, to live agreeably to saving wisdom, 1 John 1:7; ἐν τῷ φωτί εἶναι, to be imbued with saving wisdom, μένειν, to continue devoted to it, to persevere in keeping it, 1 John 2:9f; οἱ υἱοί τοῦ φωτός (see υἱός, 2, p. 635{a}), Luke 16:8; John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; τέκνα φωτός (see τέκνον, c. β., p. 618^a), Ephesians 5:8. by metonymy, φῶς; is used of one in whom wisdom and spiritual purity shine forth, and who imparts the same to others: φῶς τῶν ἐν σκότει, Romans 2:19; (φῶς ἐθνῶν, Acts 13:47); in a pre-eminent sense is Jesus the Messiah called φῶς and τό φῶς: Luke 2:32; John 1:7; John 12:35f, 46; τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, John 8:12; John 9:5 (τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τό δοθέν ἐν ὑμῖν εἰς φωτισμόν παντός ἀνθρώπου, Test xii. Patr. test. Levi § 14); τό φῶς τό ἀληθινόν, John 1:9; by the same name the disciples of Jesus are distinguished, Matthew 5:14; Christians are called φῶς ἐν κυρίῳ, having obtained saving wisdom in communion with Christ, Ephesians 5:8. πᾶν τό φανερούμενον φῶς ἐστιν, everything made manifest by the aid of Christian truth has taken on the nature of light, so that its true character and quality are no longer hidden, Ephesians 5:13{b} (others take φῶς here in an outward or physical sense, and regard the statement as a general truth confirmatory of the assertion made respecting spiritual 'φωτός just before (cf. above)).
c. By a figure borrowed from daylight φῶς is used of that which is exposed to the view of all: ἐν τῷ φωτί (opposed to ἐν τῇ σκοτία), openly, publicly (ἐν φαει, Pindar Nem. 4, 63), Matthew 10:27; Luke 12:3.
d. reason, mind; the power of understanding especially moral and spiritual truth: τό φῶς τό ἐν σοι, Matthew 6:23; Luke 11:35. (Synonym: see φέγγος, at the end.)
Topical Lexicon
Essential Meaning across Scripture Light is the primary biblical image for God’s self-disclosure, moral purity, saving truth, and transforming power. Wherever φῶς appears, darkness is either dispelled or exposed, and a decisive movement toward life and righteousness is implied.
Divine Self-Revelation
• God’s intrinsic nature: “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
• Creative authority: The phrase recalls “Let there be light” in Genesis, echoed when God “made His light shine in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 4:6), uniting creation and new creation.
• Inaccessible brilliance: He “alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16).
Messianic Fulfillment
• Incarnate Light: “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4; cf. John 1:9).
• Self-designation: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).
• Transfiguration: The disciples saw His face shine like the sun (Matthew 17:2), previewing His glorified identity.
• Gentile hope: Simeon hailed the infant Jesus as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32), echoing Isaiah 49:6; Paul applies the same promise in Acts 13:47 and Acts 26:23.
Salvation Encounter
• Conversion motif: Saul was overwhelmed by “a light from heaven, brighter than the sun” (Acts 26:13; cf. Acts 9:3; 22:6, 11).
• Transfer of realms: The risen Christ sends Paul “to turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18), fulfilled whenever believers are “rescued… from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:12–13).
Ethical Identity of the Believer
• Children of light: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
• Fruit of light: “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Ephesians 5:9).
• Transparent living: “Whoever practices the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God” (John 3:21).
• Fellowship test: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7).
Proclamation and Witness
• Missional imperative: Disciples are “the light of the world” and must let their light shine before men (Matthew 5:14–16; Philippians 2:15 implied).
• Apostolic message: Paul’s preaching brought “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:6), while warning against counterfeit “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
• Prophetic exposure: “Everyone who does evil hates the light” (John 3:20); gospel proclamation therefore divides humanity.
Corporate Worship and Community
• Gathered illumination: Lamps in houses illustrate the Church’s calling (Luke 8:16; 11:33).
• Spiritual discernment: “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness” (Luke 11:35), guarding the purity of doctrine and conscience.
Eschatological Consummation
• Kingdom dawning: “The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light” (Matthew 4:16), inaugurating the age of Messiah.
• Armor of light: Believers “put on the armor of light” in anticipation of the Day (Romans 13:12).
• Eternal city: “Night will be no more… for the Lord God will shine on them” (Revelation 22:5; cf. 21:24). The lamp of the Lamb outshines every earthly luminary, completing the trajectory begun in Genesis.
Pastoral Applications
1. Assurance: God’s light is invincible; no darkness can overcome it (John 1:5).
2. Holiness: Exposure to divine light demands repentance and ethical transparency (Ephesians 5:13).
3. Mission: Bearing light entails verbal proclamation and visible deeds, turning many to righteousness (Acts 13:47; Matthew 5:16).
4. Hope: Final glory is described in terms of unceasing light, encouraging perseverance amid present darkness (Revelation 22:5).
Thus φῶς threads Scripture from creation through redemption to consummation, uniting the character of God, the work of Christ, and the calling of the Church in one radiant theme.
Forms and Transliterations
φως φῶς φωτα φώτα φῶτα φωτι φωτί φωτὶ φωτος φωτός φωτὸς φωτων φώτων phos phôs phōs phō̂s phota phôta phōta phō̂ta photi photí photì phōti phōtí phōtì photon phōtōn phṓton phṓtōn photos photós photòs phōtos phōtós phōtòs
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