phaneroō · reveal, make known

What it means

phaneroō (φανερόω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “reveal, make known”.

Reveal, show, make known.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To bring into the open what was hidden.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To make manifest, to reveal: to make visible or known what was hidden; in the passive, to be revealed, to appear. It comes from φανερός, ‘manifest, visible’.

• Jesus revealed his glory John 2:11John 17:6
• The risen Jesus “revealed himself” John 21:1John 21:14
• “The life was revealed” 1 John 1:21 John 3:51 Timothy 3:16
• When he is revealed 1 John 3:2Colossians 3:4
• The hidden thing that comes to light Mark 4:22Romans 3:212 Corinthians 5:10

Historical and cultural background

John uses the verb for the appearances of the risen Jesus: “Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias” (John 21:1); and Mark 16:12, “he appeared in another form to two of them”.

How we translate it

“Reveal” in its forms in most cases (“was revealed” 8 times, “been revealed” 5, “revealed” 5, “he revealed” 3), and “made manifest” where the Greek speaks of being shown openly (“be made manifest” 5: “we all must be made manifest before the judgment seat”, 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:4). Sometimes another verb says it better: “made visible” (Ephesians 5:13), “he appeared” (Mark 16:12; 1 Peter 5:4), “made {it} plain” (Romans 1:19).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• was revealed ×8
• be made manifest ×5
• been revealed ×5
• revealed ×5
• he revealed ×3
• has been made manifest ×2
• he appeared ×2
• he is revealed ×2
• made visible ×2
• we have been made manifest ×2
• others ×12

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Mark×3
• John×9
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 2 Corinthians×9
• Ephesians×2
• Colossians×4
• 1 Timothy×1
• 2 Timothy×1
• Titus×1
• Hebrews×2
• 1 Peter×2
• 1 John×9
• Revelation×2

• Mark 4:22

  For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor has anything been secret but that it might come into the open.

• Mark 16:12

  After these things he appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking, going into the country.

• Mark 16:14

  Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him raised.

• John 1:31

  And I did not know him, but so that he might be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came immersing in water.”

• John 2:11

  This Jesus did as the beginning of his signs in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

• John 3:21

  But whoever does the truth comes to the light, so that it may be shown plainly that his works have been done in God.”

• John 7:4

  For no one does anything in secret and himself seeks to be in public. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”

• John 9:3

  Jesus answered, “Neither this man sinned nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be revealed in him.

• John 17:6

  I have revealed your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

• John 21:1

  After these things Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he revealed himself in this way.

• John 21:14

  This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after being raised from the dead.

• Romans 1:19

  because what can be known about God is plain among them, for God made it plain to them.

• Romans 3:21

  But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made manifest, being testified to by the law and the prophets,

• 1 Corinthians 4:5

  So do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will also bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make known the intentions of the hearts; and then the praise will come to each one from God.

• 2 Corinthians 2:14

  But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Messiah, and makes known through us the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place;

• 2 Corinthians 3:3

  since you are shown to be a letter of the Messiah delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.

• 2 Corinthians 4:10

  always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest in our body.

• 2 Corinthians 4:11

  For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

• 2 Corinthians 5:10

  For we all must be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.

• 2 Corinthians 5:11

  Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but to God we have been made manifest; and I hope that we have been made manifest also in your consciences.

• 2 Corinthians 7:12

  So even though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did wrong nor for the sake of the one who was wronged but so that your earnestness for us might be made manifest to you before God.

• 2 Corinthians 11:6

  And even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; on the contrary, in every way we have made this manifest to you in all things.

• Ephesians 5:13

  But all things exposed by the light are made visible,

• Ephesians 5:14

  for everything that is made visible is light. Therefore it says: Awake, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.

• Colossians 1:26

  the mystery that has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now has been made manifest to his saints,

• Colossians 3:4

  When the Messiah, your life, is made manifest, then you also will be made manifest with him in glory.

• Colossians 4:4

  so that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.

• 1 Timothy 3:16

  And beyond dispute, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was declared righteous in the spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in the world, was taken up in glory.

• 2 Timothy 1:10

  but now has been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus the Messiah, who abolished death and brought to light life and incorruption through the good news,

• Titus 1:3

  and at the proper time he revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by command of God our Savior,

• Hebrews 9:8

  The Holy Spirit is making this clear, that the way into the Holy Place has not yet been revealed while the first tent still has its standing.

• Hebrews 9:26

  for then it would have been necessary for him to suffer many times since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages he has been revealed for the setting aside of sin by his sacrifice.

• 1 Peter 1:20

  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the times for the sake of you,

• 1 Peter 5:4

  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

• 1 John 1:2

  (and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us),

• 1 John 2:19

  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it might be made plain that none of them are of us.

• 1 John 2:28

  And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not shrink away in shame from him at his coming.

• 1 John 3:2

  Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.

• 1 John 3:5

  And you know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

• 1 John 3:8

  Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.

And 8 more times.