φάραγξ
pháranx
G5327 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A ravine or deep, narrow valley, typically with steep sides; a cleft or gorge formed by the erosive action of water, often serving as a conduit for a winter stream or torrent. The word refers specifically to a chasm or natural gap in the landscape, emphasizing the sharpness and depth of the formation. In various contexts, can denote a natural hollow or steep-sided valley, especially one shaped or filled by seasonal water flows, but does not indicate a broad, cultivated, or inhabited valley.
Semantic Range
ravine, chasm, cleft, gorge, narrow valley, deep hollow, torrent-bed
Root / Etymology
Etymology uncertain. Likely related to the verb ῥήγνυμι ('to break, to burst'), suggesting something 'rent' or 'broken open' in the earth. Some have compared it to the base of πέραν ('to go through, cross'), but the connection is less likely. The form and sense are distinct from the more general Greek term for valley, κοιλάς, and instead denote a more rugged, abrupt formation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek usage, φάραγξ referred to a narrow, steep-sided gorge or cleft, often resulting from water erosion, and was frequently associated with wild, mountainous, or uncultivated terrain. In Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and non-biblical sources, the term retains this physical sense and typically describes dramatic landforms distinguished by depth and abruptness. It does not connote a broad, inhabited, or arable valley (for which κοιλάς was usual). English Bible translations often render φάραγξ as 'valley,' but this may obscure the original implication of a steep, wild ravine or seasonal torrent bed, particularly in Mediterranean and Near Eastern settings where seasonal watercourses carve deep channels into the landscape. The word occurs rarely in the New Testament (e.g., Luke 3:5, citing Isaiah), typically in allusion to prophetic or evocative imagery of transformation and leveling of the land, not as a neutral geographic term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
properly, strengthened from the base of πέραν or rather of ῥήγνυμι; a gap or chasm, i.e. ravine (winter-torrent):--valley.
Root Family
ῥήγ- (pháranx) — to break, to burst, to cleave
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5327-01 |
φάραγξ | pharagx | N NOM F SG |
valley | a cleft ravine | ravine | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5327-01 |
Luke 3:5 | φάραγξ | pharagx | N NOM F SG |
valley | a cleft ravine | ravine |