ὕαλος
hýalos
G5194 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A transparent, hard material—glass; also refers to crystal or an object made of glass. In broad contexts, describes the substance glass, typically as a transparent or crystalline medium; may also refer specifically to glassware or the material itself, especially in contrast to other substances such as bronze or precious stones. Occasionally used in poetic or figurative phrases (e.g., 'sea of glass').
Semantic Range
glass, transparent or crystalline material, object made of glass, crystal, glass-like substance (literal or figurative), poetic usage for something perfectly clear
Root / Etymology
The etymology is uncertain. While Strong suggested a possible connection with ὑετός ('rain'), based on analogy of clearness, there is no clear linguistic derivation, and it is widely considered a foreign (probably Semitic or Egyptian) loanword denoting glass or clear crystal. Related Latin vitrum and Hebrew חֶלֶם (ḥelet) also denote glass or crystal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὕαλος is a rare and specialized term in Classical and Koine Greek. It typically denotes the material glass, which was highly valued and occasionally imported or used in luxury items in Greco-Roman antiquity. Its primary sense is the transparent or crystalline substance, occasionally extended to glassware. In Revelation (e.g., Rev 4:6), it is used metaphorically for something pure and perfectly clear: 'a sea of glass.' In most Greek texts, glass is distinguished from crystals (κρύσταλλος) and precious stones. English translations typically render the word as 'glass,' but this may mislead modern readers as ancient glass was often cloudy or colored. The Greek term does not generally refer to mirrors (for which ἔσοπτρον is usual) or drinking vessels specifically, unless qualified. In LXX and papyri, ὕαλος rarely occurs; its appearance in the New Testament signals a poetic or visionary context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps from the same as ὑετός (as being transparent like rain); glass:--glass.
Root Family
ὕαλος (hýalos) — glass, transparent material, crystal
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5194-02 |
ὕαλος | ualos | N NOM M SG |
glass | glass | glass | 1 |
G5194-01 |
ὑάλῳ | ualo | N DAT M SG |
glass | with glass | glass | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5194-01 |
Revelation 21:18 | ὑάλῳ | ualo | N DAT M SG |
glass | with glass | glass |
G5194-02 |
Revelation 21:21 | ὕαλος | ualos | N NOM M SG |
glass | glass | glass |