φωνή
phōnḗ · G5456 · Greek · 139 occurrences
Meanings
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sound
Any type of sound, including human speech, but normally a distinctive type of sound as opposed to confused noise
ExamplesLuke 1:44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”
Acts 2:6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
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voice
The human voice as an instrument of communication
ExamplesMatthew 3:3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”
Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 12:19 “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
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cry, shout
The sound of a cry or shout
ExamplesMatthew 2:18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LEMA SABAKTANEI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit.
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language
A verbal code, whether oral or written, as a basic means of communication
Examples1 Corinthians 14:10 There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning.
1 Corinthians 14:11 So if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be unintelligible to the one who speaks, and the one who speaks will be unintelligible to me.
2 Peter 2:16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.
How it’s used In 9 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
54 occurrences in 31 groups
- αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 14
- ἐγώI, we 5
- βοάωto cry out 4
- βροντήthunder 3
- ὕδωρwater 3
- Other words · 26 groups that occur once or twice (29) 29
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
51 occurrences in 9 groups
- μέγαςgreat, large 39
- οὗτοςthis 4
- Other words · 7 groups that occur once or twice (8) 8
Named alongside itApposition
8 occurrences in 8 groups
- ἀκούωto hear 3
- εἷςone 1
- κλαυθμόςweeping, wailing 1
- κράζωto cry out, to shout 1
- λαλέωto speak 1
- ἀναγινώσκωto read 1
What it doesIt is the subject
48 occurrences in 12 groups
- λέγωto say 18
- γίνομαιto become, to happen, to be 15
- ἀκούωto hear 4
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
What is done to itIt is the object
37 occurrences in 11 groups
- ἀκούωto hear 22
- ἐπαίρωto lift up, to raise 4
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12
What it is said to bePredicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- κιθαρίζωto play a lyre 1
- φωνήvoice, sound 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- ἐγώI, we 1
- φωνήvoice, sound 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
10 occurrences in 4 groups
- ἐνin 13
- διάthrough 2
- μετάwith, after 2
- ἐκfrom 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- γένοςfamily, race, kind 1
- δύναμιςpower, mighty deed 1
- ἡμέραday 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 3 words
- קוֹל qôwl · H6963 · sound, noise, cry
- Hebrew קוֹל and Greek φωνή are direct translation equivalents, both denoting voice, sound, or an audible tone, spanning human speech, animal cries, and inanimate noise. φωνή serves as the standard Greek rendering for the full semantic range of the Hebrew term.
- קָל qâl · H7032 · sound, voice
- φωνή (phōnḗ, G5456) is the standard Greek equivalent for Aramaic קָל (qâl, H7032), both denoting sound or voice as core sense; the pair represents direct cross-linguistic semantic equivalence between sister-language cognates (Hebrew קוֹל / Aramaic קָל) and their Greek rendering.
- תְּרוּעָה tᵉrûwʻâh · H8643 · shout, cry, call
- φωνή (phōnḗ, G5456) is the broad Greek term for any vocal sound or voice, while תְּרוּעָה (tᵉrûwʻâh, H8643) specifically denotes loud, celebratory, or alarm sounds (shouts, trumpet blasts, joyful noise), representing a semantically narrower subset of vocal/sound phenomena that φωνή encompasses in LXX translation contexts.
Semantic domains 4 entries
- Sound14.74
- 1 Corinthians 14:8 asks, “if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?”
- Language33.1
- 1 Corinthians 14:10 says, “There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and none is incapable of meaning.”
- Voice33.103
- John 5:28 has Jesus say, “Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice.”
- Cry, shout33.80
- Acts 19:34 recounts that “a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Word family 13 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Also from the root φωνή
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon φωνῆς, ἡ (φάω) to shine, make clear (cf. Curtius, § 407; Liddell and Scott, under the…
1. a sound, tone: of inanimate things, as of musical instruments, Mt 24:31 (T omits φωνῆς, WH give it only in marginal reading; cf. Buttmann, § 132, 10); 1 Cor 14:7; Rev 14:2; Rev 18:22 (Isa 18:3; Isa 24:8; Sir. 50:16; 1 Macc. 5:31; ὀργάνων, Plato, de rep. 3, p. 397a; συριγγων, Euripides, Tro. 127; ψαλτηρίου καί αὐλοῦ, Plutarch, mor., p. 713 c.); of wind, Jn 3:8; Acts 2:6; of thunder, Rev 6:1; Rev 14:2; Rev 19:6, cf. Rev 4:5; Rev 8:5; Rev 11:19; ; noise, of a millstone, Rev 18:22; of a thronging multitude, Rev 19:1, Rev 19:6; of chariots, Rev 9:9; of wings, whir (Ezek 1:24), ibid.; of waters (Ezek 1:24; Ezek 1:4 Esdr. 6:17 [2 Esdras 6:17>]), Rev 1:15; Rev 14:2; Rev 19:6; also with the genitive of a thing implying speech, the sound (A. V. voice): τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ, Lk 1:44; ῤημάτων, Heb 12:19; the cry (of men), φωνή μεγάλη, a loud cry, Mk 15:37; the clamor of men making a noisy demand, Lk 23:28, cf. Acts 19:34; absolutely, a cry i. e. wailing, lamentation, Mt 2:18 (from Jer 38:15).
2. a voice, i. e. the sound of uttered words: λαλεῖν φωνάς, Rev 10:3; those who begin to cry out or call to anyone are said τήν φωνήν αἴρειν, Lk 17:13; πρός τινα, Acts 4:24; φωνήν ἐπαίρειν, Lk 11:27; Acts 2:14; Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22; (φωνῆς... ἐκέκραξα (or ἐκκράζειν), Acts 24:21 (cf. Buttmann, § 143, 11)); φωνή μεγάλη added to verbs: to λέγειν, Rev 5:12; Rev 8:13; (ἐν φωνή μεγάλη Rev 14:7 (Lachmann omits ἐν; )); to εἰπεῖν, Lk 8:28; Acts 14:10; to φάναι, Acts 26:24; to αἰνεῖν τόν Θεόν, Lk 19:37; with verbs of crying out, shouting: ἀναβοαν, Mt 27:46 (R G L text T); βοᾶν (Mt 27:46 L marginal reading Tr WH); Mk 15:34; Acts 8:7; φώνειν, (Mk 1:26 T Tr WH); Lk 23:46; Acts 16:28; (Rev 14:18 L T Tr WH); ἀναφωνεῖν, Lk 1:42 (R G L Tr marginal reading); κηρύσσειν (ἐν φωνή μεγάλη), Rev 5:2 (Rec. omits ἐν); κραυγάζειν, Jn 11:43; ἀνακράζειν, Lk 4:33; κράζειν. Mt 27:50; Mk 1:26 (R G L); ; Acts 7:57, Acts 7:60; Rev 6:10; Rev 7:2, Rev 7:10; Rev 10:3; ( Rec.); ; κράζων ἐν φωνή μεγάλη Rev 14:15; ἐν ἰσχυρά φωνή, Rev 18:2 (G L T Tr WH); μετά φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τόν Θεόν, Lk 17:15; of declarations from heaven, heard through no speaker is seen: ἰδού φωνή λέγουσα, Mt 3:17; Mt 17:5; ἔρχεται φωνή, Mk 9:7 (R G L Tr text); Jn 12:28; ἐξέρχεται, Rev 16:17; Rev 19:5; γίνεται φωνή, Mk 1:11 (T omits; WH brackets ἐγένετο; T Tr marginal reading WH); Lk 3:22; Lk 9:35; Jn 12:30; (Acts 7:31 (where Rec. adds πρός αὐτόν)); πρός τινα, Acts 10:13, Acts 10:15; (φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ, 2 Pet 1:17); ἐγένοντο φωναί μεγάλαι, Rev 11:15; (ἀπεκρίθη φωνή, Acts 11:9); ἀκούειν φωνήν (cl. Buttmann, §§ 132, 17; 144, 16 α.), Acts 9:4; Acts 22:9,(14); ; 2 Pet 1:18; Rev 1:10; Rev 4:1 (Buttmann, § 129, 8 b.); Rev 6:6 (here L T Tr WH insert ὡς), Rev 6:7 (here G omits; Tr brackets φωνήν); Rev 9:13 (Buttmann, as above); Rev 10:4, Rev 10:8, Rev 11:12 (R G L WH marginal reading); Rev 12:10; Rev 14:2; Rev 18:4; ; ἀκούειν φωνῆς (Buttmann, § 132, 17; Winer's Grammar, § 30, 7d.), Acts 9:7; Acts 11:7; Acts 22:7; Rev. ( T Tr WH text); Rev 14:13; Rev 16:1; ; βλέπειν τήν φωνήν, i. e. the one who uttered the voice, Rev 1:12. φωνή with a genitive of the subject: βοῶντος, Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23, all from Isa 40:3; (ἀγγέλου ὅταν μέλλῃ σαλπίζειν, Rev 10:7); ἡ φωνή τίνος, the natural (familiar) sound of one's voice, Acts 12:14; Rev 3:20 (Song of Solomon 5:2); the manner of speaking, as a shepherd's (cry or call to iris sheep), Jn 10:3-5; to such 'voices' Jesus likens his precepts approved (`heard') by all the good, Jn 10:16, Jn 10:27, cf. 18:37; ἀνθρώπου, human utterance, 2 Pet 2:16; φωνή τίνος, the voice of a clamorous person, Mt 12:19 (Isa 42:2); of one exulting, jubilant, Jn 3:29; Rev 18:23; ἀγγέλων πολλῶν, singing the praises of Christ, Rev 5:11f; the sound of the words of Christ as he shall recall the dead to life (the Resurrection-cry), Jn 5:25, Jn 5:28; ἀρχαγγέλου, the awakening shout of the archangel, the leader of the angelic host, 1 Thess 4:16; τοῦ Θεοῦ, of God — teaching, admonishing, whether in the O. T. Scriptures or in the gospel, Jn 5:37; Heb 3:7, Heb 3:15; Heb 4:7; shaking the earth, Heb 12:26; the speech, discourse, Θεοῦ... οὐκ ἀνθρώπου, Acts 12:22; (τάς φωνάς τῶν προφητῶν, the predictions (`read every sabbath'), Acts 13:27); ἀλλάξαι τήν φωνήν. (See ἀλλάσσω), Gal 4:20. Gal 4:3. speech, i. e. a language, tongue: 1 Cor 14:10f (Josephus, contra Apion 1, 1; (1, 9, 2; 1, 14, 1, etc.); Cebes () tab. 33; Aelian v. h. 12, 48; (Diogenes Laërtius 8, 3; for other examples from Greek writings see Passow, under the word, p. 2377{b}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 3); Gen 11:1; Deut 28:49; τῇ Ἑβραΐδι φωνή, 4 Macc. 12:7; τῇ πατρίῳ φωνή, 2 Macc. 7:8, 21, 27). (Synonym: cf. Schmidt, chapter 1 § 27; Trench, § lxxxix.; and see λαλέω, at the beginning.)
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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