φῶς
phos
from an obsolete (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare φαίνω, φημί); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative):--fire, light.
Matthew 17:2 · Word #21
Lexicon G5457
| Lemma | φῶς |
| Transliteration | phōs |
| Strong's | G5457 |
Morphology N NOM N SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Case | NOM — Nominative — The subject of the sentence |
| Gender | N — Neuter — Grammatical neuter |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | φῶς |
| Strong's | G5457 |
SIBI-P1 G5457-01
the shining light
| Root | φῶς (phōs) |
| Core Meanings | light, brightness, radiance, illumination, that which shines or makes manifest |
| Semantic Range | Physical light (sunlight, firelight, lamp light), daylight, illumination, enlightenment, revelation, moral purity, divine presence, that which exposes or makes manifest. |
| Conceptual Significance | In biblical usage, φῶς is a central theological metaphor for the self-revelation of God, divine truth, purity, and life. It contrasts with darkness as ignorance, evil, or death, and is especially significant in Johannine literature where it describes both God’s nature and the Messiah’s revelatory role among humanity. |
| Morphological Notes | Noun, neuter, singular; attested here in nominative singular (NNS) and accusative singular (ANS). As a third-declension neuter noun, the nominative and accusative singular forms are identical (φῶς). |
| Rendering Rationale | The rendering "the shining light" preserves the root idea of φῶς as that which shines and makes visible. The form is nominative neuter singular (also identical in the accusative), so it is expressed as a singular substantive, functioning as subject or direct object, without added verbal force but retaining the active sense of radiance inherent in the root. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root φῶς (light, brightness, radiance, illumination, that which shines or makes manifest)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G5457-02 |
phota | the lights |
G5457-03 |
photi | in light |
G5457-04 |
photon | of the lights |
Word Usage (73 occurrences of G5457)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 4:16 | φῶς | phos | |
| Matthew 4:16 | φῶς | phos-2 | |
| Matthew 5:14 | φῶς | phos |