ὀφθαλμός G3788
Eye, eyes — the organ of sight; figuratively, spiritual perception, moral disposition, or the focal point of desire and judgment
Ophthalmos spans literal and figurative territory across its 100 New Testament occurrences. Physically, it denotes the organ of sight in healing narratives — Jesus touches blind eyes and they see (Matt 9:29-30; John 9:6). Figuratively, Jesus calls the eye 'the lamp of the body,' through which light or darkness enters the whole person (Matt 6:22-23). Paul prays that 'the eyes of your heart' be enlightened (Eph 1:18), while the 'evil eye' in Semitic idiom signals envy or grudging generosity (Matt 20:15; Mark 7:22). The eye thus becomes a window into the moral and spiritual condition of the whole person, a metaphor equally at home in Spanish 'ojos,' French 'oeil,' and German 'Auge.'
Senses
1. eye, eyes (organ of sight) — The physical organ of sight, used literally for seeing and blindness (Matt 9:29-30; John 9:10-11) and figuratively as a lens into the moral and spiritual condition of the person. Jesus' teaching that 'the eye is the lamp of the body' (Matt 6:22-23) makes the eye a barometer of inner light or darkness. Paul extends the metaphor to spiritual perception — 'the eyes of your heart' (Eph 1:18). The Semitic 'evil eye' idiom for envy (Matt 20:15) adds a further moral layer. Spanish 'ojos,' French 'oeil,' and German 'Auge' all preserve the literal-to-figurative range without needing separate lexemes. 100×
AR["أَعيُنُنا", "أَعيُنِ", "أَعْيُنًا", "أَعْيُنٍ", "أَعْيُنَهُمْ", "أَعْيُنُ", "أَعْيُنُهُمْ", "عَيناهُما", "عَينَينِ", "عَينَيهِما", "عَيْنَايَ", "عَيْنَيْنِ", "عَيْنَيْهِ", "عُيونُ", "عُيونِ", "عُيُونَهُم", "عُيُونُكُم", "عُيُونُهُمْ", "عُيُونِ"]·ben["চোখ", "চোখগুলি", "চোখগুলো", "চোখে", "চোখের"]·DE["Auge", "Augen"]·EN["eyes", "the-eyes"]·FR["œil"]·heb["עֵינֵיהֶם", "עֵינֵינוּ", "עֵינַי", "עֵינַיִם", "עֵינָיו"]·HI["अअनखेइन", "अअनखेन", "अअनखोन-को", "अअनखोन-से", "आँखें", "आँखों", "आँखों-को", "आंखें", "आंखों", "आंखों-ने"]·ID["itu", "mata", "mata-mata"]·IT["occhio"]·jav["Mripat", "mripat", "mripat,", "mripat;", "paningal"]·KO["눈들", "눈들-을", "눈들-이", "눈들에", "눈들을", "눈들이", "눈으로", "눈은", "눈을", "눈이"]·PT["olhos"]·RU["глаз", "глаза", "глазами", "глазах"]·ES["ojos"]·SW["macho", "macho;", "machoni", "mawili", "yetu"]·TR["göz", "gözler", "gözlerde", "gözlere", "gözleri", "gözlerim", "gözlerimiz", "gözlerimizde", "gözlerin", "gözlerine", "gözlerini", "gözlerinin", "gözlerinize", "gözleriyle"]·urd["آنکھوں", "آنکھوں-سے", "آنکھوں-نے", "آنکھوں-کو", "آنکھیں", "اپنی"]
Matt 9:29, Matt 9:30, Matt 13:15, Matt 13:15, Matt 13:16, Matt 17:8, Matt 18:9, Matt 20:33, Matt 21:42, Matt 26:43, Mark 8:18, Mark 8:25 (+38 more)
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
ὀφθαλμός, ὁ, (ὄπωπ-α, ὀφ-θῆναι, see at {ὄψ} B) eye, used by Refs 8th c.BC+ mostly in plural; ὀφθαλμοὶ δ᾽ ὡς εἰ κέρα ἕστασαν.. ἀτρέμας ἐν βλεφάροισι Refs 8th c.BC+: the plural continued most common, but the dual also occurs, as in Refs 5th c.BC+ before one's eyes, Refs 8th c.BC+; ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν, ὁρᾶσθαι, etc.,Refs 8th c.BC+; but ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ὁρᾶν, νοεῖν, to see before one's eyes,Refs 8th…