ἐμφανής (emphanēs)
emphanēs
revealed
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective emphanes describes something that is clearly visible or made manifest to the eye. Derived from a root meaning "to show in" or "exhibit," it carries the sense of bringing what was hidden into plain sight. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, yet it anchors two significant moments of divine revelation.
In Acts 10:40, it describes Jesus appearing openly after his resurrection, emphasizing the physical reality and public nature of that event. Paul uses the same term in Romans 10:20, quoting the Old Testament to describe how God makes himself known to those who do not seek him. The word underscores a shift from concealment to clear demonstration.
While similar to other terms for appearing, emphanes focuses on the state of being evident or manifest rather than the act of appearing itself. It serves as a linguistic marker for moments where divine action becomes undeniably clear to human observation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word emphanes describes a shift from hiddenness to clear visibility. It is not merely about appearing, but about being unmistakably evident. When God acts, He does not leave us guessing. This adjective anchors moments where divine reality breaks into our sight, making what was once concealed plain for all to see.
In Acts 10:40, this term highlights the physical resurrection of Jesus. He was raised and made openly visible, confirming that His victory over death was real and historical. This public manifestation assures us that our faith rests on events that truly happened in time and space, not just spiritual ideas.
Romans 10:20 applies this same word to God’s grace reaching those who did not seek Him. Isaiah declares that God reveals Himself to the stranger. This reminds us that we do not need to earn visibility before God. He chooses to make Himself known, bridging the gap between human searching and divine generosity.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- revealed1×
- manifest1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐμφανῆ1×
- ἐμφανὴς1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 10:40
God raised him up the third day and gave him to be revealed,
This occurrence emphasizes the physical reality of the resurrection by stating Jesus was given to be openly visible to witnesses.
-
Romans 10:20
Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”
Paul uses this term to describe God’s unexpected initiative in revealing Himself to Gentiles who were not previously seeking Him.