φανός
phanós
G5322 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A lamp or lantern, specifically a device used to carry or emit light, such as an oil lamp or portable lantern; in context, refers to an object employed to provide illumination in dark places. Can denote any hand-held light source, most often made to be portable in outdoor or night-time settings; may at times refer generically to a visible source of light or signal.
Semantic Range
lamp, lantern, portable light, lighting device, hand-lamp, source of light
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb φαίνω (phainō), meaning 'to shine,' 'to bring to light,' or 'to appear.' φανός is a noun formation indicating an object related to making light visible.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, φανός rarely appears, with faint occurrences referring generally to a means of providing light, especially at night or in processions (cf. Aristophanes, Euripides). In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, φανός comes to denote a portable light source—a torch, lamp, or lantern, usually one with a casing or protection for the flame. In the New Testament (John 18:3), it refers to lanterns carried by the crowd during Jesus' arrest, indicating portable lighting used at night. English translations often supply 'lantern'; however, the precise design (enclosed lantern or open lamp) is not clear from the Greek. Other Greek words for lighting devices include λύχνος (lychnos, 'lamp'), which often indicates a small hand-held oil lamp. The semantic range of φανός remains narrowly focused on portable means of illumination in Koine contexts. The English rendering 'lantern' reflects the traditional translation but may not fully specify the range from open torch to enclosed lamp as present in original usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from φαίνω; a lightener, i.e. light; lantern:--lantern.
Root Family
φανός (phanos) — lamp, lantern, portable light, source of light
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5322-01 |
φανῶν | phanon | N GEN M PL |
lanterns | of lamps | lanterns | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5322-01 |
John 18:3 | φανῶν | phanon | N GEN M PL |
lanterns | of lamps | lanterns |