Original Word: σκιά
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: skia
Pronunciation: skee-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (skee'-ah)
KJV: shadow
NASB: shadow, shade
Word Origin: [apparently a primary word]

1. "shade" or a shadow (darkness of error or an adumbration)
{literally or figuratively}

shadow.

Apparently a primary word; "shade" or a shadow (literally or figuratively (darkness of error or an adumbration)) -- shadow.

4639 skiá – properly, the shadow of a looming presence; (figuratively) a spiritual reality (good or bad) relating to God's light or spiritual darkness.

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
shadow
NASB Translation
shade (1), shadow (6).

STRONGS NT 4639: σκιά

σκιά, σκιᾶς, ἡ ((see σκηνή, at the beginning)), from Homer down, the Sept. for צֵל;

a. properly, shadow, i. e. shade caused by the interception of the light: Mark 4:32 (cf. Ezekiel 17:23); Acts 5:15; σκιά θανάτου, shadow of death (like umbra mortis, Ovid. metam. 5, 191, and umbra Erebi, Vergil Aen. 4, 26; 6, 404), 'the densest darkness' (because from of old Hades had been regarded as enveloped in thick darkness), tropically, the thick darkness of error (i. e. spiritual death; see θάνατος, 1): Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:79 (from Isaiah 9:1, where צַלְמָוֶת).

b. a shadow, i. e. an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object: opposed to σῶμα, the thing itself, Colossians 2:17; hence, equivalent to a sketch, outline, adumbration, Hebrews 8:5; opposed to εἰκών, the 'express' likeness, the very image, Hebrews 10:1 (as in Cicero, de off. 3, 17, 69nos veri juris solidam et expresssam effigiem nullam tenemus, umbra et imaginibus utimur).

Overview

The term translated “shadow” in the seven New Testament verses listed below communicates more than absence of light. Scripture employs the image to convey darkness and danger, fleetingness, protective covering, and—most significantly—anticipation of realities fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 4:16; Luke 1:79; Acts 5:15; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 10:1; Mark 4:32

Shadows of Death and Darkness

Quoting Isaiah, Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:79 proclaim messianic hope to those “in the land and shadow of death.” The phrase reprises the Hebrew Bible’s “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4), a metaphor for the deepest peril. By locating the prophecy’s fulfillment in the Galilean ministry of Jesus, the Gospels declare that His advent dispels humanity’s most oppressive gloom. The motif reminds believers that any region characterized by spiritual darkness can be penetrated by the light of Christ.

Shadows of Divine Shelter

In Mark 4:32 the mustard seed’s mature branches provide skian, a generous shade where “the birds of the air can nest.” The parable pictures the Kingdom of God offering refuge to the nations, echoing Old Testament portrayals of shade as protective grace (for example, Psalm 91:1). Here shadow is reassuring, not threatening, underscoring that God grants both covering and growth to what appears insignificant.

Shadows as Healing Proximity

Acts 5:15 records that sufferers were placed so “that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them.” The text does not ascribe medicinal power to a silhouette; rather, it highlights faith in the risen Lord working through His apostle. The brief mention recalls Gospel accounts where touching Jesus’ garment brought cure (Mark 6:56). In both cases, God’s power operates through humble media, inviting confidence in His compassion.

Shadows as Figural Typology

Colossians 2:17 sets Old Covenant food laws, festivals, and Sabbaths in contrast with Christ: “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ”. Hebrews develops the thought. The earthly tabernacle is “a copy and shadow of the heavenly one” (Hebrews 8:5), and the Law is “only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves” (Hebrews 10:1).

Three truths stand out:

1. Old Testament institutions are God-given, yet provisional.
2. They prefigure greater substance—Christ’s priesthood, sacrifice, and rest.
3. The superiority of the New Covenant never nullifies the divine origin of the former; rather, fulfillment confirms promise.

Historical and Cultural Background

In Jewish thought, a shadow could signal both menace (Job 10:21–22) and refuge (Isaiah 32:2). Greco-Roman literature also used the image for transience. New Testament writers adopt familiar language while rooting it in redemptive history. The unifying thread is movement from lesser to greater: from dusk to dawn, from outline to embodiment.

Ministry Significance

1. Evangelism: The prophecy of light breaking into the shadow (Matthew 4:16) motivates outreach to spiritually dark regions.
2. Pastoral Care: The protective shade (Mark 4:32) assures believers of God’s nurturing Kingdom even when beginnings are small.
3. Teaching: Typological shadows (Colossians 2; Hebrews 8–10) provide a framework for preaching Christ from the Law, festivals, and sacrificial system.
4. Healing Ministry: Acts 5:15 cautions against attributing power to relics while encouraging expectation that God may act through surprising means.

Theological Implications

• Revelation is progressive: earlier forms point forward and find resolution in Jesus Christ.
• Redemption is comprehensive: Christ liberates from the shadow of death and establishes a kingdom of restorative shade.
• Worship is reoriented: believers honor the Law by embracing its fulfillment rather than returning to its preliminary forms.

Conclusion

New Testament usage of “shadow” weaves together images of danger, comfort, healing, and prophecy, culminating in the affirmation that everything hinted at in earlier revelation finds its concrete, saving reality in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

εσκίασε σκια σκιά σκιὰ σκιᾷ σκιαδίων σκιάζει σκιάζειν σκιάζονται σκιαζόντων σκιάζουσα σκιάζουσαι σκιαζούσης σκιαί σκιαν σκιάν σκιὰν σκιάς σκιάσει σκιάση skia skià skiā̂i skian skiànInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts