φῶς

fw'" fw'",
fwtov",
tov (contracted from
favo", from
favw to shine), from Homer (who (as well as Pindar) uses the form
favo") down, Hebrew r/a, light (opposed to
tov
skovto",
hJ
skotiva);1. properly, a. universally:
oJ
Qeov"
oJ
eijpwvn
ejk
skovtou"
fw'"
lavmyai, ();
leukav
wJ"
tov
fw'", ;
nefevlh
fwtov" (Griesbach text) i. e. consisting of light, equivalent to
fwteineh in R L T Tr WH, ;
tov
fw'"
tou'
kovsmou, of the sun, ;
tov
fw'"
oujk
ejstin
ejn
aujtw'/, the light (i. e. illumining power) is not in him, consequently he does not see or distinguish the filings about him, ; the light emitted by a lamp, ; (11:33 L Tr text WH). a heavenly light, such as surrounds angels when they appear on earth: hence,
a[ggelo"
fwtov", , and illumines the place where they appear, ; a light of this kind shone around Paul when he was converted to Christ, , (9), 11 (Winer's Grammar, 371 (348)); with the addition of
oujranovqen, ; of
ajpov (or
ejk)
tou'
oujranou', . b. by metonymy, anything emitting light: a heavenly luminary (or star), plural (see
pathvr, 3 a.); fire, because it is light and gives light: ;
qermaivnesqai
prov"
tov
fw'", (; Xenophon, Hell. 6, 2, 29; Cyril 7, 5, 27); a lamp or torch: plural
fw'ta, (
fw'"
e[cein, Xenophon, Hell. 5, 1, 8; in plural often in Plutarch). c. light i. e. brightness (Latin splendor) (see a. above),
hJlivou, ; of a lamp, (where it symbolizes his rank, influence, worth, mighty deeds); with the addition of
luvcnou, (); of the divine Shechinah (see
dovxa, III. 1), ( (); ,f).2.
fw'" 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
fw'" as an appellation of God, i. e. as by nature incorporeal, spotless, holy (cf. Westcott, Epistles of St. John, p. 15ff): (Sap. where cf. Grimm); he is said
ei\nai
ejn
tw'/
fwtiv, in a state of supreme sanctity, ;
fw'"
oi[kwn
ajprovsiton, a figure describing his nature as alike of consummate majesty and inaccessible to human comprehension, ( ()); used of that heavenly state, consummate and free from every imperfection, to which the true disciples of Christ will be exalted, equivalent to the kingdom of light, . b. By a figure frequently in the N. T. (cf. in classic Greek
th'"
ajlhqeiva"
tov
fw'", Euripides, L T. 1046 etc.; see Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2),
fw'" is used to denote truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity congruous with it (opposed to
tov
skovto" b.,
hJ
skotiva, which see):
hJ
zwhv
h\n
tov
fw'"
tw'n
ajnqrwvpwn, had the nature of light in men, i. e. became the sou