πῶς
how
Full lexicon entry — Thayer's Greek Lexicon
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Adverb
- A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.
Degree
- Interrogative
- Marks an interrogative form.
Every verse where G4459 appears in the Book of Luke — 16 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Greek form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Greek New Testament; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences of this word are not indexed here.
Luke
- Luke 1:34 πῶς adv interrog Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?"
- Luke 6:42 πῶς adv interrog Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.
- Luke 8:18 πῶς adv Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."
- Luke 8:36 πῶς adv Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.
- Luke 10:26 πῶς adv interrog He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
- Luke 11:18 πῶς adv interrog If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.
- Luke 12:11 πῶς adv interrog When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;
- Luke 12:27 πῶς adv Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
- Luke 12:50 πῶς adv But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
- Luke 12:56 πῶς adv interrog You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don't interpret this time?
- Luke 14:7 πῶς adv He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
- Luke 18:24 πῶς adv Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!
- Luke 20:41 πῶς adv interrog He said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?
- Luke 20:44 πῶς adv interrog "David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"
- Luke 22:2 πῶς adv interrog The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.
- Luke 22:4 πῶς adv interrog He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
πως (pōs) is a Greek word most often rendered “how.” It first appears in Matthew 6:28. It turns up in 101 verses across 17 books, a common footprint. From the same root come που, ποιος and ποτε. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's G4459 catalogs a Greek word from the Greek New Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Greek New Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 101
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 101 distinct verses.
- 17 / 27
- NT books
- The word appears in 17 of 27 New Testament books.
- #158
- by frequency
- Top 250 most frequent Greek words (rank 158 of 5,347 Greek words by occurrence).
View all 101 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the New Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Some books belong to more than one corpus (Luke is in both the Gospels and the Lukan corpus, and so on), so these shares overlap and need not total 100%. Each figure is a share of the word’s 101 distinct verses.
- Gospels 65 verses · 64%
- Pauline corpus 25 verses · 25%
- Lukan (Luke–Acts) 24 verses · 24%
- Johannine 22 verses · 22%
- Hebrews 1 verse · 1%
- General (Catholic) Epistles 1 verse · 1%
- Revelation 1 verse · 1%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: How 91×, How is it 3×, Means 2×
- American Standard Version: How 89×, How is it that 3×, Any means 2×
- Berean Standard Bible: How 84×, Way 4×, What 3×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: How 100×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders G4459 across 102 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 6 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders G4459 across 101 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders G4459 across 104 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 9 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 10 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders G4459 across 104 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in Thayer's
The 1 sense Thayer's distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- how, in what way
Word origin
Derived from που (poû) (G4226) — somewhere.
Adverb from the base of G4226 ; an interrogitive 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 .]
— Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (1890), public domain.
Forms in the corpus
The 2 distinct written forms G4459 takes in the Greek New Testament, most frequent first — each parse links to that case’s occurrences in the concordance.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| πῶς pō̂s | Adverb, Interrogative | Matthew 7:4 | 102 |
| πως pōs | Adverb, Interrogative | Matthew 21:20 | 2 |
Same root — word family
Other Thayer's entries built from the same root as G4459, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint usage
The same Greek word πως appears 102 times in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), across 95 verses in 27 books.
- 102
- LXX occurrences
- Tagged occurrences of this Greek word in the Septuagint.
- 95
- verses
- Distinct Septuagint verses containing this word.
- 27 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 27 of the 39 Old Testament books.
Sample Septuagint occurrences
- Genesis 39:9 πῶς
- Exodus 6:12 πῶς
- Deuteronomy 1:12 πῶς
- Joshua 9:7 πῶς
- Judges 16:15 πῶς
- Ruth 2:11 πῶς
- 1 Samuel 16:2 πῶς
- 2 Samuel 1:5 πῶς
- 1 Kings 12:6 πῶς
- 2 Kings 6:15 πῶς
- 1 Chronicles 13:12 πῶς
- 2 Chronicles 10:6 πῶς
Septuagint occurrences (same lexeme)
Every verse where the same Strong’s number (G4459) appears in the Greek Septuagint — showing the first 50 of 95. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context; the Greek form is the matched word — the English is not keyword-highlighted.
- Genesis 39:9 πῶς He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
- Genesis 43:27 πῶς He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?"
- Genesis 44:8 πῶς Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?
- Genesis 44:34 πῶς For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me? Lest I see the evil that will come on my father."
- Exodus 6:12 πῶς Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel haven't listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"
- Exodus 6:30 πῶς Moses said before Yahweh, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?"
- Exodus 33:16 πῶς For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn't it in that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?"
- Deuteronomy 1:12 πῶς How can I myself alone bear your encumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
- Deuteronomy 2:7 πῶς For Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand; he has known your walking through this great wilderness: these forty years Yahweh your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
- Deuteronomy 7:17 πῶς If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
- Deuteronomy 12:30 πῶς take heed to yourself that you not be ensnared to follow them, after that they are destroyed from before you; and that you not inquire after their gods, saying, How do these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
- Deuteronomy 18:21 πῶς If you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?
- Deuteronomy 25:18 πῶς how he met you by the way, and struck the hindmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn't fear God.
- Deuteronomy 28:67 πῶς In the morning you shall say, Would it were even! and at even you shall say, Would it were morning! for the fear of your heart which you shall fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see.
- Deuteronomy 31:27 πῶς For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against Yahweh; and how much more after my death?
- Deuteronomy 32:30 πῶς How should one chase a thousand, Two put ten thousand to flight, Except their Rock had sold them, Yahweh had delivered them up?
- Joshua 9:7 πῶς The men of Israel said to the Hivites, What if you dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?
- Judges 16:15 πῶς She said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in which your great strength lies.
- Ruth 2:11 πῶς Boaz answered her, It has fully been shown me, all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband; and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn't know before.
- Ruth 3:18 πῶς Then said she, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day."
- 1 Samuel 16:2 πῶς Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. Yahweh said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh.
- 1 Samuel 23:3 πῶς David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
- 2 Samuel 1:5 πῶς David said to the young man who told him, How know you that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?
- 2 Samuel 1:14 πῶς David said to him, How were you not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy Yahweh's anointed?
- 2 Samuel 1:19 πῶς Your glory, Israel, is slain on your high places! How are the mighty fallen!
- 2 Samuel 1:25 πῶς How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain on your high places.
- 2 Samuel 1:27 πῶς How are the mighty fallen, The weapons of war perished!
- 2 Samuel 2:22 πῶς Abner said again to Asahel, Turn you aside from following me: why should I strike you to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?
- 2 Samuel 6:9 πῶς David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, How shall the ark of Yahweh come to me?
- 2 Samuel 11:11 πῶς Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.
- 2 Samuel 12:18 πῶς It happened on the seventh day, that the child died. The servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he didn't listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead!
- 2 Samuel 14:15 πως Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
- 2 Samuel 16:12 πως It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will requite me good for [his] cursing of me this day.
- 2 Samuel 23:3 πῶς The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: One who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God,
- 1 Kings 12:6 πῶς King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
- 1 Kings 18:5 πῶς Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
- 1 Kings 21:31 πῶς
- 2 Kings 6:15 πῶς When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host with horses and chariots was round about the city. His servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
- 2 Kings 10:4 πῶς But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, the two kings didn't stand before him: how then shall we stand?
- 2 Kings 17:28 πῶς So one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear Yahweh.
- 2 Kings 18:24 πῶς How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
- 2 Kings 19:4 πῶς It may be Yahweh your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.
- 1 Chronicles 13:12 πῶς David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
- 2 Chronicles 10:6 πῶς King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people?
- Ezra 12:17 πῶς
- Esther 8:6 πῶς for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?
- Esther 9:12 πῶς The king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? and it shall be granted you: or what is your request further? and it shall be done.
- Esther 9:24 πῶς because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
- Job 9:2 πῶς "Truly I know that it is so, But how can man be just with God?
- Job 11:5 πῶς But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against you,
These are occurrences of the same Greek lexeme (G4459) in the Septuagint — not a translation of any one Hebrew word. The store carries no word-level Hebrew↔Greek alignment, so no Hebrew original is asserted here. Counts come from the recovered LXX Strong's tagging — high-frequency vocabulary is well covered, while rare or late forms may be untagged — so they reflect tagged occurrences and may slightly undercount.
