John 1:17

Moses. From mashah (#4871) meaning drawing out (of water).

Law?

νόμος (νόμου, m.) derives from the verb νέμω (“to distribute, assign”) and primarily denotes that which is customary or in habitual practice, i.e. usage or convention. In archaic and classical literature, νόμος commonly refers to social norms, customs, or practices. For example, in Hesiod’s Theogony (66), the Muses sing of “the ordinances and honourable customs of all” (πάντων τε νόμους καὶ ἤθεα κεδνά), underscoring the role of νόμος as a guiding principle in both divine and human spheres. Pindar (fr. 169.1) exalts νόμος as “king of all,” highlighting its overarching power in regulating human life.

Herodotus (7.104) also calls custom (νόμος) a despot, emphasizing the binding force of cultural norms in human societies. In medical contexts, as in Hippocrates (Art. 18), νόμος refers to the accepted “method” or “course of treatment,” linking the term to practical conventions. Although in later Greek, especially under Jewish and Christian influence (e.g. LXX Ps. 1.2; Ev.Luc. 2.22), νόμος acquired a specifically theological sense (i.e. divine law or Torah), its earliest and most prevalent usage remains secular and sociocultural rather than religious or theological. Thus, its primary sense is usage or custom, rather than divine decree.