Greek word · G5353

φθόγγος

phthongos

sound

A clear, carrying sound: the note of a musical instrument, a voice, the call of a bird or animal. It stresses the audible sound rather than the content of what is said. Paul uses it in only one other place, 1 Corinthians 14:7, for the distinct notes of a flute or harp.

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

What it means

φθόγγος, -ου, ὁ

(φθέγγομαι), [in LXX: Psalms 19:4 (קַו), Wisdom of Solomon 19:18 * ;]

a sound: Romans 10:18 (LXX) 1 Corinthians 14:7.†

(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 Romans 10:18

Range of meaning

A clear, carrying sound: the note of a musical instrument, a voice, the call of a bird or animal. It stresses the audible sound rather than the content of what is said. Paul uses it in only one other place, 1 Corinthians 14:7, for the distinct notes of a flute or harp.

Against the English

KJV and WEB say "sound", which is closest to the Greek. BSB, NIV and ESV say "voice", which suits the parallel with "words" but loses the sense of a tone ringing out that need not be words at all.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in classical Greek for musical notes and voices. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) it renders Psalm 19:4 (Greek numbering 18:5). There it describes the heavens: "there is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard", and yet their "sound" goes out everywhere. Wisdom of Solomon 19:18 also uses it for the notes of a harp.

Similar words

Where it appears

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 10:18 φθόγγος voice

    But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

    Here: A sound that carries: the tone of an instrument or a voice ringing out. In the psalm it is the wordless "voice" of the sky. Here it is the sound of the messengers' proclamation.

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:7 φθόγγοις sounds

    Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?

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