Greek word · G991
βλέπω
blepō
to see
To see, look at, watch, pay attention to, consider. It can mean simply seeing, or looking with attention.
Appears 132 times in 116 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
βλέπω,
[in LXX chiefly for ראה, also for פּנה, etc. ;]
1. of bodily sight;
(a) to see, have sight (opposite to τυφλὸς): Matthew 12:22, John 9:7, Acts 9:9, Romans 11:8, Revelation 3:18, al.;
(b) to perceive, look (at), see: absol., Acts 1:9; with accusative, Matthew 7:3, Mark 5:31, Luke 6:41, John 1:29, al.; ὅραμα, Acts 12:9; γυναῖκα, Matthew 5:28; βιβλίον, Revelation 5:3, 4; τ. βλεπόμενα, 2 Corinthians 4:18.
2. Metaphorical, of mental vision;
(a) to see, perceive, discern: absol., Matthew 13:13, Luke 8:10; δι ̓ ἐσόπτρου, 1 Corinthians 13:12; with accusative, Hebrews 2:9 10:25; before ὅτι, Hebrews 3:19, James 2:22;
(b) to consider, look to, take heed: absol., Mark 13:23, 33; with accusative, 1 Corinthians 1:26, al.; before πῶς, with indic., Luke 8:18, 1 Corinthians 3:10, Ephesians 5:15; before τί, with indic., Mark 4:24; before εἰς πρόσωπον, of partiality, Matthew 22:16, Mark 12:14. Colloq. (for ex. from π., V. Deiss., LAE, 122; M, Pr., 107; MM, Exp., x; Milligan, NTD, 50), β. ἑαυτόν: Mark 13:9; before ἵνα μή, 2 John 1:8; β. ἀπό, Mark 8:15 12:38; before μή (cl. ὁρᾶν), with fut. indic., Colossians 2:8, Hebrews 3:12; id. with aor. subj., Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5.
3. Of situation and direction (Lat. specto), to look, face (towards), places, etc. (before πρός, Xen, Hell., vii, 1, 17; Ezekiel 40:23): before κατά, with accusative, Acts 27:12 (cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, δια-, ἐμ-, ἐπι-, περ-, προ-βλέπω), see DCG, i, 446; ii, 596.
(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 5:28
- Range of meaning
To see, look at, watch, pay attention to, consider. It can mean simply seeing, or looking with attention.
- Against the English
BSB and NIV say 'looks at', KJV 'looketh on', WEB 'gazes at', YLT 'is looking on'. WEB's 'gazes' and YLT's continuous 'is looking' bring out the ongoing present participle best.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Job 31:1: 'I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?' The Dead Sea Scrolls condemn 'eyes of fornication' (Damascus Document 2:16; Community Rule 1:6). Later rabbinic tradition (Massekhet Kallah) says that whoever looks at a woman with intent is as if he had lain with her.
- Range of meaning
To see with the eyes, look at, perceive, have in view. The present passive participle βλεπόμενος means 'visible, presently observable.'
- Against the English
English 'see' is accurate. The point is that in Paul's argument 'seen' means 'present, possessed, already here,' not only 'visible to the eye.' NIV's 'what they already have' brings out this sense.
- Used elsewhere in the period
2 Cor 4:18: 'we look not at what is seen (τὰ βλεπόμενα) but at what is unseen; what is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal.' Heb 11:1: faith is 'the conviction of things not seen (οὐ βλεπομένων).' Similar contrasts between the visible present and the unseen coming age appear in Jewish apocalyptic writings such as 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch.
From the study of Hebrews 11:1
- Range of meaning
Blepō: to see, look at, notice, watch out. The passive participle means 'things being seen' or 'visible things.'
- Against the English
English versions agree ('not seen', 'do not see'). The question is what kind of 'unseen' is meant.
- Used elsewhere in the period
2 Corinthians 4:18: 'the things that are seen are temporary, the things not seen are eternal.' 2 Corinthians 5:7: 'we walk by faith, not by sight.' Hebrews 11:3 says the visible world came from 'what is not visible'. 11:27 says Moses endured 'as seeing him who is invisible.'
Where it appears
Matthew · 20
Loading…
Mark · 15
Loading…
Luke · 16
Loading…
John · 17
Loading…
Acts · 13
Loading…
Romans · 6
Loading…
1 Corinthians · 7
Loading…
2 Corinthians · 7
Loading…
Galatians · 1
Loading…
Ephesians · 1
Loading…
Philippians · 3
Loading…
Colossians · 3
Loading…
Hebrews · 8
Loading…
James · 1
Loading…
2 John · 1
Loading…
Revelation · 13
Loading…
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.