Original Word: φωνή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: phóné
Pronunciation: fo-nay'
Phonetic Spelling: (fo-nay')
KJV: noise, sound, voice
NASB: voice, sound, voices, sounds, utterance, blasts, cry
Word Origin: [probably akin to G5316 (φαίνω - appeared) through the idea of disclosure]

1. a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial)
2. (by implication) an address (for any purpose), saying or language

noise, sound, voice.

Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, an address (for any purpose), saying or language -- noise, sound, voice.

see GREEK phaino

Word Origin
probably from phémi
Definition
a voice, sound
NASB Translation
blasts (1), cry (1), language (1), languages (1), outcry (1), sound (15), sounds (4), statement (1), tone (1), utterance (3), utterances (1), voice (102), voices (7).

STRONGS NT 5456: φωνή

φωνή, φωνῆς, ἡ (φάω) to shine, make clear (cf. Curtius, § 407; Liddell and Scott, under the word φάω)), from Homer down, Hebrew קול:

1. a sound, tone: of inanimate things, as of musical instruments, Matthew 24:31 (T omits φωνῆς, WH give it only in marginal reading; cf. Buttmann, § 132, 10); 1 Corinthians 14:7; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 18:22 (Isaiah 18:3; Isaiah 24:8; Sir. 50:16; 1 Macc. 5:31; ὀργάνων, Plato, de rep. 3, p. 397a; συριγγων, Euripides, Tro. 127; ψαλτηρίου καί αὐλοῦ, Plutarch, mor., p. 713 c.); of wind, John 3:8; Acts 2:6; of thunder, Revelation 6:1; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 19:6, cf. ; noise, of a millstone, Revelation 18:22; of a thronging multitude, Revelation 19:1, 6; of chariots, Revelation 9:9; of wings, whir (Ezekiel 1:24), ibid.; of waters (Ezekiel 1:24; 4 Esdr. 6:17 []), Revelation 1:15; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 19:6; also with the genitive of a thing implying speech, the sound (A. V. voice): τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ, Luke 1:44; ῤημάτων, Hebrews 12:19; the cry (of men), φωνή μεγάλη, a loud cry, Mark 15:37; the clamor of men making a noisy demand, Luke 23:28, cf. Acts 19:34; absolutely, a cry i. e. wailing, lamentation, Matthew 2:18 (from Jeremiah 38:15 ()).

2. a voice, i. e. the sound of uttered words: λαλεῖν φωνάς, Revelation 10:3; those who begin to cry out or call to anyone are said τήν φωνήν αἴρειν, Luke 17:13; πρός τινα, Acts 4:24; φωνήν ἐπαίρειν, Luke 11:27; Acts 2:14; Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22; (φωνῆς ... ἐκέκραξα (or ἐκκράζειν), Acts 24:21 (cf. Buttmann, § 143, 11)); φωνή μεγάλη added to verbs: to λέγειν, Revelation 5:12; Revelation 8:13; (ἐν φωνή μεγάλη Revelation 14:7 (Lachmann omits ἐν; )); to εἰπεῖν, Luke 8:28; Acts 14:10; to φάναι, Acts 26:24; to αἰνεῖν τόν Θεόν, Luke 19:37; with verbs of crying out, shouting: ἀναβοαν, Matthew 27:46 (R G L text T); βοᾶν (Matthew 27:46 L marginal reading Tr WH); Mark 15:34; Acts 8:7; φώνειν, (Mark 1:26 T Tr WH); Luke 23:46; Acts 16:28; (Revelation 14:18 L T Tr WH); ἀναφωνεῖν, Luke 1:42 (R G L Tr marginal reading); κηρύσσειν (ἐν φωνή μεγάλη), Revelation 5:2 (Rec. omits ἐν); κραυγάζειν, John 11:43; ἀνακράζειν, Luke 4:33; κράζειν. Matthew 27:50; Mark 1:26 (R G L); ; Acts 7:57, 60; Revelation 6:10; Revelation 7:2, 10; Revelation 10:3; ( Rec.); ; κράζων ἐν φωνή μεγάλη Revelation 14:15; ἐν ἰσχυρά φωνή, Revelation 18:2 (G L T Tr WH); μετά φωνῆς μεγάλης δοξάζων τόν Θεόν, Luke 17:15; of declarations from heaven, heard through no speaker is seen: ἰδού φωνή λέγουσα, Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; ἔρχεται φωνή, Mark 9:7 (R G L Tr text); John 12:28; ἐξέρχεται, Revelation 16:17; Revelation 19:5; γίνεται φωνή, Mark 1:11 (T omits; WH brackets ἐγένετο; T Tr marginal reading WH); Luke 3:22; Luke 9:35; John 12:30; (Acts 7:31 (where Rec. adds πρός αὐτόν)); πρός τινα, Acts 10:13, 15; (φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ, 2 Peter 1:17); ἐγένοντο φωναί μεγάλαι, Revelation 11:15; (ἀπεκρίθη φωνή, Acts 11:9); ἀκούειν φωνήν (cl. Buttmann, §§ 132, 17; 144, 16 α.), Acts 9:4; Acts 22:9,(14); ; 2 Peter 1:18; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1 (Buttmann, § 129, 8 b.); Revelation 6:6 (here L T Tr WH insert ὡς), Revelation 6:7 (here G omits; Tr brackets φωνήν); Revelation 9:13 (Buttmann, as above); (R G L WH marginal reading); ; ἀκούειν φωνῆς (Buttmann, § 132, 17; Winer's Grammar, § 30, 7d.), Acts 9:7; Acts 11:7; Acts 22:7; Rev. ( T Tr WH text); ; βλέπειν τήν φωνήν, i. e. the one who uttered the voice, Revelation 1:12. φωνή with a genitive of the subject: βοῶντος, Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23, all from Isaiah 40:3; (ἀγγέλου ὅταν μέλλῃ σαλπίζειν, Revelation 10:7); ἡ φωνή τίνος, the natural (familiar) sound of one's voice, Acts 12:14; Revelation 3:20 (Song of Solomon 5:2); the manner of speaking, as a shepherd's (cry or call to iris sheep), John 10:3-5; to such 'voices' Jesus likens his precepts approved (`heard') by all the good, John 10:16, 27, cf. 18:37; ἀνθρώπου, human utterance, 2 Peter 2:16; φωνή τίνος, the voice of a clamorous person, Matthew 12:19 (Isaiah 42:2); of one exulting, jubilant, John 3:29; Revelation 18:23; ἀγγέλων πολλῶν, singing the praises of Christ, Revelation 5:11f; the sound of the words of Christ as he shall recall the dead to life (the Resurrection-cry), John 5:25, 28; ἀρχαγγέλου, the awakening shout of the archangel, the leader of the angelic host, 1 Thessalonians 4:16; τοῦ Θεοῦ, of God — teaching, admonishing, whether in the O. T. Scriptures or in the gospel, John 5:37; Hebrews 3:7, 15; Hebrews 4:7; shaking the earth, Hebrews 12:26; the speech, discourse, Θεοῦ ... οὐκ ἀνθρώπου, Acts 12:22; (τάς φωνάς τῶν προφητῶν, the predictions (`read every sabbath'), Acts 13:27); ἀλλάξαι τήν φωνήν. (See ἀλλάσσω), Galatians 4:20. 3. speech, i. e. a language, tongue: 1 Corinthians 14:10f (Josephus, contra Apion 1, 1; (1, 9, 2; 1, 14, 1, etc.); Cebes () tab. 33; Aelian v. h. 12, 48; (Diogenes Laërtius 8, 3; for other examples from Greek writings see Passow, under the word, p. 2377{b}; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 3); Genesis 11:1; Deuteronomy 28:49; τῇ Ἑβραΐδι φωνή, 4 Macc. 12:7; τῇ πατρίῳ φωνή, 2 Macc. 7:8, 21, 27). (Synonym: cf. Schmidt, chapter 1 § 27; Trench, § lxxxix.; and see λαλέω, at the beginning.)

The Divine Voice in Redemptive History

From Eden onward Scripture portrays God as a God who speaks. In the New Testament φωνή most often signals decisive heavenly disclosure. At Jesus’ baptism “a voice came from heaven: ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:22). The same validating voice re-appears at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) and again in Jerusalem when the Father answers the Son (John 12:28-30). Far from being an isolated phenomenon, these irruptions of the divine voice anchor Jesus’ identity and mission in the unbroken revelatory stream of the Old Testament, where “the voice of the LORD is powerful” (Psalm 29).

The Voice of the Son

Jesus Himself is the Shepherd whose flock is marked by their response to His voice. “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). That personal summons distinguishes true discipleship from mere religious association (John 10:3-5, 16). On the cross the voice of the Son accomplishes redemption—He cries with a loud voice and yields up His spirit (Matthew 27:46, 50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:46). The evangelists stress the loudness of that cry, underlining both His voluntary self-offering and the tearing of the temple veil that immediately follows.

The Voice of the Spirit

The Spirit’s activity is also expressed through φωνή. At Pentecost a “sound like a mighty rushing wind” fills the house (Acts 2:2, 6), anticipating the Spirit-enabled proclamation that follows. The Spirit later directs Peter through a voice from heaven (Acts 10:13-15; 11:7-9), guiding the church into Gentile mission. Hebrews 3:7 and 4:7 press believers to heed “the voice of the Holy Spirit” by receiving God’s present word with obedient faith.

The Voice and Resurrection Hope

Jesus declares, “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out” (John 5:28-29). The same creative authority that once called the universe into being will summon the dead. Paul builds on this promise: “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Thus φωνή becomes a pledge that history will culminate in bodily resurrection and final judgment.

Apostolic Preaching and Corporate Worship

The early church is characterized by united, Spirit-empowered voice. Believers “raised their voices together to God” (Acts 4:24), and through bold public proclamation the gospel advances (Acts 2:14; 26:24-25). Paul discusses intelligible and unintelligible “voices” (1 Corinthians 14:7-11), insisting that prophetic clarity is essential for edification. Corporate praise is ultimately echoed in heaven, where “a great multitude… cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation to our God…’” (Revelation 7:10).

Eschatological Voices in Revelation

No book uses φωνή more than Revelation. John repeatedly hears voices likened to trumpets (Revelation 1:10; 4:1), roaring lions (10:3), many waters (14:2; 19:6), and peals of thunder (4:5; 16:18). These auditory images convey both majesty and urgency, framing visions of judgment (8:5; 11:15-19), warning (18:4), and final joy (19:1-6). The last explicit occurrence, “a loud voice from the throne” (Revelation 21:3), announces the climactic dwelling of God with His people.

The Voice of the Church and Christian Ministry

Because God speaks, His people must both listen and speak. Evangelism, preaching, teaching, and worship are extensions of the divine voice into the world. Faithful ministry seeks to echo Scripture’s message, confident that sheep will recognize the Shepherd’s voice through the proclamation of the Word. Conversely, hardness of heart is exposed when men “shout with loud voices” against Christ (Luke 23:23; Acts 7:57) or refuse to heed godly counsel (Hebrews 3:15).

Pastoral and Devotional Reflections

1. Assurance: Hearing and responding to Christ’s voice provides personal assurance of salvation (John 10:27-28).
2. Guidance: The Spirit still directs the church through Scripture, the prophetic word, and providential circumstances, all aligned with the canon.
3. Worship: Praise that is vocal and intelligible mirrors heavenly patterns and edifies the body (1 Corinthians 14; Revelation 5:12-13).
4. Expectation: Believers live in anticipation of the final voice that will raise the dead and inaugurate the new creation.

The 139 New Testament occurrences of φωνή collectively reveal a God who speaks, a Savior whose voice grants life, a Spirit who guides, and a church commissioned to proclaim. He who has ears, let him hear.

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