Epsilon (Ε/ε) – New Testament Greek words that start with epsilon

• Old Testament Hebrew
• New Testament Greek

Quick reference

Greek Name:

ἒ ψιλόν

English Name:

epsilon

Pronunciation:

ĕ’ psē-lŏn’

Upper-case Letter:

Ε

Lower-case Letter:

ε

Speech Sound:

vowel (short)

Numerical Value:

5

Pronunciation guide

In Koine Greek, the letter Epsilon represented a closed-mid front unrounded vowel, pronounced as the short “e” in “bed.”

Numerical significance

In the Greek numeral system (isopsephy), Epsilon represents the number five (5). The number five can symbolize balance and harmony, as it is the midpoint of the numbers one through nine. In Greek and other cultural contexts, it often represents humanity, possibly due to the human body’s pentagonal symmetry (two arms, two legs, and a head).

Cultural and symbolic meaning

The letter Epsilon derives from the Phoenician letter “He,” which originally may have been designed to resemble a window or possibly a man with raised arms.