A lighting device provides a pump light unit for emitting pump light, a phosphor element for generating conversion light in response to excitation by the pump light, and a wavelength-dependent beam splitter which is reflective to the pump light and transmissive to the conversion light. The first pump light portion is incident on a light incidence surface of the beam splitter and is reflected from the beam splitter to the phosphor element. The element emits the conversion light in response to the excitation by the pump light. The conversion light is likewise incident on the light incidence surface, but transmitted by the beam splitter and exiting at a light exit surface of the beam splitter opposite the light incidence surface. Concurrently, the second pump light portion, reflected from the beam splitter, is directed onto the light exit surface of the beam splitter and is superposed with the conversion light.