Strong's Lexicon

G4459

G4459 — πῶς

Greek entry for Bible study and original-language reference.

GreekposadverbOccurrences: 105

Definition / Gloss

Strong's Number:G4459
Word:πῶς
Part of Speech:adverb
Etymology:adverb from the base of G4226, an interrogative particle of manner
Language:Greek
Occurrences:105
Transliteration:pos
Phonetic Spelling/Pronunciation:poce`
Meaning:1. in what way? 2. (sometimes indirect) how? 3. (as exclamation) how much! {Occasionally unexpressed in English}
KJV Renderings:how, after (by) what manner (means), that

Use Strong's responsibly

Strong's is an index and starting point, not the final meaning of a word. Do not build doctrine from a gloss, root, or number. Test meaning by sentence, grammar, authorial usage, context, and the passage argument.

Read: Using Strong's Responsibly

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

πῶς (from the obsolete ΠΟΣ, whence ποῦ, ποῖ, etc. (cf. Curtius, § 631)), adverb (from Homer down);

I. in interrogation; how? in what way? — in a direct question, followed by a. the indicative, it is the expression α. of one seeking information and desiring to be taught: Luk 1:34; Luk 10:26; Joh 3:9; Joh 9:26; 1Co 15:35 (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 266 (250)); πῶς οὖν, Joh 9:10 Tdf. (but L WH brackets οὖν), Joh 9:19; Rom 4:10. β. of one about to controvert another, and emphatically deny that the thing inquired about has happened or been done: Mat 12:29; Mar 3:23; Luk 11:18; Joh 3:4; Joh 3:12; Joh 5:44; Joh 5:47; Joh 6:52; Joh 9:16; 1Jn 3:17; 1Jn 4:20; Rom 3:6; Rom 6:2; 1Co 14:7; 1Co 14:9; 1Co 14:16; 1Ti 3:5; Heb 2:3; καί πῶς, Mar 4:13; Joh 14:5 (here L text Tr WH omit καί); πῶς οὖν, Mat 12:26; Rom 10:14 R G; πῶς δέ, Rom 10:14 a R G L marginal reading, 14b R G T, 15 R G (on this see in b. below). where something is asserted and an affirmative answer is expected, πῶς οὐχί is used: Rom 8:32; 2Co 3:8. γ. of surprise, intimating that what has been done or is said could not have been done or said, or not rightly done or said — being equivalent to how is it, or how has it come to pass, that etc.: Gal 2:14 G L T Tr WH; Mat 22:12; Joh 4:9; Joh 6:52; Joh 7:15; πῶς λέγεις, λέγουσι, κτλ., Mar 12:35; Luk 20:41; Joh 8:38; καί πῶς, Luk 20:44; Act 2:8; καί πῶς σύ λέγεις, Joh 12:34; Joh 14:9 (here L T WH omit; Tr brackets καί); πῶς οὖν, Joh 6:42 (here T WH Tr text πῶς νῦν); Mat 22:43; πῶς οὐ, how is it that ... not, why not? Mat 16:11; Mar 8:21 R G L marginal reading; (R G T); Luk 12:56.

b. the deliberative subjunctive (where the question is, how that can be done which ought to be done): πῶς πληρωθῶσιν αἱ γραφαί, how are the Scriptures (which ought to be fulfilled) to be fulfilled? Mat 26:54; πῶς φύγητε, how shall ye (who wish to escape) escape etc. Mat 23:33; add, πῶς οὖν, Rom 10:14 L T Tr WH; πῶς δέ, Rom 10:14 a L text T Tr WH; 14{b} L Tr WH; 15 L T Tr WH (Sir 49:11); cf. Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii., 405f c. followed by ἄν with the optative: πῶς γάρ ἄν δυναίμην; Act 8:31 (on which see ἄν, III., p. 34b).

II. By a somewhat negligent use, occasionally met with, even in Attic writings, but more frequent in later authors, πῶς is found in indirect discourse, where regularly ὅπως ought to have stood; cf. Winers Grammar, § 57, 2 at the end; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, IV.).

a. with the indicative — present: Mat 6:28; Mar 12:41; Luk 12:27; Act 15:36; 1Co 3:10; Eph 5:15; Col 4:6; 1Ti 3:15; τό πῶς (on the article see , II. 10 a.); with the imperfect Luk 14:7; with the perfect, Rev 3:3; with the aorist, Mat 12:4; Mar 2:26 (here Tr WH brackets πῶς); Luk 8:36; Act 9:27, etc.; after ἀναγινώσκειν, Mar 12:26 T Tr WH; how it came to pass that, etc. Joh 9:15; with the future: μέριμνα, πῶς ἀρέσει (because the direct question would be πῶς ἀρέσω;), 1Co 7:32-34 (but L T Tr WH ἀρέσῃ); ἐζήτουν πῶς αὐτόν ἀπολέσουσιν, how they shall destroy him (so that they were in no uncertainty respecting his destruction, but were only deliberating about the way in which they will accomplish it), Mar 11:18 R G (but the more correct reading here, according to the best manuscripts, including codex Siniaticus, is ἀπολέσωσιν ’how they should destroy him’ (cf. Winers Grammar, § 41 b. 4 b.; Buttmann, § 139, 61; see the next entry)).

b. with the subjunctive, of the aorist and in deliberation: Mar 11:18 L T Tr WH; Mar 14:1; Mar 14:11 (R G); Mat 10:19; Luk 12:11; τό πῶς, Luk 22:2; Luk 22:4; Act 4:21.

III. in exclamation, how: πῶς δύσκολόν ἐστιν, Mar 10:24; πῶς παραχρῆμα, Mat 21:20; πῶς δυσκόλως, Mar 10:23; Luk 18:24; with a verb, how (greatly): πῶς συνέχομαι, Luk 12:50; πῶς ἐφίλει αὐτόν, Joh 11:36.

Englishman's Greek Concordance

πῶς (how)

Matthew 6:28

KJV: And why take ye thought for raiment Consider the lilies of the field how they grow they toil not neither do they spin
GK: και περί ενδύματος τι μεριμνάτε καταμάθετε τα κρίνα του αγρού πως αυξάνει ου κοπιά ουδέ νήθει

Matthew 7:4

KJV: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beam in thine own eye
GK: η πως ερείς τω αδελφώ σου άφες εκβάλω το κάρφος από του οφθαλμού σου και ιδού η δοκός εν τω οφθαλμώ σου

Matthew 10:19

KJV: But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak
GK: όταν δε παραδιδώσιν υμάς μη μεριμνήσητε πως η τι λαλήσητε δοθήσεται γαρ υμιν εν εκείνη τη ώρα τι λαλήσετε

Matthew 12:4

KJV: How he entered into the house of God and did eat the shew bread which was not lawful for him to eat neither for them which were with him but only for the priests
GK: πως εισήλθεν εις τον οίκον του θεού και τους άρτους της προθέσεως έφαγεν ους ουκ εξόν ην αυτώ φαγείν ουδέ τοις μετ΄ αυτού ει τοις ιερεύσι μόνοις

Matthew 12:26

KJV: And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand
GK: και ει ο σατανάς τον σατανάν εκβάλλει εφ΄ εαυτόν εμερίσθη πως ουν σταθήσεται η βασιλεία αυτού

Matthew 12:29

KJV: Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house
GK: η πως δύναταί τις εισελθείν εις την οικίαν του ισχυρού και τα σκεύη αυτού διαρπάσαι εάν μη πρώτον δήση τον ισχυρόν και τότε την οικίαν αυτού διαρπάσει

Matthew 12:34

KJV: O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh
GK: γεννήματα εχιδνών πως δύνασθε αγαθά λαλείν πονηροί όντες εκ γαρ του περισσεύματος της καρδίας το στόμα λαλεί

Matthew 16:11

KJV: How is it that ye do not understand that I spake not to you concerning bread that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees
GK: πως ου νοείτε ότι ου περί άρτου είπον υμίν προσέχειν από της ζύμης των Φαρισαίων και Σαδδουκαίων

Matthew 21:20

KJV: And when the disciples saw they marvelled saying How soon is the fig tree withered away
GK: και ιδόντες οι μαθηταί εθαύμασαν λέγοντες πως παραχρήμα εξηράνθη η συκή
↑ Top