1. intransitive, to give light, to shine (Aristotle, Theophrastus, Plutarch, others; the Sept. for אור, Numbers 8:2, etc.): ἐπί τινα, Revelation 22:5 (Rom. WH brackets ἐπί).

2. transitive,

a. properly, to enlighten, light up, illumine: τινα, Luke 11:36: τήν πόλιν, Revelation 21:23 (ἀκτισι τόν κόσμον, of the sun, Diodorus 3, 48; the Sept. for הֵאִיר); ἡ γῆ ἐφωτίσθη ἐκ τῆς δόξης (A. V. was lightened) shone with his glory, Revelation 18:1.

b. to bring to light, render evident: τά κρυπτά τοῦ σκότους, 1 Corinthians 4:5; (Ephesians 3:9 according to the reading of T L brackets WH text (but see c.)) (τήν αἵρεσιν τίνος, the preference, opinion, of one, Polybius 23, 3, 10; τήν ἀλήθειαν, Epictetus diss. 1, 4, 31; πεφωτισμενων τῶν πραγματον ὑπό τῆς ἀληθείας, Lucian, cal. non tem. cred. 32); to cause something to exist and thus to come to light and become clear to all: ζωήν καί ἀφθαρσίαν διά τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, opposed to καταργῆσαι τόν θάνατον, 2 Timothy 1:10.

c. by a use only Biblical and ecclesiastical, to enlighten spiritually, imbue with saving knowledge: τινα, John 1:9; with a saving knowledge of the gospel: hence, φωτισθέντες of those who have been made Christians, Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 10:32; followed by an indirect question Ephesians 3:9 (see b. above) (Sir. 45:17; for הֵאִיר, Psalm 118:130 (; for הורָה, to instruct, inform, teach, Judges 13:8, Alex.; 2 Kings 12:2; φωτιοῦσιν αὐτούς τό κρίμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς γῆς, 2 Kings 17:27 (cf. 1 Kings 17:28; others)); to give understanding to: πεφωτίσμενοι τούς ὀφθαλμούς τῆς καρδίας (Rec. διανοίας), as respects the eyes of your soul, Ephesians 1:18 (Buttmann, § 145, 6); ((cf. Sir. 31:20 (Sir. 34:20), etc.)).