"an eye, Mt. 5:29, 38; 6:23; 7:3, 4, 5; ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, an evil eye, an envious eye, envy, Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22; met. the intellectual eye, Mt. 13:15; Mk. 8:18; Jn. 12:40; Acts 26:18"
Definition and meaning
an eye, Mt. 5:29, 38; 6:23; 7:3, 4, 5; ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, an evil eye, an envious eye, envy, Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22; met. the intellectual eye, Mt. 13:15; Mk. 8:18; Jn. 12:40; Acts 26:18
In the original Greek the word is written: ὀφθαλμός
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of ophthalmos (G3788) across the King James Bible.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
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Common questions
Strong's G3788 (ophthalmos) is a Greek word that means: an eye, Mt. 5:29, 38; 6:23; 7:3, 4, 5; ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, an evil eye, an envious eye, envy, Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22; met. the intellectual eye, Mt. 13:15; Mk. 8:18; Jn. 12:40; Acts 26:18 It appears 86 times in the King James Bible.
The word ophthalmos (G3788) appears 86 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G3788 is ophthalmos, a Greek word defined as: an eye, Mt. 5:29, 38; 6:23; 7:3, 4, 5; ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, an evil eye, an envious eye, envy, Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22; met. the intellectual eye, Mt. 13:15;. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
ophthalmos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.