πτέρυξ
pterux
wing
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word πτέρυξ (pteryx) is defined as "wing." With five occurrences in the Bible, it is a relatively rare but significant term. Its meaning is straightforward, referring to the physical appendage that allows birds and other creatures to fly. The range of usage for πτέρυξ is limited to descriptions of birds and possibly other winged creatures. It is used in contexts that highlight the physical characteristics and abilities of these creatures, such as in descriptions of birds in flight or in reference to their speed and agility. The significance of πτέρυξ lies in its ability to convey a sense of freedom, swiftness, and power. In the biblical context, the word may be used to describe the swiftness of God's messengers or the power of God's creation. Its use adds depth and nuance to the descriptions of the natural world, highlighting the intricate details and beauty of God's creation.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences across the text
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Luke 13:34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!
Revelation 4:8The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”
Revelation 9:9They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.
Revelation 12:14Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.