ἄφαντος
áphantos
G855 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not visible, not appearing to perception; primarily, of something or someone no longer present or able to be seen. The core meaning is 'not manifest' or 'invisible.' In contexts, may denote something that has disappeared, become unseen, or ceased to be perceptible (as in someone vanishing or being no longer visible to others).
Semantic Range
invisible, not manifested, vanished, disappeared from view, no longer visible
Root / Etymology
From the alpha privative (ἀ-, expressing negation) and φαίνω ('to appear,' 'to shine,' 'to make manifest'), thus denoting 'not made manifest' or 'not appearing.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Koine Greek, ἄφαντος is used to describe something or someone that is no longer visible, typically due to disappearance or withdrawal from view. The term appears in non-biblical Greek for sudden vanishing or things that cannot be perceived by the eye. In the New Testament (Luke 24:31), it is used when the risen Jesus is 'no longer visible' to his disciples, reflecting a disappearance from physical sight rather than absolute invisibility. Standard English translations often use 'vanished' or 'disappeared,' which capture the immediate perceptual sense but may not convey the full nuance, as ἄφαντος can also apply to the generally unseen or imperceptible. The word does not have technical philosophical or metaphysical usage in Greek thought (unlike the term ἀόρατος, 'unseen,' used for the invisible or spiritual), but is more concrete and tied to immediate perception.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of φαίνω; non-manifested, i.e. invisible:--vanished out of sight.
Root Family
ἄφαντος (aphantos) — not appearing, not manifest, invisible, no longer visible
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G855-01 |
ἄφαντος | aphantos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
vanished | not manifest | not manifest | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G855-01 |
Luke 24:31 | ἄφαντος | aphantos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
vanished | not manifest | not manifest |