λαμπρότης (lamprotēs)
lamprotēs
brightness
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun lamprotēs describes a vivid, shining brightness or brilliance. It appears only once in the New Testament, where Luke records Paul’s encounter on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:13). The text uses this specific term to characterize the light that shone around him, emphasizing its intense and dazzling nature.
Its meaning derives from the adjective lampros, which denotes clear, shining brightness. While it shares a root with words for physical light, lamprotēs focuses on the quality of the radiance itself rather than the source. This usage highlights the overwhelming visual impact of the divine presence described in that narrative moment.
The word carries no abstract moral connotations here; it is strictly descriptive of physical luminosity. By choosing this term, the author distinguishes this light from ordinary illumination, marking it as something extraordinary and supernaturally bright. It serves to underscore the suddenness and intensity of the event for Paul.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word lamprotēs captures a brightness so intense it stops time. In Acts 26:13, Paul describes a light brighter than the sun that shone around him and his companions on the road to Damascus. This was not the gentle glow of dawn but a sudden, overwhelming radiance that marked a divine encounter.
For your faith, this reminds us that God’s presence can be both startling and clear. When spiritual realities break into our lives, they often come with a clarity that cuts through confusion. You do not need to manufacture this light; it belongs to God alone.
Trust in the One who brings such illumination. His truth shines with a quality that ordinary experience cannot match, guiding you through moments of uncertainty with steady grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- brightness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- λαμπρότητα1×
Key Verses
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Acts 26:13
at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
This verse uses lamprotēs to describe the specific quality of the light surrounding Paul, emphasizing its supernatural intensity compared to natural sunlight.