Greek word · G2397
ἰδέα
idea
appearance
Outward appearance, look, form, aspect; the visible character of a thing or person. In philosophy (Plato) it became the technical term for an ideal 'Form', but in ordinary Koine it simply means how something looks.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
ἰδέα, -ας, ἡ, see: εἰδέα
εἰδέα (Rec. ἰδ-, as in cl.; see Tdf., Pr., 81), -ας, ἡ (εἶδον), [in LXX (seel. ἰδ-): Genesis 5:3 (דְּמוּת), Daniel 1:13 (מַרְאֶה), Ep. Jer.63, 2Ma.3:16 * ;]
appearance, look: Matthew 28:3.†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Matthew 28:3
- Range of meaning
Outward appearance, look, form, aspect; the visible character of a thing or person. In philosophy (Plato) it became the technical term for an ideal 'Form', but in ordinary Koine it simply means how something looks.
- Against the English
BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV and NASB have 'appearance', which is accurate. KJV and YLT have 'countenance', which today means the face or its expression. NLT has 'face shone', which narrows it to the face.
- How it drifted
The English word 'idea' comes from this Greek word through Plato and Latin, but it has nothing to do with this verse. 'Countenance' in 1611 could mean general bearing or aspect, but readers now take it as 'face'.
- Used elsewhere in the period
LXX Genesis 5:3 (Seth born 'according to the form' of Adam); 2 Maccabees 3:16, where the high priest's look (ἰδέα) shows his inner distress; common in papyri and Hellenistic prose for a person's looks. NT: only here.
Where it appears
Matthew · 1
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Matthew 28:3 εἰδέα appearance
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Here: His whole visible look, how he appeared to anyone watching. It is not limited to his face. This is the only time the word appears in the New Testament.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.