Greek word · G4034

περιλάμπω

perilampō

to shine around

'To shine around, illuminate all around.' A rare compound.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

περι-λάμπω

to shine around: with accusative, Luke 2:9, Acts 26:13.†

(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 Luke 2:9

Range of meaning

'To shine around, illuminate all around.' A rare compound.

Against the English

All major versions give 'shone around' or 'shone round about', which is accurate. NLT's 'surrounded them' keeps the enclosing sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Its only other New Testament use is Acts 26:13, where Paul describes 'a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me' on the Damascus road. Luke uses a similar compound (periastraptō, 'flash around') in Acts 9:3 and 22:6.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 2:9 περιέλαμψεν shone around

    Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

    Here: 'Shone all around': peri- ('around') + lampō ('to shine'). The light did not just appear in front of them; it surrounded them on every side. The only other New Testament use is Acts 26:13, the light around Paul on the Damascus road.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 26:13 περιλάμψαν having shone around

    About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.