δυσμή (dusmē)
dusmē
west
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun dusmē refers to the place where the sun sets, or simply the direction of the west. In the New Testament, it appears only five times, primarily in the Gospels and Revelation. It captures the physical reality of sunset, marking the end of the day’s light.
While it can mean the act of setting down, as seen in Luke 12:54 when Jesus points to the sun sinking below the horizon, it most often denotes the geographic region itself. Matthew 8:11 and 24:27 use it to describe people coming from the west, emphasizing a distant origin. Revelation 21:13 lists it alongside other directions to map the heavenly city’s four sides.
The word derives from a root meaning "to go down" or "enter," contrasting with anatolē, which means sunrise or east. This directional pairing helps readers visualize the full scope of creation, from dawn to dusk, and from east to west.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dusmē points to the west, the direction where the sun sinks below the horizon. In Scripture, this simple geographic term carries weight beyond mere navigation. It marks the end of daylight, a natural pause in the day’s work that invites rest and reflection.
Jesus used this familiar image in Luke 12:54 to teach His followers how to read the sky. He pointed out that just as people watch for clouds rising in the west to predict rain, they should also recognize the signs of God’s presence. The physical world becomes a classroom for spiritual awareness.
Later, Revelation describes the heavenly city with gates facing every direction, including the west. This imagery suggests that no matter where you come from—whether from the rising sun or the setting one—you are included in God’s eternal plan. The horizon reminds us of our place in a vast, ordered creation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- west2×
- west,1×
- [the] west,1×
- [the] west1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δυσμῶν3×
- δυσμῶν,2×
Key Verses
-
Luke 12:54
He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.
Jesus uses the west as a specific location for rising clouds to teach practical discernment about weather and spiritual signs.
-
Revelation of John 21:13
On the east were three gates, and on the north three gates, and on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.
The west is listed as one of the four cardinal directions for the gates of the New Jerusalem, showing its importance in mapping the holy city.
-
Matthew 8:11
I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
This verse pairs the west with the east to emphasize that people from all distant corners will join the patriarchs in the Kingdom.