Modern Summary of Abbott-Smith’s Lexicon (1922)
The word "φῶς" (phōs) primarily means "light," as opposed to darkness. It can refer to physical light, such as sunlight, lamps, or fire, as well as supernatural or heavenly light. Metaphorically, it represents spiritual truth, divine glory, or understanding, and is often associated with God, Christ, and the lives of believers.
light; luminosity, brightness
Etymologically, phōs traces to from an obsolete (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays. In the King James Version, this word is translated as fire, and light.
Acts as a root form within the "from an obsolete (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays;" word family, giving rise to related terms across Scripture.
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
In the New Testament, phōs appears in passages such as John 1:4. The variety of contexts in which phōs appears reveals that its meaning is not confined to a single usage but expands across different literary and theological settings.
Its Hebrew parallel is אוֹר (ôwr), revealing shared conceptual ground across the biblical languages. Thematically connected words include ζωή (zōē), λόγος (logos).
As part of the "from an obsolete (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays;" word family, this term connects to a broader network of related concepts in biblical thought.
Compare with ôwr
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Light and Life study
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Lexical data derived from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. See full disclaimer
Word DNA
Origin
This word acts as a root form.
Word Family
from an obsolete (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays;Key Connections
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How This Word Behaves
Selected distinct patterns of usage found in Scripture.
Scripture Occurrences
Selected verses where this word appears in the KJV.
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men."
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Connection Map
Nearest neighbors in the lexical network.
Compare This Word
Explore how phōs relates to similar or contrasting biblical words.
אוֹר
ôwr
illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)
ζωή
zōē
life (literally or figuratively)
λόγος
logos
something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)
Spirit, Life & Light Cluster
Words that share the same theological orbit.
Continue Exploring
Follow the thread — discover connected words and concepts.
אוֹר
ôwr
illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)
ζωή
zōē
life (literally or figuratively)
λόγος
logos
something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)
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