A lamp-stand (literally or figuratively)
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G3087 names a lampstand, the support that places a lamp where its light can be seen. The word refers to the furnishing rather than the flame itself, and context determines whether it is household, sanctuary, or symbolic.
Reader summary
Full entry for λυχνία (G3087) · Open the biblical lexicon
G3087 names a lampstand, the support that places a lamp where its light can be seen. The word refers to the furnishing rather than the flame itself, and context determines whether it is household, sanctuary, or symbolic.
The BSB source-word alignment has 12 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include lampstands (6), a stand (4), lampstand (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Revelation (7), Luke (2), Hebrews (1), Mark (1).
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
G3087 names a lampstand, the support that places a lamp where its light can be seen. The word refers to the furnishing rather than the flame itself, and context determines whether it is household, sanctuary, or symbolic. In Matt. 5. 15, people set a lamp on a stand so it gives light to everyone in the house, supporting Jesus' call for visible discipleship. In Heb.
9. 2, The lampstand belongs to the first room of the prepared tabernacle, locating it within Israel's worship. In Rev. 1. 20, Jesus explains that the seven lampstands are the seven churches, and Rev. 2. 5 warns Ephesus that its lampstand can be removed. G3087 opens teaching on visible witness, gathered churches, holy presence, and accountable vocation. It does not identify every lampstand with a church, promise institutional survival, or make visibility a license for religious performance.
G3087 appears in Jesus' lamp sayings, the tabernacle description in Hebrews, and Revelation's visions of churches and witnesses. The stable idea is a stand that bears light; symbolic identity is supplied by each passage.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
A household places a lit lamp on its stand so that it gives light to everyone present, illustrating visible rather than concealed witness.
A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
The first room of the prepared tabernacle contains the lampstand, table, and consecrated bread and is called the Holy Place.
This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The risen Christ interprets the seven golden lampstands as the seven churches addressed in the following messages.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. A stand bearing a lamp, used metaphorically for churches as witnesses of God's light in the world.
A stand bearing a lamp, used metaphorically for churches as witnesses of God's light in the world.
(vulgar form of λυχνίον = λυχνοῦχος; see Kennedy, Sources, 40), [in LXX for מְנוֹרָה (Exo.25:31 40:4, al.) ;] a lampstand: Mat.5:15, Mrk.4:21, Luk.8:16 11:33; of that in the Tabernacle, Heb.9:2; metaphorically, of the two witnesses, Rev.11:4; of the seven churches of Asia, Rev.1:12-13, 20 2:1; of the removal of a church from its position, κινεῖν τ. λυχνίαν κ.τ.λ., Rev.2:5.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
12 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a lamp-stand
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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.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 6 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.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 12 lexical occurrence verses.
λυχνία is built from this root:
G3087 emphasizes that light is placed for a purpose. In Jesus' household picture, the stand does not create the flame; it positions the lamp so everyone in the house benefits. Visible discipleship therefore serves others and directs praise to the Father rather than staging the self. Hebrews names the lampstand among the tabernacle furnishings, reminding readers that biblical light imagery grows within a history of holy worship and ordered access to God.
Revelation then interprets seven lampstands as seven actual churches among which the risen Christ walks. Their honor is also accountability: Ephesus can lose its lampstand if it refuses repentance. A congregation's buildings, age, influence, or reputation do not guarantee its continuing vocation. Christ sustains and judges His witnesses. Faithful application asks whether a church bears truthful, loving, persevering witness where Christ has placed it.
It does not chase visibility for its own sake, claim immunity from correction, or assume every lampstand reference carries the same symbolic identity.
Rev.1.20
G3087 is a feminine Greek noun for a lampstand. It is distinct from the lamp or torch placed upon it. Revelation sometimes gives the image an explicit symbolic referent, while Gospel and Hebrews contexts use household and sanctuary settings.
The tabernacle lampstand supplies an Old Testament worship setting, while Jesus uses an ordinary lampstand for visible discipleship and Revelation identifies lampstands with particular churches. The canonical movement joins holy presence and public witness without making the church identical to every sanctuary furnishing.