δύνω
dýnō
G1416 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To go down, to enter, or to sink (especially in reference to the sun or celestial bodies setting below the horizon); in extended uses: to be engulfed, disappear, or be overshadowed. In the New Testament and Hellenistic Greek, most commonly indicates the action of the sun setting.
Semantic Range
to set (of the sun or celestial body), to go down, to enter, to be engulfed, to sink, to disappear
Root / Etymology
From the root δυσ-, associated with the idea of sinking or going down. Closely related to or a variant of the more common δύω; δύω/δύνω are used interchangeably in various Greek dialects and historical periods.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, δύνω occurs with the general sense of 'to go in, enter,' and is especially used for the sun or stars setting (i.e., going below the horizon). In the Septuagint and the New Testament, it almost exclusively describes the 'setting' of the sun or, by extension, the passage or ending of the day (e.g., Luke 4:40, 'when the sun was setting'). The verb is sometimes written as δύω in earlier or more classical forms, though the meanings overlap. English Bible translations often use 'set' for δύνω when referring to the sun, aligning with this core usage. However, the word can in other contexts mean 'to sink,' particularly of ships or people (though this is rarer in biblical Greek than in contemporary or Classical literature). The word's uses are largely non-theological and descriptive; it describes observed celestial or physical motion rather than a figurative or metaphysical descent. Cf. ἀνατέλλω (to rise), for the opposite action. Usage as a prolonged or contracted form in manuscripts may reflect local orthographic traditions rather than marked semantic difference.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
prolonged forms of an obsolete primary (to sink); to go "down":--set.
Root Family
δύνω (dýnō) — to sink, to go down, to enter
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1416-01 |
δύνοντος | dunontos | V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M SG |
was setting | of going down | of setting | 1 |
G1416-02 |
ἔδυ | edu | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
set | went down | went down | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences