σελήνη (selēnē)
selēnē
moon
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek noun selēnē refers simply to the moon, the celestial body that lights the night. In the New Testament, it appears nine times, primarily in the apocalyptic visions of Revelation and the eschatological discourses of the Synoptic Gospels. The word is not used for poetic metaphor here but as a concrete astronomical reference, often paired with the sun to represent the entirety of the created order.
Its etymology connects it to selas, meaning "brilliancy" or "light," highlighting its nature as a reflector rather than a source of illumination. This distinction matters in texts like Revelation 21:23, where the New Jerusalem needs no sun or moon because the glory of God provides direct light. The word also anchors prophetic imagery, such as Peter’s citation of Joel in Acts 2:20, where the moon turning to blood signals the "great and magnificent day" of the Lord.
Translators consistently render selēnē as "moon," preserving its literal sense. Its theological weight lies in its subordination; it is a created thing that serves as a sign or a witness to divine action, never an object of worship itself. The biblical authors use it to mark cosmic shifts that accompany God’s intervention in history, from the signs preceding Christ’s return to the fulfillment of prophecy in the early church.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word selēnē simply means moon, the celestial body that lights the night. In Scripture, it appears nine times, mostly in Revelation and the Gospel accounts of the end times. It is not used as a vague metaphor but as a concrete reference to the created order. The moon reflects light; it does not generate its own. This distinction reminds us that all created beauty points back to the Creator.
In passages like Acts 2:20, the moon turning to blood signals the arrival of God’s day. In Revelation 21:23, the New Jerusalem needs no sun or moon because God’s glory provides direct light. These verses show that while the moon is part of God’s good world, it is subordinate. It serves as a sign, not an object of worship.
For your faith, this word invites humility. We live under a created sky that testifies to God’s power. When the cosmos shifts, it marks divine action. You can trust that the same God who ordered the heavens is present in your life, offering light that no celestial body can match.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- moon8×
- of [the] moon,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σελήνη5×
- σελήνης2×
- σελήνῃ1×
- σελήνης,1×
Key Verses
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Acts 2:20
The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
Peter uses this occurrence to link cosmic signs with the coming of the Spirit and the day of the Lord.
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Revelation of John 21:23
The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it and its lamp is the Lamb.
This verse highlights the moon’s subordination by stating the New Jerusalem needs no moon because God’s glory illuminates it.
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Matthew 24:29
“But immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
Here the moon ceasing to give light marks the immediate aftermath of tribulation and precedes Christ’s return.
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Revelation of John 12:1
A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
The woman standing with the moon under her feet uses this celestial body to symbolize creation’s submission to God’s purposes.