4582. seléné

Lexical Summary

seléné: Moon

Original Word: σελήνη
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: seléné
Pronunciation: seh-LAY-nay
Phonetic Spelling: (sel-ay'-nay)
KJV: moon
NASB: moon
Word Origin: [from selas "brilliancy" (probably akin to the alternate of G138 (αἱρέομαι - choose), through the idea of attractiveness)]

1. the moon

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

moon.

From selas (brilliancy; probably akin to the alternate of haireomai, through the idea of attractiveness); the moon -- moon.

see GREEK haireomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from selas (a bright flame)
Definition
the moon
NASB Translation
moon (9).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4582: σελήνη

σελήνη, σελήνης, ἡ (from σέλας brightness), from Homer down, Hebrew יָרֵחַ, the moon: Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:41; Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:12; Revelation 12:1; Revelation 21:23.

Topical Lexicon

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:12; Revelation 12:1; 1 Corinthians 15:41; Revelation 21:23.

The term is found only in contexts that treat the moon as a celestial body created by God, a sign in the heavens, and a prophetic or symbolic element within salvation history.

Created Order and Divine Sovereignty

Scripture first introduces the moon in Genesis 1:16 as “the lesser light to rule the night.” The New Testament references assume that creational foundation. By framing the moon within divine authorship, the writers underscore the Creator’s sovereignty over time (Genesis 1:14), seasons (Psalm 104:19), and human affairs. When Jesus foretells cosmic disturbances (Matthew 24:29), He appeals to a creation that obeys its Maker: “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.”

Eschatological Portent

The Synoptic Apocalypse (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24; Luke 21:25) and Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:20, citing Joel 2:31) place the moon among the final signs that herald the Day of the Lord: “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20). These texts do not merely predict astronomical anomalies; they announce divine intervention in history. The imagery serves to awaken repentance, fortify perseverance, and assure believers that judgment and redemption will reach completion.

Apocalyptic Symbolism in Revelation

1. Revelation 6:12: The sixth seal portrays cosmic upheaval in which “the whole moon turned blood red.” This judgment scene corresponds to Old Testament prophetic language (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10) and amplifies the certainty of God’s wrath against unrepentant humanity.
2. Revelation 8:12: At the fourth trumpet a third of the moon is struck, diminishing its brightness. The partial darkening anticipates fuller judgments while extending mercy by withholding total destruction.
3. Revelation 12:1: The woman clothed with the sun has “the moon under her feet.” The image points to Israel (cf. Genesis 37:9–11) and, by extension, the Messianic community. The moon’s subservient position highlights the triumph of the people of God over cosmic and satanic opposition.
4. Revelation 21:23: In the New Jerusalem, “the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” The moon’s created light yields to the uncreated glory of God, fulfilling the purpose for which all lesser lights were made—to lead to the Light of the world (John 8:12).

Varied Glory and Resurrection Hope

Paul appeals to the differing splendors of heavenly bodies when explaining the resurrection: “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars” (1 Corinthians 15:41). The argument from creation to resurrection assures believers that just as God endowed the moon with a particular radiance, so He will endow resurrected bodies with a glory suitable to their new, imperishable life.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern and Greco–Roman cultures personified the moon (e.g., Selene, Luna). Scripture, however, consistently demythologizes celestial bodies, presenting them as inanimate servants of Yahweh. Moses warned Israel: “Beware... lest you lift your eyes to heaven and... be drawn away to worship and serve... the moon” (Deuteronomy 4:19). New Testament writers remain faithful to this monotheistic stance, using the moon solely as an instrument within God’s redemptive drama.

Christological and Ecclesiological Reflections

The moon reflects sunlight; it has no light of its own. Patristic writers—from Justin Martyr to Augustine—leveraged this to illustrate the church’s role: she reflects the glory of Christ, the true Light. Likewise, the believer “walks in the light” (1 John 1:7) by reflecting Christ’s radiance in a darkened world (Philippians 2:15).

Liturgical and Devotional Usage

The church calendar, particularly the dating of Resurrection Sunday, historically depended on the lunar cycle (the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox). Psalms and hymns employ lunar imagery—“Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight”—to exalt Christ’s surpassing beauty.

Pastoral and Missional Implications

1. Urgency of Repentance: Cosmic signs press upon hearers the reality of final judgment.
2. Confidence in Sovereignty: The God who commands the moon steadies believers amid global turmoil.
3. Assurance of Glory: Just as the moon will fade before the Lamb’s brilliance, present sufferings will submit to future glory (Romans 8:18).
4. Mission to the Nations: The global visibility of the moon prefigures the worldwide spread of the gospel (Psalm 72:7–11).

Conclusion

Throughout the New Testament, the moon stands as a created witness to the Creator’s faithfulness, a herald of impending judgment, a symbol of ecclesial victory, and a pointer to the surpassing glory of God in Christ. Its nine occurrences form a coherent testimony: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Forms and Transliterations

σεληνη σελήνη σελήνῃ σελήνην σεληνης σελήνης selene selēnē selḗne selḗnē selḗnei selḗnēi selenes selēnēs selḗnes selḗnēs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 24:29 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει
NAS: WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE
KJV: be darkened, and the moon shall not
INT: and the moon not will give

Mark 13:24 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει
NAS: WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE
KJV: and the moon shall
INT: and the moon not will give

Luke 21:25 N-DFS
GRK: ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ καὶ ἄστροις
NAS: in sun and moon and stars,
KJV: and in the moon, and
INT: sun and moon and stars

Acts 2:20 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα
NAS: INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
KJV: darkness, and the moon into blood,
INT: and the moon into blood

1 Corinthians 15:41 N-GFS
GRK: ἄλλη δόξα σελήνης καὶ ἄλλη
NAS: glory of the moon, and another
KJV: another glory of the moon, and another
INT: another glory of [the] moon and another

Revelation 6:12 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ σελήνη ὅλη ἐγένετο
NAS: and the whole moon became
KJV: of hair, and the moon became as
INT: and the moon whole became

Revelation 8:12 N-GFS
GRK: τρίτον τῆς σελήνης καὶ τὸ
NAS: and a third of the moon and a third
KJV: the third part of the moon, and
INT: third of the moon and a

Revelation 12:1 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ σελήνη ὑποκάτω τῶν
NAS: with the sun, and the moon under
KJV: with the sun, and the moon under her
INT: and the moon under the

Revelation 21:23 N-GFS
GRK: οὐδὲ τῆς σελήνης ἵνα φαίνωσιν
NAS: or of the moon to shine
KJV: neither of the moon, to
INT: nor of the moon that they should shine

Strong's Greek 4582
9 Occurrences

σελήνη — 6 Occ.
σελήνης — 3 Occ.