Bible Encyclopedias
Shape

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shāp : In the King James Version the translation of εἶδος , eı́dos , "form," "appearance" ( Luke 3:22; John 5:37 ), and of ὁμοίωμα , homoı́ōma , "likeness," "resemblance" (Revelation 9:7 ). The meaning of these words is not so much "tangible shape," in which sense we use the word in modern English, but rather "aspect," "appearance," the looks of a thing or a person. This is even the case where the word is joined with the adjective σωματικός , sōmatikós , "bodily" as in the passage Luke 3:22 , "The Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form (i.e. "in a corporeal appearance," the King James Version "in a bodily shape"), as a dove, upon him." The second passage also refers to the "appearance" of God, and cannot therefore be regarded as material shape: "Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form" (the King James Version "shape") (John 5:37 ). As has been seen from the above quotations, the Revised Version (British and American) which retains the translation "shape" for homoiōma , has translated eidos with "form," which also serves to render several other Greek synonyms, such as μορφή , morphḗ (Mark 16:12; Philippians 2:6 f), μόρφωσις , mórphōsis (Romans 2:20; 2 Timothy 3:5 ), τύπος , túpos (the Revised Version margin "pattern" Romans 6:17 ), and ὑποτύπωσις , hupotúpōsis (the Revised Version (British and American) "pattern," 2 Timothy 1:13 ). In the King James Version The Wisdom of Solomon 18:1 "shape" translates morphē , the Revised Version (British and American) "form."