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Revelation

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G602

ἀποκάλυψις

apokalupsis — revelation

ἀπο-κάλυψις, -εως, ἡ (ἀποκαλύπτω), [in LXX: 1Ki.20:30 (עֶרְוָה), Sir.11:27 22:22 42:1 * ;] an uncovering, laying bare (Plut.). Metaphorical, a reveal­ing, revelation: a disclosure of divine truth, or a manifestion from God: Luk.2:32 Rom.2:5 8:19 16:25, 1Co.1:7 14:6 14:26, 2Co.12:1 12:7, Gal.1:12 2:2, Eph.1:17 3:3 2Th.1:7 1Pe.1:7 1:13 4:13, Rev.1:1.† SYN.: ἐπιφάνεια, παρουσία, φανέρωσις (see Tr., Syn., xciv; Lft., Notes, 102, 178; Westc, Eph., 178 f.; M, Th., 145 ff.; Cremer, 343) (AS)

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GREEK · G5321

φανέρωσις

phanerōsis — revelation

φανέρωσις, -εως, ἡ (φανερόω), [in LXX as seel. for δήλωσις אוּרִים), Lev.8:8, Cod. Ven. (Thayer, see word) * ;] manifestation: 1Co.12:7, 2Co.4:2.† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3381

יָרַד

ya.rad — to go down

1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5002

נְאֻם

ne.um — utterance

1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H241

אֹ֫זֶן

o.zen — ear

: ear 1) ear, as part of the body 2) ear, as organ of hearing 3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation

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GREEK · G3466

μυστήριον

mustērion — mystery

μυστήρισν, -ου, τό (μυέω), [in LXX: Dan LXX TH Dan.2:18 ff. (רָז), Tob.12:7, 11, Jdth.2:2, Wis.2:22 6:22 14:15, 23, Sir.3:18 22:22 27:16-17, 21, 2Ma.13:21 * ;] 1. that which is known to the μύστης (initiated), a mystery or secret doctrine, mostly in pl., τὰ μ. (Æsch., Hdt., al.). 2. In later writers (Menand., Incert., 168), that which may not be revealed (not, however, as in the modern sense, intrinsically difficult to understand), a secret or mystery of any kind (To, Jth, 2Mac, ll, with). 3. In NT, of the counsels of God (cf. Th.: Job.15:8, Psa.25:14 for סוֹד), once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; (a) of the Christian revelation generally : Rom.16:25, 1Co.2:7, Col.1:26-27, Eph.3:3, 9; τ. βασιλείας τ. θεοῦ, Mrk.4:11; τ. θεοῦ, 1Co.2:1, Rev.10:7; τ. θ., Χριστοῦ, Col.2:2; τ. Χριστοῦ., Col.4:3, Eph.3:4; τ. θελήματος αὐτοῦ, Eph.1:9; τ. εὐαγγελίον, Eph.6:19; τ. πίστεως, 1Ti.3:9; τ. εὐσεβείας, 1Ti.3:16; (b) of particular truths, or details, of the Christian revelation : Rom.11:25, 1Co.15:51, Eph.5:32, 2Th.2:7, Rev.1:20 17:5, 7; pl., τὰ μ., 1Co.13:2 14:2; θεοῦ, 1Co.4:1; τ. βασιλείας τ. οὐρανῶν (θεοῦ), Mat.13:11, Luk.8:10 (cf. Westc., Eph., 180 ff.; AR, Eph., 234 ff.; Lft., Col., 165 f.; Hatch, Essays, 57 f.; DB, iii, 465 ff.; DCG, ii, 213 ff.).† (AS)

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GREEK · G601

ἀποκαλύπτω

apokaluptō — to reveal

ἀπο-καλύπτω [in LXX chiefly for גָּלָה ] 1. in general sense (cl.), to reveal, uncover, disclose, (a) of things: Mat.10:26, Luk.2:35 12:2, 1Co.3:13; (b) of persons: pass., Christ, Luk.17:30; Antichrist, 2Th.2:3 2:6 2:8 2. In LXX and NT, in special sense of divine revelation: Mat.11:25 (on the tense, see M, Pr., 136), ib. Mat.11:27 16:17, Luk.10:21-22, Jhn.12:38, Rom.1:17-18 8:18, 1Co.2:10 14:30, Gal.1:16 3:23, Eph.3:5, Php.3:15, 1Pe.1:5-12 5:1 (Westc., Eph., 178 f.; M, Th., 149 f.).† SYN.: φανερόω (see Thayer, 62; Cremer, 342).† (AS)

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Historical dictionary entry

An uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Heb. 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (See WORD OF GOD.) The Scriptures are not merely the “record” of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate presevation and propagation of the truth. Revelation and inspiration differ. Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind; inspiration (q.v.) secures to the teacher or writer infallibility in communicating that truth to others. It renders its subject the spokesman or prophet of God in such a sense that everything he asserts to be true, whether fact or doctrine or moral principle, is true, infallibly true.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Revelation in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →