Lexical Summary phantazó: To make visible, to appear, to manifest Original Word: φαντάζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sight. From a derivative of phaino; to make apparent, i.e. (passively) to appear (neuter participle as noun, a spectacle) -- sight. see GREEK phaino NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a derivation of phainó Definition to make visible, to become visible NASB Translation sight (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5324: φαντάζωφαντάζω: (φαίνω); present passive participle φανταζόμενος; from Aeschylus and Herodotus down; to cause to appear, make visible, expose to view, show: τό φανταζόμενον, the appearance, sight, Hebrews 12:21. Topical Lexicon Literary SettingHebrews 12:18-24 contrasts two mountains—Sinai and Zion—to display the surpassing grace of the New Covenant. Verse 21 contains the lone New-Testament use of φανταζόμενον, rendered “the spectacle” or “the sight.” The participle stands for the whole awesome manifestation that enveloped Sinai: “So terrifying was the spectacle that Moses said, ‘I am terrified and trembling’” (Hebrews 12:21). Old-Testament Background The writer of Hebrews compresses the events of Exodus 19–20 and Deuteronomy 9 into a single word. Thunder, lightning, trumpet blast, thick cloud, earthquake, and blazing fire converged to form one overwhelming revelation of divine holiness (Exodus 19:16-19; Deuteronomy 4:11-12). Jewish tradition often spoke of these combined phenomena as “the sight” (τὸ φανταζόμενον), reinforcing the idea that God’s glory can be perceived yet never contained. Purpose in Hebrews 1. To heighten the contrast between fear‐laden Sinai and joy-filled Zion. Theological Insights • Holiness Revealed: Sinai’s “spectacle” dramatizes the moral gulf between Creator and creature. Approaching God on one’s own merits is impossible; mediation is required (Exodus 20:19; Hebrews 12:24). • Covenant Transition: By recalling the dread of Sinai, the writer magnifies the mercy of the sprinkled blood that now invites believers to “draw near” (Hebrews 10:22). • Eschatological Echo: The final cosmic shaking foretold in Hebrews 12:26-27 echoes Sinai’s terror, assuring that what is “unshakable” will endure—namely, the kingdom given to those united with Christ. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Cultivating Reverence: Worship that remembers Sinai’s spectacle guards against casual familiarity with God’s holiness (Psalm 99:1-3; Hebrews 12:28). Related Biblical Motifs • Theophanies marked by overwhelming sensory phenomena (Genesis 15:17; Isaiah 6:1-5; Ezekiel 1:4-28). Historical Reception Early Christian writers used Hebrews 12:21 to defend disciplined worship. Chrysostom argued that if Old-Covenant worshipers trembled at Sinai, believers ought not approach the Eucharist carelessly. The Reformers likewise employed the verse to insist that grace intensifies, rather than dilutes, reverence. Summary Strong’s Greek 5324 gathers the manifold terrors of Sinai into a single “spectacle,” then sets that vision behind the cross-purchased privileges of Zion. Remembering the sight that once made Moses quake fuels gratitude, godly fear, and steadfast hope as believers press on to the unshakable kingdom. Forms and Transliterations φανταζομενον φανταζόμενον phantazomenon phantazómenonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hebrews 12:21 V-PPM/P-NNSGRK: ἦν τὸ φανταζόμενον Μωυσῆς εἶπεν NAS: terrible was the sight, [that] Moses KJV: was the sight, [that] Moses INT: was the spectacle [that] Moses said |
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