G4639 — σκιά (skiá)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4639
Original: σκιά (σκιᾶς)
Transliteration: skiá
Pronunciation: skee-ah
Part of Speech: Feminine noun
Root: Apparently a primary word (no derivative root)
Occurrences: 7 unique verses in NT
First Occurrence: Matt 4:16 — "to them which sat in the region and shadow of death"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Thayer's: shade caused by the interception of light (literal), or shadow in the typological sense — an image cast by an object representing the form of that object.

(a) Literal shadow: Mark 4:32; Acts 5:15. In the set phrase σκιά θανάτου ("shadow of death") — "the densest darkness," tropically, the thick darkness of error and spiritual death: Matt 4:16; Luke 1:79 (from Isa 9:1, where the Hebrew is צַלְמָוֶת).

(b) Typological shadow: an outline or adumbration of the reality — contrasted with σῶμα (the body/substance itself) in Col 2:17, and with εἰκών (the express likeness/image itself) in Heb 10:1.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 014.007 — Darkness (physical sense: shadow as absence/interception of light) - 058.010 — Archetype, Corresponding Type [Antitype] (typological sense: shadow as precursor/representation) - Other words in 014.007: ἀποσκίασμα (G644), ἐπισκιάζω (G1982), κατασκιάζω (G2683), ζόφος (G2217), σκοτία (G4653), σκότος (G4655), νύξ (G3571) - Other words in 058.010: ἀντίτυπος (G499), τύπος (G5179), εἰκών (G1504), σῶμα (G4983), παραβολή (G3850)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [014] Physical Events and States - [058] Nature, Class, Example

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
shadow	4	57.1%
a shadow	2	28.6%
the shadow	1	14.3%

σκιά is rendered uniformly as "shadow" in all 7 occurrences.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Colossians	1	1.1
Hebrews	2	0.7
Matthew	1	0.1
Mark	1	0.1
Luke	1	0.1
Acts	1	0.1

Concentrated in the Pauline epistles and Hebrews, where the typological sense dominates. Synoptic/Acts uses are literal (σκιά θανάτου and Peter's shadow).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Physical Shade¶

Literal shadow cast by an object blocking light.

Mark 4:32 — "so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it" (mustard tree)
Acts 5:15 — "that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them"

2. Shadow of Death (σκιά θανάτου)¶

Set phrase for deep gloom, mortal peril, or spiritual darkness. OT background: Isa 9:1 / Ps 23:4 (LXX σκιά θανάτου = Heb צַלְמָוֶת).

Matt 4:16 — "to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up"
Luke 1:79 — "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace"

3. Typological Shadow (OT as foreshadowing of Christ)¶

The Law, festivals, and tabernacle worship are a shadow cast by the coming substance — Christ and heavenly realities.

Col 2:17 — "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ)
Heb 8:5 — "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things" (tabernacle as σκιά of the heavenly sanctuary)
Heb 10:1 — "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
μέλλω (méllō)	G3195	3x	"shadow of things to come" — typological formula
θάνατος (thánatos)	G2288	2x	σκιά θανάτου — compound "shadow of death"
κάθημαι (káthēmai)	G2521	2x	"those sitting in shadow of death" — Isa 9:1 echo
σκότος (skótos)	G4655	2x	paired with σκότος in darkness/death passages
εἰκών (eikṓn)	G1504	1x	σκιά contrasted with εἰκών in Heb 10:1 — shadow vs. true image

Word Family / Cognates¶

ἐπισκιάζω (G1982) — to overshadow (cloud overshadows at Transfiguration; Spirit overshadows Mary; Acts 5:15 uses this verb alongside σκιά)
κατασκιάζω (G2683) — to cover with shadow (cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat, Heb 9:5)
ἀποσκίασμα (G644) — shadow, variation (James 1:17 — "no shadow of turning" with God)

Synonyms¶

G4655 σκότος (skotos) — darkness; the closest broader NT darkness term in the same semantic field

Antonyms¶

G1504 εἰκών (eikōn) — image; Heb 10:1 contrasts shadow with the image itself
G4983 σῶμα (sōma) — body/substance; Col 2:17 contrasts shadow with the body/reality
G4407 πρωϊνός (prōinos) — morning; physical-light counterpart returned by search_relationships.py
G5462 φωτισμός (phōtismos) — illumination; explicit light/illumination opposite

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
σκοτία (skotía)	G4653	both in "darkness" semantic domain	σκοτία = active absence of light / moral darkness; σκιά = shadow cast by something else — implies a substance behind it
σκότος (skótos)	G4655	both paired with σκιά in same verses	σκότος = darkness as a state or realm; σκιά = shadow specifically (can be positive: shelter)
ἀποσκίασμα (G644)	G644	both translated "shadow" (KJV)	ἀποσκίασμα = shadow produced by turning/variation; used only in James 1:17

Domain Neighbors (014.007 — Darkness)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total vv	Primary KJV Translation
G644	ἀποσκίασμα	1	shadow
G1982	ἐπισκιάζω	4	overshadow
G2683	κατασκιάζω	1	shadow over
G2217	ζόφος	3	blackness, darkness
G4653	σκοτία	13	darkness
G4655	σκότος	31	darkness

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
צֵל (tsêl)	H6738	24	8.28	Primary: "shade/shadow" — most LXX occurrences
צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmâveth)	H6757	12	8.68	"Shadow of death" compound — high PMI from set phrase

The "shadow of death" phrase (σκιά θανάτου) is the LXX rendering of the Hebrew compound צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmâveth), literally "deep darkness" or "death-shadow" (cf. Ps 23:4 Heb; Job 3:5; Isa 9:1). The ordinary word for physical shadow (צֵל, tsêl) underlies most other σκιά occurrences.