"to cause to appear, bring to light; absol. to shine, Jn. 1:5; 5:35; 2 Pet. 1:19; 1 Jn. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 8:12; 21:23; mid./pass. to be seen, appear, be visible, Mt. 1:20; 2:7, 13, 19; τὰ φαινόμενα, things visible, things obvious to the senses, Heb. 11:3; φαίνομαι, to appear, seen, ..."
Definition and meaning
to cause to appear, bring to light; absol. to shine, Jn. 1:5; 5:35; 2 Pet. 1:19; 1 Jn. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 8:12; 21:23; mid./pass. to be seen, appear, be visible, Mt. 1:20; 2:7, 13, 19; τὰ φαινόμενα, things visible, things obvious to the senses, Heb. 11:3; φαίνομαι, to appear, seen, be in appearance, Mt. 23:27; Lk. 24:11; to appear in thought, seen in idea, be a notion, Mk. 14:64
In the original Greek the word is written: φαίνω
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 phaino (G5316) across the King James Bible.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G5316 (phaino) is a Greek word that means: to cause to appear, bring to light; absol. to shine, Jn. 1:5; 5:35; 2 Pet. 1:19; 1 Jn. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 8:12; 21:23; mid./pass. to be seen, appear, be visible, Mt. 1:20; 2:7, 13, 19; τὰ φαινόμενα, thin... It appears 31 times in the King James Bible.
The word phaino (G5316) appears 31 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5316 is phaino, a Greek word defined as: to cause to appear, bring to light; absol. to shine, Jn. 1:5; 5:35; 2 Pet. 1:19; 1 Jn. 2:8; Rev. 1:16; 8:12; 21:23; mid./pass. to be seen, appear, be . James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
phaino is a Greek word found in the New Testament.