Word study
Light
8 Hebrew and 10 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: light, lights. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “light” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- אוֹר ôrlighttranslated this way 93 times of its 119 uses · Strong’s H216Noun · Translated: light 86, lightning 5, dawn 3, daylight 3Full study and all 108 verses →
Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Exodus 10:23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
- מָאוֹר mâôrluminarytranslated this way 17 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s H3974Noun · Translated: light 13, lights 3, used for light 1, moon 1Full study and all 16 verses →
Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.
Exodus 25:6 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
- אוֹר ôrbe or become lighttranslated this way 14 times of its 40 uses · Strong’s H215Verb · Translated: shine 12, light 6, lit 2, gives light 2Full study and all 40 verses →
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.
Numbers 8:2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him: ‘When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.’”
- נֹגַהּ nôgahhbrightnesstranslated this way 5 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s H5051Noun · Translated: brightness 8, brilliant light 3Full study and all 19 verses →
Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
Ezekiel 1:4 I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
- בָּעַר bâarburn, consumetranslated this way 3 times of its 93 uses · Strong’s H1197Verb · Translated: purge 12, burn 10, burned 7, burning 6Full study and all 90 verses →
Exodus 35:3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”
2 Chronicles 13:11 Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.
- שׂוּם sûmput, place, settranslated this way 3 times of its 560 uses · Strong’s H7760Verb · Translated: put 84, set 71, make 45, made 39Full study and all 533 verses →
1 Kings 18:23 Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.
1 Kings 18:25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
- אוֹרָה ôrâhlighttranslated this way 2 times of its 4 uses · Strong’s H219Noun · Translated: light 2, herbs 1, morning 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Esther 8:16 For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.
Psalm 139:12 even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
- נָגַהּ nâgahhshinetranslated this way 2 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s H5050Verb · Translated: lights 2, glow 1, shine 1, dawned 1Full study and all 6 verses →
2 Samuel 22:29 For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
Psalm 18:28 For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
Greek words (New Testament)
- φῶς phōslight, a source of lighttranslated this way 65 times of its 71 uses · Strong’s G5457Noun · Translated: light 63, daylight 2, fire 1, firelight 1Full study and all 60 verses →
Matthew 4:16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
Luke 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
- λάμπω lámpōI shinetranslated this way 3 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s G2989Verb · Translated: shine 2, shone 2, gives light 1, lights 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Matthew 5:15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Luke 17:24 For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.
- φωτεινός phōteinósbright, luminous, full of lighttranslated this way 3 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G5460Adjective · Translated: full of light 2, bright 1, light 1, radiant 1Full study and all 4 verses →
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
Luke 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness.
- φέγγος phéngosbrightness, lighttranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G5338Noun · Translated: light 3Full study and all 3 verses →
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
- ἅπτω háptōI kindle, lighttranslated this way 3 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G681Verb · Translated: lights 2, kindled 2, light 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.
Luke 11:33 No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.
- φωτίζω phōtízōI illuminate, bring to lighttranslated this way 3 times of its 10 uses · Strong’s G5461Verb · Translated: gives light 1, bring to light 1, enlightened 1, illuminate 1Full study and all 10 verses →
John 1:9 The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- ἐλαφρός elaphróslight, not burdensometranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G1645Adjective · Translated: light 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Matthew 11:30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
- φανερός phanerósapparent, clear, visible, manifest, clearlytranslated this way 2 times of its 18 uses · Strong’s G5318Adjective · Translated: known 3, light 2, clear 2, evident 2Full study and all 16 verses →
Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
Luke 8:17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.
- φαίνω phaínōI shine, appear, seemtranslated this way 2 times of its 31 uses · Strong’s G5316Verb · Translated: appeared 7, appear 3, shining 3, seen 2Full study and all 31 verses →
John 5:35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.
Revelation 8:12 Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well.
- φωτισμός phōtismóslight, luster, illuminationtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G5462Noun · Translated: light 2Full study and all 2 verses →
2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
What the Bible says about light: passages by topic →
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.