The Orthodox Study Bible: Symbol

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 

My review, as a biblical Christian of the Reformed tradition, of this fine academic source, continues. This Orthodox source uses the New King James Version (NKJV). 

Glossary from Reverend John W. Morris, Ph.D.

Cited

'SYMBOL In Orthodox usage, the manifestation in material form of a spiritual reality. A symbol does not merely stand for something else, as does a "sign"; it indicates the actual presence of its subject. For example, the dove is the symbol which brought to Jesus the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3: 13-16).' (808).

End citation

My take, in basic agreement, is that biblical symbols represent the actual subject, but not in plain literal terms. Using the dove example from Matthew 3, God the Holy Spirit was present as he (God) empowered God the Son, God the Word, Jesus Christ for ministry. But it was presented in figurative literal terms in the form of a dove. 

Bible Hub: Englishman's Concordance περιστερὰν (peristeran)

Cited 

Matthew 3:16 N-AFS 

GRK: καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον 

NAS: descending as a dove [and] lighting

KJV: descending like a dove, and lighting 

INT: descending as a dove and lighting

περιστερὰν (noun, accusative, feminine, singular) The accusative case denotes and indicates a direct object. Like or as a dove.

Strong documents

Bible Hub 

Cited 

Strong's Concordance peristera: a dove 

Original Word: περιστερά, άς, ἡ

4058 from the Strong hardcopy text:

περιστερά a pigeon or a dove. (76).

Bauer explains: περιστερά, άς, ἡ

The dove represented the symbol of all kinds of virtues in ancient times. (652). 'Hence the Holy Spirit, in appearing at Jesus' baptism, took the form of a dove...' (Matthew 3: 16) (652).

Bible Hub

Cited 

Thayer's Greek Lexicon 

STRONGS NT 4058: περιστερά 

περιστερά, περιστεράς, ἡ, Hebrew יונָה, a dove: Matthew 3:16; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 21:12; Mark 1:10; Mark 11:15; Luke 2:24; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; John 2:14, 16. (From Herodotus down.)

BAUER, WALTER. (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press. 

STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.