Lexical Summary aposkiasma: Shadow, variation, shifting shadow Original Word: ἀποσκίασμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shadow. From a compound of apo and a derivative of skia; a shading off, i.e. Obscuration -- shadow. see GREEK apo see GREEK skia HELPS Word-studies 644 aposkíasma (from 575 /apó, "from" and skiazō, "cast shade") – properly, a shadow created by turning. Typically shadows change according to the changing position of the sun (being short at midday and lengthy at nightfall). But God doesn't change (shorten or lengthen!)because He Himself is His the only absolute reference point! Unlike a shifting shadow, caused by revolution, the Lord is immutable and possesses all power and life in Himself. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and skiazó (to overshadow, shade) Definition a shadow NASB Translation shadow (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 644: ἀποσκίασμαἀποσκίασμα, ἀποσκιαστος, τό (σκιάζω, from σκιά), a shade cast by one object upon another, a shadow: τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα shadow caused by revolution, James 1:17. Cf. ἀπαύγασμα. Topical Lexicon Topical Overview Aposkiasma pictures the faint, transitory shadow cast by turning celestial bodies. James employs it once—James 1:17—to deny any such fluctuation in the Father of lights, thereby asserting His absolute immutability and moral perfection. Biblical Occurrence: James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17) Set in a discussion about temptation and trial, the line contrasts God’s constant goodness with the inconstancy of human experience. Imagery and Cultural Background 1. Astronomical observation: Sundials and the daily trek of sun, moon, and stars produced ever-moving shadows by which ancient peoples measured time. Theological Significance • Immutability—No oscillation in being, plan, promise, or character. Historical Reception • Early Church: Chrysostom underscored the text when refuting accusations that God alternates between wrath and mercy; Augustine invoked it against Manichaean dualism. Implications for Christian Ministry and Life 1. Assurance amid trials—Believers anchor hope in an unchanging giver. Related Biblical Themes and Passages Psalm 102:26–27; Isaiah 40:8; Lamentations 3:22–23; John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 13:8. Each affirms either divine constancy or the motif of pure, shadowless light. Contemporary Application In a culture prizing change, aposkiasma summons the Church to proclaim and embody steadfast truth and transparent righteousness, offering a stable hope to a world of shifting shadows. Forms and Transliterations απεσκλήρυνε απεσκοπεύσαμεν αποσκιασμα αποσκίασμα ἀποσκίασμα αποσκοπευόντων αποσκοπεύσω αποσκορακιεί αποσκορακίσης αποσκορακισμόν αποσοβών απόσπασμα aposkiasma aposkíasmaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |