Greek word · G5334
φάσις
phasis
news
Related to the verb φαίνω, 'to show, make known'. In Attic legal Greek it meant formal information laid against someone, a denunciation (for example, of illegal trading). In the papyri it means a report or information brought to an official. More broadly it is 'word, announcement'.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
φάσις, -εως, ἡ
(φαίνω), [in LXX: Esther 4:17, Da TH Su 1:55, 4Ma.15:25 א1 * ;]
information, esp. against fraud or other crime: Acts 21:31.†
(AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Related to the verb φαίνω, 'to show, make known'. In Attic legal Greek it meant formal information laid against someone, a denunciation (for example, of illegal trading). In the papyri it means a report or information brought to an official. More broadly it is 'word, announcement'.
- Against the English
KJV 'tidings', WEB 'news', BSB 'a report', YLT 'a rumour'. 'Rumour' is too weak: the word means information delivered to an official, not loose talk.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Used only here in the New Testament. The Theodotion Greek version of Susanna (v. 55) has an angel 'having received the word (φάσιν) from God', meaning the verdict. Moulton and Milligan cite papyri where it means information given to authorities.
Where it appears
Acts · 1
-
Acts 21:31 φάσις a report
While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.
Here: Used only here in the New Testament. It means information given to someone in authority, an official report rather than gossip. Most likely it came from the sentries watching the temple courts.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.