UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: to dawn, to become light

Semantic entry: 14.41

Semantic domains: Physical Events and States

Subdomains: Light

Definition: to change from darkness to light in the early morning hours

Notes: In some languages dawning is divided into more than one aspect or period of time. The first may be only a glimmering of light in the east; the second period makes visibility quite easy; and the third period involves shafts of light or colored clouds visible in the sky immediately before sunrise. Usually an expression for one of these periods of time is more generalized in usage, and therefore it is probably satisfactory to adopt such an expression for any transition from darkness to light.