φέγγος (phengos)
phengos
brightness
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun phengos refers to a specific kind of light, typically that which is reflected rather than self-generated. In the New Testament, it describes the glow of the moon or the steady beam of a lamp. This distinguishes it from words for direct, blazing sunlight, focusing instead on a softer, dependent radiance.
Its usage in the Gospels highlights this quality. Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:24 employ the term to describe the darkening of the moon before the end times, emphasizing that celestial bodies do not produce their own light but reflect it. Similarly, Luke 11:33 uses it for a lamp placed in a house, illustrating how this light illuminates its immediate surroundings without being the sun itself.
The word appears only twice in the New Testament, both in apocalyptic contexts regarding cosmic signs. Its rarity and specific focus on reflected brightness suggest a literary choice to depict secondary illumination, contrasting with the primary light of divine glory found elsewhere in Scripture.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we look at the night sky, the moon does not generate its own brilliance. Instead, it reflects the light of the sun, casting a gentle glow that guides us through the darkness. This is the precise meaning of the Greek word phengos. It describes a dependent radiance, a soft illumination that relies entirely on a primary source for its existence.
In Scripture, this concept appears in Jesus’ descriptions of the end times. He speaks of the moon losing its phengos, its reflected light fading away. This imagery reminds us that all secondary lights in our lives are meant to point back to God, the true source of glory. When we feel dim or uncertain, we can remember that our role is not to create our own light, but to reflect His steady presence.
This understanding brings comfort. We do not need to be blazing suns to be useful in God’s kingdom. Like the moon, even a faint reflection of Christ’s character can illuminate the lives of those around us. Our strength comes from staying connected to Him, allowing His truth to shine through our ordinary days.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- light2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- φέγγος2×
Key Verses
-
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;
This verse uses phengos to describe the moon failing to give its reflected light during cosmic upheaval, highlighting the temporary nature of secondary illumination.
-
Mark 13:24
But in those days, after that oppression, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light,
Here the term emphasizes the cessation of the moon's dependent radiance as a sign preceding the coming of the Son of Man.