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.
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'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).
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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.
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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
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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).
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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.
