What does λαμπάς (lampás) mean in the Bible?
G2985 names a torch or an oil-fed lamp whose flame supplies portable or concentrated light. Its referent can be ordinary, hostile, parabolic, or visionary.
Greek · G2985
λαμπάς
A "lamp" or flambeau
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λαμπάςG2985
Pronunciationlampás
What does λαμπάς (lampás) mean in the Bible?
G2985 names a torch or an oil-fed lamp whose flame supplies portable or concentrated light. Its referent can be ordinary, hostile, parabolic, or visionary.
Reader summary
Full entry for λαμπάς (G2985) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2985?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lamps (6), torches (2), a torch (1).
Where does λαμπάς (lampás) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 25:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (5), Revelation (2), Acts (1), John (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2985 names a torch or an oil-fed lamp whose flame supplies portable or concentrated light. Its referent can be ordinary, hostile, parabolic, or visionary. In Matt. 25. 1, ten virgins take their lamps to meet the bridegroom, beginning a parable about readiness for the delayed arrival. In John. 18. 3, the arresting party comes to the garden with lanterns, torches, and weapons, so artificial light accompanies betrayal and coercive force.
In Rev. 4. 5, seven burning torches before God's throne are identified as the seven Spirits of God within John's vision. G2985 opens teaching on watchful readiness, the moral use of created tools, and symbolic fire under God's revealed interpretation. It does not prove that oil always means the Holy Spirit, turn the parable into a timetable, or make a torch spiritually good merely because it gives light.
How the Bible Uses It
G2985 occurs in the parable of the ten virgins, the garden arrest, an upstairs gathering, and Revelation's visions of torches and a burning star. The noun names a flaming light source; narrative and symbolic functions differ sharply.
- Matt.25.1
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Ten virgins carry lamps to meet the bridegroom, beginning a parable whose conclusion commands watchfulness because the day and hour are unknown.
- John.18.3
So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Judas leads soldiers and officers into the garden with lanterns, torches, and weapons to arrest Jesus.
- Rev.4.5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven spirits of God.
Seven torches burn before God's throne and are explicitly identified within the vision as the seven Spirits of God.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itlamps6×Matthew 25:1, Matthew 25:3, Matthew 25:4, Matthew 25:7
torches2×John 18:3, Revelation 4:5
a torch1×Revelation 8:10
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 25:1λαμπάδαςtolampsNoun - Accusative Feminine PluralMatthew 25:3λαμπάδαςtolampsNoun - Accusative Feminine PluralMatthew 25:4λαμπάδωνtolampsNoun - Genitive Feminine PluralMatthew 25:7λαμπάδαςtolampsNoun - Accusative Feminine PluralMatthew 25:8λαμπάδεςtolampsNoun - Nominative Feminine PluralJohn 18:3λαμπάδωνtotorchesNoun - Genitive Feminine PluralActs 20:8λαμπάδεςtolampsNoun - Nominative Feminine PluralRevelation 4:5λαμπάδεςtotorchesNoun - Nominative Feminine PluralRevelation 8:10λαμπάςtoa torchNoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 25:1
Aligned rows9
Books represented4
Matthew5John1Acts1Revelation2
Source forms
λαμπάδας3xlampadasMatthew 25:1, Matthew 25:3, Matthew 25:7
λαμπάδες3xlampadesMatthew 25:8, Acts 20:8, Revelation 4:5
λαμπάδων2xlampadōnMatthew 25:4, John 18:3
λαμπάς1xlampasRevelation 8:10
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural3xMatthew 25:1, Matthew 25:3, Matthew 25:7
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural3xMatthew 25:8, Acts 20:8, Revelation 4:5
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural2xMatthew 25:4, John 18:3
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular1xRevelation 8:10
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not frighten believers with predicted dates or imply that a missed devotional practice proves they will be shut out when Christ returns.
- Do not shame prudent boundaries by teaching that the wise virgins' refusal to share authorizes selfishness in ordinary material need.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G2985 inherently symbolizes the Holy Spirit, faith, Scripture, revival, or human witness; its contextual uses vary.
- Do not claim that the parable of the ten virgins supplies a chronology or secret calculation for Christ's return.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. A torch or flambeau, typically oil-fed; distinct from λύχνος (stationary lamp) by its portable, hand-held nature.
Strong'sG2985
Lexical occurrences9 versesGreek text appearances9 timesWord forms4 forms9 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
a "lamp" or flambeau
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 25:1Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδαςlampadav
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseMatthew 25:3Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδαςlampadav
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseMatthew 25:4Noun Genitive Plural Feminine
λαμπάδωνlampadwn
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseMatthew 25:7Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδαςlampadav
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseMatthew 25:8Noun Nominative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδεςlampadev
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseJohn 18:3Noun Genitive Plural Feminine
λαμπάδωνlampadwn
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseActs 20:8Noun Nominative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδεςlampadev
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseRevelation 4:5Noun Nominative Plural Feminine
λαμπάδεςlampadev
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseRevelation 8:10Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
λαμπάς,lampav
a torch, lamp, lantern
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns4Aligned forms9Case patternNominative (4)Number patternPlural (8)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Plural · FeminineMatt 25:8 · Acts 20:8 · Rev 4:53×
Nominative · Singular · FeminineRev 8:101×
Genitive · Plural · FeminineMatt 25:4 · John 18:32×
Accusative · Plural · FeminineMatt 25:1 · Matt 25:3 · Matt 25:73×
Word Origins
λαμπάς is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G2985 shows that a source of light does not carry one moral or symbolic value on its own. The ten virgins all possess lamps, yet the parable distinguishes sustained readiness from preparation that cannot endure delay. Jesus' conclusion directs hearers to watchfulness because they do not know the day or hour, not to calculations about the wedding schedule. In John's garden narrative, torches help an armed party find and arrest the true Light of the world.
Useful illumination can serve betrayal when wielded under false authority. Revelation places burning torches before God's throne and supplies their visionary identification; interpreters do not need to invent a hidden code. Together these texts call for patient fidelity and disciplined attention to context. Christian readiness is not panic, prediction, or a commodity another disciple can transfer at the last moment.
Nor is every visible brightness holy. Faithful teaching asks what the flame enables, whose word interprets it, and whether the hearer is prepared to meet Christ over the long obedience of waiting.
Anchor passage
Matt.25.1
Doctrinal connections
- G2985: Christ's promised coming calls disciples to enduring readiness rather than anxious prediction or last-minute presumption.
- G2985: delay tests the depth of preparation and exposes the limits of outward similarity among those waiting.
- G2985: ordinary tools such as torches can serve hospitality and gathering or be recruited for betrayal and violence.
- G2985: human light does not overcome or expose Jesus on its own terms, because He knowingly gives Himself in obedience to the Father.
- G2985: Revelation's throne vision locates fiery spiritual imagery under God's sovereign presence and the text's explicit interpretation.
- G2985: watchfulness is a communal summons but cannot be reduced to borrowed reputation, inherited profession, or another person's faithfulness.
G2985 is a feminine Greek noun for a torch or oil-fed lamp, related to the idea of shining. Ancient portable lights may not fit modern distinctions between lamp, lantern, and torch, so setting and associated fuel or equipment guide translation.
From Old to New Testament
Biblical lamp and torch imagery ranges from covenant ceremony and military action to wisdom, witness, judgment, and divine presence. Matthew's parable and Revelation's vision participate in that larger imagery while retaining their own explicit purposes and symbols.