πῶς (G4459) — Greek Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

πῶς

pōs

G4459 adverb

SILEX Entry

Root π- (base of ποῦ) manner, way, method, means

Definition

An interrogative adverb indicating manner or method, typically asking 'in what way?' or 'how?' something occurs or is done. It introduces both direct and indirect questions regarding mode, cause, or process. In exclamatory contexts, it expresses intensity or degree ('how much!' or 'how greatly!'). Also used idiomatically and in subordinate clauses to inquire about means, reason, or possibility.

Semantic Range

how, in what way, by what means, after what manner, how much (exclamatory), with what cause, in what respect

Root / Etymology

From the base of ποῦ ('where?'), ultimately related to the Proto-Indo-European root *kwo- ('who, what'). Formed by combining the interrogative stem π- with the adverbial ending -ως ('in the manner of').

Historical & Contextual Notes

πῶς is widely attested from classical Greek onwards, where it consistently functions as the common interrogative adverb of manner and means. It can open both direct questions ('How does this happen?') and indirect questions ('Explain how this happens'). In exclamatory phrases, it emphasizes the degree or unexpectedness of a situation. Its usage in the Septuagint and New Testament maintains these core functions without significant semantic shift. In Koine Greek, πῶς is sometimes omitted in translation to English due to idiomatic differences; meaning may be inferred rather than explicitly stated. Context distinguishes it from similar adverbs such as τίς ('who?'), ποῦ ('where?'), or ποῖος ('of what kind?'), all of which query different aspects of a situation. The English translations 'how' or 'in what way' are generally adequate, though they may not always capture the exclamatory or emphatic use found in the Greek. Greek rhetorical and narrative styles may employ πῶς for vividness or to engage the listener or reader.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

adverb from the base of ποῦ; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way? (sometimes the question is indirect, how?); also as exclamation, how much!:--how, after (by) what manner (means), that. (Occasionally unexpressed in English).

Root Family

πῶς (pōs) — manner, way, method, means

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
G4458	-πώς	how

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`G4459-01`	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?	104

Occurrences in Scripture

104 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`G4459-01`	Matthew 6:28	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 7:4	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 10:19	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 12:4	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 12:26	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 12:29	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 12:34	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 16:11	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 21:20	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 22:12	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 22:43	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 22:45	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 23:33	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Matthew 26:54	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 2:26	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 3:23	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 4:13	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 4:30	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 5:16	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 8:21	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 9:12	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 10:23	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 10:24	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 11:18	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 12:26	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 12:35	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 12:41	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 14:1	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Mark 14:11	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 1:34	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 6:42	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 8:18	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 8:36	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 10:26	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 11:18	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 12:11	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 12:27	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 12:50	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 12:56	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 14:7	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 18:24	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 20:41	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 20:44	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 22:2	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Luke 22:4	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 3:4	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 3:9	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 3:12	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 4:9	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 5:44	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 5:47	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 6:42	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 6:52	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 7:15	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 8:33	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:10	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:15	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:16	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:19	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:21	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 9:26	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 11:36	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 12:34	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 14:5	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	John 14:9	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 2:8	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 4:21	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 8:31	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 9:27	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 9:27	πῶς	pos-2	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 11:13	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 12:17	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 15:36	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Acts 20:18	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 3:6	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 4:10	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 6:2	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 8:32	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 10:14	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 10:14	πῶς	pos-2	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 10:14	πῶς	pos-3	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Romans 10:15	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 3:10	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 7:32	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 7:33	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 7:34	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 14:7	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 14:9	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 14:16	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 15:12	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Corinthians 15:35	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	How	in what way?
`G4459-01`	2 Corinthians 3:8	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	Galatians 2:14	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Galatians 4:9	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Ephesians 5:15	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Colossians 4:6	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Thessalonians 1:9	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Thessalonians 4:1	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	2 Thessalonians 3:7	πῶς	pos	`CONJ.S`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Timothy 3:5	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 Timothy 3:15	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Hebrews 2:3	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?
`G4459-01`	1 John 3:17	πῶς	pos	`ADV`	how	in what way?
`G4459-01`	Revelation 3:3	πῶς	pos	`ADV`		in what way?

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