G3088 — λύχνος (lýchnos)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3088
Original: λύχνος
Transliteration: lýchnos
Pronunciation: lookh'-nos
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: λύχω (lýchō) — obsolete root meaning "to give light"; λυχνία (G3087, lampstand) is derived from this word
Occurrences: 14 in NT
First Occurrence: Mat 5:15 — "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

λύχνος, -ου, ὁ — a lamp, candle (that is placed on a stand or candlestick). The Septuagint's primary rendering of Hebrew נֵר (nêr, H5216). A portable oil lamp used for household illumination, distinguished from φῶς (the light itself) and λυχνία (the lampstand that holds it). In metaphorical usage: the eye as the lamp of the body (illuminating the person from within), OT prophecy as a lamp shining in darkness, a teacher compared to a burning light, and Christ as the lamp of the heavenly city.

(Thayer's Greek Lexicon)

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 006014 — Lights and Light Holders
Broader domain: 006 — Artifacts
Other words in subdomain: λαμπάς (G2985), λυχνία (G3087), φανός (G5322), φῶς (G5457)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

Domain: 006 — Artifacts
Representative neighbors: ἀγγεῖον (G30), ἄγγος (G30), ἄγκιστρον (G44), ἄγκυρα (G45), ἀλάβαστρος (G211), ἀλόη (G250)

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
a candle	4	28.6%
light	4	28.6%
candle	3	21.4%
lights	1	7.1%
of a candle	1	7.1%
unto a light	1	7.1%

KJV's use of "candle" is a period rendering; the actual object is an oil lamp, not a wax candle. "Light" translations appear where the lamp functions metaphorically.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Luke	6	0.5
Revelation	3	0.7
Matthew	2	0.2
2 Peter	1	1.6
John	1	0.1
Mark	1	0.1

Luke dominates in raw count (6 of 14 uses), largely through parallel traditions and unique material. 2 Peter has the highest concentration (1.6 per 100 verses) — its single use is the famous "light shining in a dark place" (2 Pet 1:19). All 14 occurrences are in the NT; λύχνος has no Septuagint occurrences in the NT corpus.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Literal Household Lamp — Placed on a Stand¶

The lamp's basic function: light a room by placing it on a lampstand (λυχνία), not hiding it.

Mat 5:15 — "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house"
Mark 4:21 — "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?"
Luke 15:8 — "doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?"

2. The Eye as Lamp of the Body¶

The eye illuminates the whole person; spiritual "singleness" of eye keeps the body full of light.

Mat 6:22 — "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light"
Luke 11:34 — "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light"
Luke 11:36 — "If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light"

3. Metaphorical Lamp — Person or Prophecy¶

A person or body of writing that functions as a lamp, giving light before the fuller revelation arrives.

John 5:35 — "He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light" (John the Baptist)
2 Pet 1:19 — "ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (OT prophecy)

4. Vigilant Readiness — Lamps Burning¶

Disciples as lamp-bearers awaiting their master; readiness expressed through kept-burning lamps.

Luke 12:35 — "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning"

5. Eschatological Absence — No Lamp Needed¶

Revelation's three uses all concern the end state where lamps become unnecessary (Babylon's destruction; New Jerusalem; eternal day).

Rev 18:23 — "the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee" (Babylon's permanent desolation)
Rev 21:23 — "the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof"
Rev 22:5 — "they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
λυχνία (lychnía)	G3087	4x (29%)	lamp placed on the lampstand
φῶς (phōs)	G5457	4x (29%)	lamp as source of light
φαίνω (phaínō)	G5316	4x (29%)	lamp shines / gives light
τίθημι (títhēmi)	G5087	4x (29%)	lamp set/placed (on stand or under vessel)
ἅπτω (háptō)	G0681	3x (21%)	light/kindle a lamp
μόδιος (módios)	G3426	3x (21%)	lamp hidden under a bushel
σῶμα (sōma)	G4983	3x (21%)	lamp of the body (eye teaching)
φωτεινός (phōteinós)	G5460	3x (21%)	body full of light when lamp illumines
φωτίζω (phōtízō)	G5461	3x (21%)	lamp that enlightens
καίω (kaíō)	G2545	3x (21%)	burning lamp

Word Family / Cognates¶

G3087 λυχνία (lychnía) — lampstand, candlestick; the stand on which the λύχνος rests (10 NT uses)

Synonyms¶

λαμπάς (G2985)
φωτισμός (G5462)

Antonyms¶

ἡλίου — the sun/light-of-the-sun contrast in Revelation's "no candle, neither light of the sun" scenes (Rev 21:23; 22:5)

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 006014)¶

Word	Strong's	Total vv	KJV Translation	Key Difference
λαμπάς (lampás)	G2985	8	lamps, a lamp	A torch or wick-lamp carried in hand; lýchnos is the household lamp set on a stand
λυχνία (lychnía)	G3087	10	candlestick	The stand holding the lamp; lýchnos is what sits on top
φανός (phanós)	G5322	1	lanterns	A lantern (enclosed lamp); used once for lanterns at Gethsemane
φῶς (phōs)	G5457	48	light	The light phenomenon itself; lýchnos is the physical object emitting it

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
φῶς (phōs)	G5457	"light" (4 uses each)	phōs = the light itself (phenomenon); lýchnos = the lamp (object that produces it)

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
נֵר (nêr) / נִיר (nîyr)	H5216	35	9.04	Primary; Thayer notes lýchnos is the LXX's standard translation of נֵר
מְנוֹרָה (mᵉnôrâh)	H4501	11	7.85	The menorah / lampstand; LXX sometimes uses λύχνος in lampstand contexts
מָאוֹר (mâʼôwr)	H3974	4	7.49	Light-bearer / luminary; broader term
כָּבָה (kâbâh)	H3518	4	6.78	To extinguish (a lamp) — context-driven alignment

H5216 (נֵר) is the dominant Hebrew source — the common word for an oil lamp, used of the menorah lamps, the tabernacle lamp, and the metaphorical lamp of David (2 Sam 21:17).