G0455 G0455
To open or be opened; of doors, eyes, mouths, seals, and heavens — in active, passive, and stative uses.
Greek anoigo is the standard verb for opening throughout the New Testament, applied to physical objects (doors, books, tombs) and to metaphorical openings (eyes, mouths, heavens). Spanish distinguishes 'abrió' (active) from 'fue abierto' (passive), revealing voice distinctions that English often flattens. The word carries special theological weight when the heavens are 'opened' (Matt 3:16 at Jesus' baptism) or when sealed scrolls are opened in Revelation. The perfect participle creates a distinctive stative sense — something standing open as a result of prior action — as in the open heaven of John 1:51.
Senses
1. to open (transitive) — The active, transitive use: an agent opens something — a door, gate, mouth, book, seal, or eyes. In Matt 2:11, the magi open their treasures; in Matt 5:2, Jesus opens his mouth to teach; in Matt 13:35, Scripture is fulfilled through parables that 'open' hidden things. Spanish 'abrió' and German 'öffnet' both clearly mark the transitive agency. This is the most frequent use, appearing across narrative, discourse, and apocalyptic genres. 46×
AR["تَفْتَحْ", "فَتَحَ", "فَتَحَت", "فَتَحَتْ"]·ben["খুলল", "খুললেন", "খুলে-দিয়েছিলেন", "খুলে-দিয়েছে", "খুলে-দিলেন", "তিনি-খুললেন", "তিনি-খুলে-দিয়েছেন", "সে-খুলল", "সে-খুলে-দিয়েছিল", "সে-খুলে-দিয়েছে"]·DE["oeffnen", "öffnet"]·EN["did-he-open", "he-opened", "opened", "she-opened"]·FR["ouvrir"]·heb["פָּקְחָה", "פָּקַח", "פָּתְחָה", "פָּתַח"]·HI["-दरवाज़े", "उसने-खोला", "उसने-खोली", "खोला", "खोली", "खोलीं"]·ID["Dia-membuka", "Ia-membuka", "ia-membuka", "membuka"]·IT["aprire"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-mbikak", "mbikak", "piyambakipun-mbikak"]·KO["그-", "여셨다", "열었는가", "열었는지", "열었다", "열었다고", "열었으니", "열었을", "열지"]·PT["abriu"]·RU["отворила-она", "открыл", "открыла", "разверзла"]·ES["abrió"]·SW["akafungua", "alifungua", "alipofungua", "ikafungua"]·TR["açtı"]·urd["کھول-دیے", "کھولا", "کھولیں"]
Matt 2:11, Matt 5:2, Matt 13:35, Matt 17:27, Matt 25:11, Luke 12:36, Luke 13:25, John 9:14, John 9:17, John 9:21, John 9:26, John 9:30 (+34 more)
2. to be opened (passive) — The passive use: something is opened by divine or external agency. When the heavens are 'opened' at Jesus' baptism (Matt 3:16), or when Jesus promises 'knock and it will be opened' (Matt 7:7), the passive voice often implies God as the unspoken agent — a theological passive. Spanish 'fue abierto/abierta' explicitly marks this grammatically. The blind receive sight when their eyes 'are opened' (Matt 9:30), a passive that underscores divine healing power rather than human effort. 20×
AR["انفَتَحَ", "انفَتَحَت", "انفَتَحَتْ", "انْفَتَحَ", "انْفَتَحَتِ", "انْفَتَحَتْ", "اِنْفَتَحَ", "تُفتَحَ", "فُتِحَ", "فُتِحَتْ", "يُفتَحُ", "يُفْتَحُ", "ٱنْفَتَحَتْ"]·ben["খুলল", "খুলে-গেল", "খোলা", "খোলা-আছে", "খোলা-হবে", "খোলা-হয়", "খোলা-হল"]·DE["oeffnen", "öffnet"]·EN["has-been-opened", "has-opened", "it-will-be-opened", "may-be-opened", "opened", "to-be-opened", "was-opened", "were-opened"]·FR["ouvrir"]·heb["יִפָּתַח", "נִפְקְחוּ", "נִפְתְּח-וּ", "נִפְתְּחוּ", "נִפְתַּח", "תִּפָּקַחְנָה"]·HI["खुल-गईं", "खुल-गए", "खुल-गया", "खुल-जअयेइन", "खुलना", "खुला", "खुला-है", "खुलीं", "खोला-गया", "खोला-जाएगा", "खोली-गई", "खोली-गईं", "सुना"]·ID["akan-dibukakan", "dibuka", "dibukakan", "telah-terbuka", "terbuka", "terbukalah"]·IT["aprire"]·jav["Kabikak", "badhe-dipun-bikak", "badhé-kabikak", "dipun-bikak", "kabikak", "menga,", "sampun-kabikak", "«menga"]·KO["뜨이도록", "열렸는가", "열렸다", "열렸으니", "열리기-를", "열리니라", "열리리라"]·PT["Abriram-se", "abrir-se", "abriram-se", "está-aberta", "foi-aberta", "foi-aberto", "foram-abertos", "sejam-abertos", "será-aberto"]·RU["Отворились", "была-раскрыта", "были-раскрыты", "отверзлись", "отверста", "откроется", "открылись", "открылся", "открыты", "открыться"]·ES["abrirse", "fue-abierta", "fue-abierto", "fue-abierto,", "fueron-abiertas", "fueron-abiertos", "fueron-abiertos;", "le‒será‒abierto", "os‒será‒abierto", "se-abrieron", "se-abrió", "se-ha-abierto", "se-le-abrirá", "se-os-abrirá", "sean-abiertos"]·SW["-", "Kikafunguliwa", "a-ta-funguliwa.", "atafunguliwa", "ikafunguka", "kikafunguliwa,", "kimefunguliwa", "likafunguliwa", "mta-funguliwa", "mtafunguliwa", "ukafunguka", "umefunguliwa", "vikafunguliwa;", "yakafunguka", "yakafunguliwa", "yalifunguliwa", "zilifunguliwa"]·TR["açılacak", "açılacaktır", "açıldı", "açıldılar", "açılsın"]·urd["کھل-گئیں", "کھل-گئے", "کھل-گیا", "کھلا", "کھلا-ہے", "کھلے", "کھولا-جائے-گا", "کھولا-گیا", "کھولی", "کھولی-گئی", "کھولی-گئیں", "کھولیں", "کھُلا-ہے"]
Matt 3:16, Matt 7:7, Matt 7:8, Matt 9:30, Matt 20:33, Matt 27:52, Mark 7:35, Luke 1:64, Luke 3:21, Luke 11:9, Luke 11:10, John 9:10 (+8 more)
3. opened, standing open (stative) — The stative or resultative use, typically a perfect participle indicating that something stands in an open state. In John 1:51, Nathanael will see 'heaven opened' (standing open) — not the event of opening but the enduring condition. Acts 10:11 describes a vessel descending from 'the opened heaven.' Spanish distinguishes this with adjectival forms like 'abierta/abiertas/abierto.' Rom 3:13 quotes the Psalm: 'their throat is an open grave' — a vivid stative image of perpetual moral corruption. 11×
AR["المَفتوحَ", "مَفتوحًا", "مَفتوحٌ", "مَفتوحَةً", "مَفْتوحاً", "مَفْتوحٌ", "مَفْتوحَةً", "مَفْتُوحَةً"]·ben["খোলা", "খোলা,", "খোলা।"]·DE["oeffnen", "öffnet"]·EN["having-been-opened", "opened"]·FR["ouvrir"]·heb["בְּ-", "נִפְתְּחָה", "נִפְתָּחִים", "נִפְתָחִים", "פְּקוּחוֹת", "פְּתוּחָה", "פְּתוּחוֹת", "פְתוּחָה", "פָּתוּחַ"]·HI["खुला-हुआ", "खुला-हुआ,", "खुली-हुई", "खुली-हुई।", "खुले-हुए", "जो-खोला-गया-था"]·ID["terbuka", "terbuka,", "terbuka.", "yang-terbuka"]·IT["aprire"]·jav["dipun-bikakaken", "ingkang-kabikak", "ingkang-mbikak", "ingkang-menga", "kabikak", "kabikak,", "mbikak", "menga"]·KO["열렸으나", "열린", "열린-것-과", "열린-것-을"]·PT["aberta", "abertas", "aberto", "aberto,", "estando-abertos", "tendo-sido-aberta"]·RU["отверстое", "отворённая", "отворённую,", "открытое", "открытой", "открытые", "открытый", "открытых", "раскрытую", "раскрытую."]·ES["abierta", "abiertas", "abierto", "abierto,", "abiertos", "habiendo-sido-abierta"]·SW["imefunguliwa", "kilichofunguliwa", "kilichofunguliwa.", "lililo-wazi", "limefunguliwa,", "ukiwa-umefunguliwa", "uliofunguliwa", "uliofunguliwa,", "yakiwa-yamefunguliwa", "zimefunguliwa,"]·TR["açık", "açılmış", "içinde-"]·urd["کھلا-ہوا", "کھلی-ہوئی", "کھلے-ہوئے", "کھلے-ہوئے،", "کھُلا-ہوا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: ἀνοίγ-νῡμι Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀνοίγω Refs 5th c.BC+, and Attic dialect as Refs 4th c.BC+: imperfect ἀνἔῳγονRefs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect and Epic dialect ἀναοίγεσκονRefs 8th c.BC+: future ἀνοίξωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἀνέῳξαRefs 5th c.BC+participle ἀνεῴξας Refs; also ἤνοιξαRefs 5th c.BC+ and in late Prose; Ionic dialect ἄνοιξαRefs 5th c.BC+; poetry ἀνῷξαRefs 3rd c.BC+ M.: perfect…