Bible Word Study
Φλέγων
phlegōn · Phlegon
Φλέγων
Phlegon
Definition
Phlegon is a proper noun referring to a specific individual mentioned in the New Testament. In the Bible, it is used exclusively as the name of a Christian man greeted by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans (Romans 16:14). The name itself, meaning 'burning' or 'blazing,' was a common Greek personal name in the ancient world. There are no other biblical senses or meanings for this word; it functions solely as a personal identifier for this one individual within the Christian community in Rome.
Biblical Usage
The word Φλέγων (Phlegon) is used only once in the New Testament, in Romans 16:14. It appears in a list of greetings from Paul to various believers in Rome. The usage is straightforward, identifying Phlegon as one among several Christians (including Asyncritus, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas) whom Paul acknowledges and salutes. This places the word firmly within the context of personal recognition and fellowship within the early church.
Etymology
The name Φλέγων (Phlegōn) is derived from the Greek verb φλέγω (phlegō), meaning 'to burn,' 'to blaze,' or 'to be on fire.' It is a present active participle, literally translating to 'the burning one' or 'the blazing one.' As a personal name, it was likely descriptive or aspirational, possibly implying a passionate or fiery character. It is a cognate with other Greek words related to fire and inflammation.
Semantic Range
While the name Phlegon itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion in Romans 16 is significant. It highlights the personal, relational nature of Paul's ministry and the value of every individual within the body of Christ. Understanding that this is a real person's name enriches reading by reminding us that the New Testament was written to and about a concrete, diverse community of believers, each known by name and valued by the apostle. In the Greco-Roman world, names like Phlegon were common. They often carried descriptive meanings or were derived from gods, virtues, or physical traits. The name 'the burning one' might have conveyed energy, zeal, or intensity. Its use for a Christian shows how believers retained their cultural identities while being integrated into the new family of the church. There is no significant difference from a modern understanding of a personal name. There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. Other names in the same greeting list serve a similar function of personal identification: Ἀσύγκριτος (Asyncritus, G799) and Ἑρμῆς (Hermēs, G2060).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]