ὄναρ
ónar
G3677 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A vision or experience occurring during sleep; in particular, a dream as a nocturnal phenomenon, distinct from a waking vision (ὅραμα). Also, by extension, the contents of a dream, often viewed as a possible medium of divine or supernatural communication.
Semantic Range
dream experienced while asleep, nocturnal vision, content or message of a dream, sometimes as medium of divine revelation
Root / Etymology
Etymology uncertain. The word ὄναρ is found in early Greek (Homeric and classical) and lacks a securely established Indo-European root or cognate within Greek; no clear derivation is known from any attested root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὄναρ first appears in Homer and classical Greek, typically referencing the phenomenon of experiencing images or messages during sleep, sometimes interpreted as divine communication or omens. In classical literature, especially Homeric epic, ὄναρ is contrasted with ὅραμα (vision), which could refer to waking visions. In the Hellenistic period and later, including the Septuagint and New Testament, ὄναρ retains its basic meaning as a sleeping dream and is distinguished from ὄνειρος (which can also mean dream but occurs less frequently in Koine prose) and from ὅραμα, which is usually a vision while awake. In the New Testament, ὄναρ appears exclusively in the Gospel of Matthew, referring to revelatory dreams given to Joseph as guidance. Standard English translations as 'dream' are accurate in basic sense but do not always capture the nuance that ὄναρ in Greek strictly indicates the experience while asleep, often with an implication of significance or potential divine message, depending on context. In Septuagint usage it often translates Hebrew חֲלוֹם (ḥalom), similarly 'dream.'
Translation Consistency
ὄναρ specifically denotes a nocturnal dream or the content/message of a dream (distinct from a waking vision). "Dream" is the natural, common English word covering both ordinary sleeping dreams and their occasional divine/revelatory sense, and it matches the attested translations in all occurrences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; a dream:--dream.
Root Family
ὄναρ (onar) — dream, vision during sleep, nocturnal revelation
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3677-01 |
ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3677-01 |
Matthew 1:20 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |
G3677-01 |
Matthew 2:12 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |
G3677-01 |
Matthew 2:13 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |
G3677-01 |
Matthew 2:19 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |
G3677-01 |
Matthew 2:22 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |
G3677-01 |
Matthew 27:19 | ὄναρ | onar | N ACC N SG |
a dream | a dream | a dream |