Word Study for G5461 (φωτίζω)

phōtízō /fo-tid'-zo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom φῶς

Meaningto shed rays, i.e. to shine or (transitively) to brighten up (literally or figuratively)

KJV usageenlighten, illuminate, (bring to, give) light, make to see.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of phōtízō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word phōtízō, represented by G5461, means to shed rays, to shine, or to brighten up, both literally and figuratively. It appears 15 times in 11 unique verses. Its core meaning revolves around bringing light, whether to the physical world, the human understanding, or to reveal what was once hidden.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G5461 is used in several key contexts. It conveys the idea of spiritual insight, as in the prayer for the "eyes of your understanding being enlightened" Ephesians 1:18. It is also used to describe revealing what is concealed, as the Lord will "bring to light the hidden things of darkness" 1 Corinthians 4:5. The word is used to describe the effect of Christ's coming, who has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel 2 Timothy 1:10. In the book of Revelation, it describes a literal, divine illumination where the glory of God will lighten the new city Revelation 21:23.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of light and revelation:

G5457 phōs (light): As the root word, it refers to luminousness in its widest sense. God is called the "Father of lights" James 1:17.
G4655 skótos (darkness): This term provides a direct contrast, representing obscurity. Believers are delivered from the power of darkness Colossians 1:13.
G5319 phaneróō (to render apparent): This word is closely linked to illumination, meaning to make manifest. It is used alongside G5461 to describe how the Lord will make manifest the counsels of the hearts 1 Corinthians 4:5.
G1492 eídō (to see, to know): This word connects the act of being enlightened with the result of perception. The goal of enlightenment is so that believers "may know what is the hope of his calling" Ephesians 1:18.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5461 is significant, highlighting key aspects of God's work.

Spiritual Illumination: The word is central to the concept of salvation and spiritual understanding. It is used to describe the initial experience of believers who were "once enlightened" Hebrews 6:4 and the ongoing need for the eyes of the heart to be enlightened Ephesians 1:18.
Revelation of Divine Truth: G5461 is used to show how the gospel reveals mysteries. Through Christ's appearing G2015, life G2222 and immortality G861 are brought to light 2 Timothy 1:10.
Eschatological Glory: The term points to the final state of the new creation, where God's glory provides the ultimate illumination. The new city has no need for sun or moon because the glory of God did lighten it Revelation 21:23, and the Lord God giveth them light Revelation 22:5.

Summary

In summary, phōtízō G5461 is a dynamic word that conveys much more than physical light. It describes the divine act of granting spiritual understanding, revealing the profound truths of the gospel, and ultimately, being the very source of eternal light in the age to come. It powerfully illustrates the movement from darkness and ignorance to the light of God's knowledge and presence.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 11 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Active Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 7 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (3 verses); never once in the other 20.

Luke

John

1 Corinthians

Ephesians

2 Timothy

Hebrews

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.