εἰκών (eikōn)
eikōn
image
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 20 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek noun eikōn denotes an image, likeness, or representation. In the New Testament it appears twenty times, most frequently in Revelation and the Pauline epistles. Its meaning ranges from the literal portrait on a coin to the profound theological concept of humanity reflecting God. When Jesus asks whose image is on the denarius in Matthew 22:20, he points to Caesar’s physical profile; yet in Romans 1:23, Paul uses the same word to describe idolaters who exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man.
Lexical sources highlight a crucial distinction between eikōn and its near-synonym homoioōmā. While both mean "likeness," homoioōmā can imply a resemblance that is merely accidental or superficial. Eikōn, by contrast, suggests a derived likeness rooted in an archetype. Like the parental features passed to a child or the official stamp on currency, it implies a direct connection to the original source. This nuance is vital when Paul describes believers being transformed into the image of Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:18.
The word carries significant theological weight regarding identity and transformation. It is applied to Christ as the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and to humans as created in God’s likeness (1 Corinthians 11:7). In Colossians 3:10, Paul speaks of the believer being renewed in this image, indicating a restoration of that original divine reflection. The term thus bridges the gap between physical representation and spiritual reality, defining what it means to truly reflect the character of God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word eikōn connects the physical world to spiritual truth. It describes more than a surface resemblance; it points to a direct connection with an original source, like a child sharing features with a parent or a coin bearing the ruler’s profile. This concept grounds our identity in God, who created us to reflect His character.
While idols attempt to capture divine glory in static forms, the New Testament presents Christ as the true image of the invisible God. Believers are called to be transformed into this likeness through the Spirit. This process is not about perfection but about renewal, restoring the reflection of God’s glory that was marred by sin.
Living as an image-bearer means letting your life display the beauty of Christ to others. It is a daily journey of seeing His glory and allowing it to shape your thoughts and actions. This hope reminds us that we are made for relationship with our Creator, designed to show His goodness in a broken world.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 20 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- image14×
- [the] image4×
- likeness2×
- of an image1×
- form1×
- an image1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- εἰκόνα10×
- εἰκὼν6×
- εἰκόνι4×
- εἰκόνος3×
Key Verses
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Colossians 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
This verse establishes Christ as the definitive visible representation of the invisible God, setting the standard for all other usage.
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II Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Here the word describes the ongoing spiritual transformation of believers who are being changed into Christ’s likeness by the Spirit.
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Romans 8:29
For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Paul uses this term to explain God’s purpose in salvation, which is to conform believers to the pattern of His Son.
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Matthew 22:20
He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
Jesus uses a physical coin to illustrate that just as it bears Caesar’s image, humans bear God’s image and belong to Him.