What does ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós) mean in the Bible?
Ophthalmos is the ordinary Greek noun for the eye. New Testament writers use it for the physical organ of sight, for what a person desires or attends to, and in figures of spiritual perception.
Greek · G3788
ὀφθαλμός
Eye
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ὀφθαλμός G3788
Pronunciation ophthalmós
What does ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós) mean in the Bible?
Ophthalmos is the ordinary Greek noun for the eye. New Testament writers use it for the physical organ of sight, for what a person desires or attends to, and in figures of spiritual perception.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὀφθαλμός (G3788) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3788?
The BSB source-word alignment has 100 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include eyes (63), eye (22), . . . (5), [the] eyes (3), an eye (2).
Where does ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:29. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (24), John (18), Luke (17), Revelation (10).
Are there verse guides for ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Ophthalmos is the ordinary Greek noun for the eye. New Testament writers use it for the physical organ of sight, for what a person desires or attends to, and in figures of spiritual perception. Jesus calls the eye the body’s lamp, warns with deliberate hyperbole about an eye that becomes an occasion for sin, and heals people whose blindness is bodily and real.
Revelation promises that every eye will see the returning Christ. Luke describes the Emmaus disciples’ eyes being opened to recognize Him, while Paul prays for the eyes of the heart to be enlightened. These figurative uses do not make physical disability a moral defect, nor do they authorize superstition about vision. They show that seeing involves more than receiving images: desire, recognition, witness, and understanding all require God-governed attention.
Context must determine whether the reference is anatomical, ethical, revelatory, or metaphorical.
How the Bible Uses It
Ophthalmos ranges from physical sight to desire, public witness, recognition, and inward understanding. Literal and figurative uses should not be collapsed. Jesus’ teaching addresses the whole person’s orientation, while healing accounts honor bodily restoration. The canon never permits teachers to blame disability on personal sin or to treat inward sight as private revelation independent of Scripture.
- Matt.6.22
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
Within teaching about treasure and masters, the eye images the orientation that shapes the whole person. Generosity, loyalty, and desire belong in the immediate context.
- Rev.1.7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
Every eye expresses the public and unavoidable visibility of Christ’s coming. The text does not present a private spiritual impression.
- Matt.5.29
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Jesus uses severe hyperbole to demand radical dealing with sinful desire. Bodily mutilation is not the cure, because sin arises from the heart.
- 1John.2.16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
Desire of the eyes names covetous attention within the world’s rebellious order. Its range is broader than sexual temptation alone.
- Luke.24.31
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
The Emmaus disciples receive recognition of the risen Jesus after He opens Scripture and breaks bread. The passive wording stresses granted perception.
- Eph.1.18
I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
Paul’s metaphor concerns Spirit-given understanding of revealed gospel hope. It does not commend visionary techniques or secret knowledge.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It eyes 63× Matthew 6:22, Matthew 6:23, Matthew 9:29, Matthew 9:30
eye 22× Matthew 5:29, Matthew 5:38, Matthew 6:22, Matthew 7:3
. . . 5× Matthew 17:8, Matthew 20:15, Luke 6:20, Luke 16:23
[the] eyes 3× John 9:32, John 10:21, 1 Peter 3:12
an eye 2× 1 Corinthians 12:16, 1 Corinthians 12:17
[Their] eyes 1× 2 Peter 2:14
envy 1× Mark 7:22
eyes [are] 1× Revelation 2:18
of an eye 1× 1 Corinthians 15:52
sight 1× Acts 1:9
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:29 ὀφθαλμός to eye Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 5:38 Ὀφθαλμὸν to Eye Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Matthew 5:38 ὀφθαλμοῦ to eye Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Matthew 6:22 ὀφθαλμός to eye Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 6:22 ὀφθαλμός to eyes Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 6:23 ὀφθαλμός to eyes Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 7:3 ὀφθαλμῷ to eye Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Matthew 7:3 ὀφθαλμῷ to eye Noun - Dative Masculine Singular Matthew 7:4 ὀφθαλμοῦ to eye Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Matthew 7:4 ὀφθαλμῷ to eye Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:29
Aligned rows 100
Books represented 14
Matthew 24 Mark 7 Luke 17 John 18 Acts 7 Romans 3 1 Corinthians 5 Galatians 2 Ephesians 1 Hebrews 1 1 Peter 1 2 Peter 1 1 John 3 Revelation 10
Source forms
ὀφθαλμοὺς 29x ophthalmous Matthew 13:15, Matthew 17:8, Matthew 18:9, Mark 8:25
ὀφθαλμοὶ 12x ophthalmoi Matthew 13:16, Matthew 20:33, Matthew 26:43, Mark 14:40
ὀφθαλμός 11x ophthalmos Matthew 5:29, Matthew 6:22, Matthew 6:23, Matthew 18:9
ὀφθαλμῶν 11x ophthalmōn Matthew 9:29, Luke 19:42, Acts 1:9, Acts 9:8
ὀφθαλμῷ 8x ophthalmō Matthew 7:3, Matthew 7:4, Luke 6:41, Luke 6:42
ὀφθαλμοῖς 7x ophthalmois Matthew 13:15, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:11, John 12:40
ὀφθαλμούς 7x ophthalmous John 9:6, John 9:14, John 9:15, John 9:17
ὀφθαλμοῦ 6x ophthalmou Matthew 5:38, Matthew 7:4, Matthew 7:5, Luke 6:42
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural 37x Matthew 13:15, Matthew 17:8, Matthew 18:9, Mark 8:18
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural 15x Matthew 9:30, Matthew 13:16, Matthew 20:33, Matthew 26:43
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 15x Matthew 5:29, Matthew 6:22, Matthew 6:23, Matthew 18:9
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural 11x Matthew 9:29, Luke 19:42, Acts 1:9, Acts 9:8
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular 8x Matthew 7:3, Matthew 7:4, Luke 6:41, Luke 6:42
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 7x Matthew 13:15, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:11, John 12:40
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular 6x Matthew 5:38, Matthew 7:4, Matthew 7:5, Luke 6:42
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular 1x Matthew 5:38
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Applications about media or visual habits should remain downstream from the passages’ deeper concerns with desire, treasure, and loyalty.
- Teach healing texts with respect for disabled readers and without suggesting that present faith guarantees immediate bodily restoration.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that blindness is caused by a disabled person’s or family’s particular sin.
- Do not claim that an inward image or strong visual impression carries the authority of God’s written Word.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Beyond physical sight, eye metaphorically denotes moral perception and ethical character, especially regarding envy and spiritual discernment.
Source Gloss
eye
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 102 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:29 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμός ofqalmov
the eye
Read verse Matthew 5:38 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
Ὀφθαλμὸν ofqalmon
the eye
Read verse Matthew 5:38 Noun Genitive Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμοῦ, ofqalmou
the eye
Read verse Matthew 6:22 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμός· ofqalmov
the eye
Read verse Matthew 6:22 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμός ofqalmov
the eye
Read verse Matthew 6:23 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμός ofqalmov
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:3 Noun Dative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμῷ ofqalmw
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:3 Noun Dative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμῷ ofqalmw
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:4 Noun Genitive Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμοῦ ofqalmou
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:4 Noun Dative Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμῷ ofqalmw
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:5 Noun Genitive Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμοῦ ofqalmou
the eye
Read verse Matthew 7:5 Noun Genitive Singular Masculine
ὀφθαλμοῦ ofqalmou
the eye
Read verse Matthew 9:29 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ὀφθαλμῶν ofqalmwn
the eye
Read verse Matthew 9:30 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀφθαλμοί· ofqalmoi
the eye
Read verse Matthew 13:15 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
ὀφθαλμοὺς ofqalmouv
the eye
Read verse Matthew 13:15 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
ὀφθαλμοῖς, ofqalmoiv
the eye
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 8 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 patterns 8 Aligned forms 100 Case pattern Accusative (38) Number pattern Plural (70)
Nominative · Singular · Masculine Matt 5:29 · Matt 6:22 · Matt 6:23 · Matt 18:9 · Matt 20:15 · Mark 7:22 · Mark 9:47 · Luke 11:34 · 1 Cor 2:9 · 1 Cor 12:16 · 1 Cor 12:17 · 1 Cor 12:21 · Rev 1:7 15×
Nominative · Plural · Masculine Matt 9:30 · Matt 13:16 · Matt 20:33 · Matt 26:43 · Mark 14:40 · Luke 2:30 · Luke 4:20 · Luke 10:23 · Luke 24:16 · Luke 24:31 · John 9:10 · Rom 11:10 · 1 Pet 3:12 · Rev 1:14 · Rev 19:12 15×
Genitive · Plural · Masculine Matt 9:29 · Luke 19:42 · Acts 1:9 · Acts 9:8 · Acts 9:18 · Rom 3:18 · 1 John 2:16 · Rev 4:6 · Rev 4:8 · Rev 7:17 · Rev 21:4 11×
Genitive · Singular · Masculine Matt 5:38 · Matt 7:4 · Matt 7:5 · Luke 6:42 · 1 Cor 15:52 6×
Dative · Singular · Masculine Matt 7:3 · Matt 7:4 · Luke 6:41 · Luke 6:42 8×
Dative · Plural · Masculine Matt 13:15 · Matt 21:42 · Mark 12:11 · John 12:40 · Acts 28:27 · Heb 4:13 · 1 John 1:1 7×
Accusative · Plural · Masculine Matt 13:15 · Matt 17:8 · Matt 18:9 · Mark 8:18 · Mark 8:25 · Mark 9:47 · Luke 6:20 · Luke 16:23 · Luke 18:13 · John 4:35 · John 6:5 · John 9:6 · John 9:11 · John 9:14 · John 9:15 · John 9:17 37×
Accusative · Singular · Masculine Matt 5:38 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Luke 11:33–36 ὀφθαλμός ophthalmós
Eye
Showing 1 selected witness from 100 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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
Eye-language asks what governs a person’s seeing. In Matthew 6 the eye sits between teaching about treasure and serving one master, so vision is bound to loyalty and desire. The problem is not that created things are visible; it is that a divided heart learns to look covetously. Matthew 5 intensifies the call to holiness with shocking hyperbole, but removing an organ cannot cleanse the heart.
First John likewise treats desire of the eyes as one expression of the world’s rebellious order. Other passages show perception as gift. The Emmaus disciples need their eyes opened to recognize the risen Lord, and Paul prays that believers may understand the hope already revealed in the gospel. Revelation finally directs every eye toward Christ’s public return.
These uses honor both body and metaphor. Physical blindness is not spiritual guilt, spiritual understanding is not secret vision, and faithful sight is not mere visual avoidance. God restores, redirects, and enlightens people so that they recognize Christ, resist covetous desire, and hope in what He has promised.
Anchor passage
Matt.6.22
Doctrinal connections
- Genesis 3:6 links seeing, desire, and taking, providing early canonical background for disordered visual appetite.
- Isaiah 35:5-6 promises opened blind eyes as part of God’s saving restoration, fulfilled in Jesus’ healing ministry.
- Matthew 5:27-30 and 6:19-24 connect the eye to lust, treasure, generosity, and undivided service.
- John 9 refuses the claim that personal sin explains congenital blindness and reveals Jesus through a real bodily healing.
- Luke 24:13-35 joins opened Scripture with granted recognition of the risen Christ.
- Ephesians 1:15-23 makes enlightened heart-eyes a prayer for understanding revealed hope, inheritance, and resurrection power.
Ophthalmos is the standard noun for eye. Greek and biblical idioms can use the eye for generosity, envy, desire, witness, or understanding, but the noun itself does not encode one spiritual meaning. Adjectives, verbs, and discourse context establish whether an occurrence is literal, ethical, or metaphorical.
From Old to New Testament
The Old Testament treats eyes as bodily organs, witnesses, and images of desire or divine attention. Isaiah’s promise that blind eyes will open becomes a messianic marker in Jesus’ ministry. The Gospels preserve the reality and dignity of bodily healing while also using sight for recognition and unbelief. The Epistles extend the metaphor to gospel understanding, and Revelation promises that Christ’s return will be publicly seen.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain