Lexical Summary poios: What, which, of what kind Original Word: ποῖος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance what manner of, which. From the base of pou and hoios; individualizing interrogative (of character) what sort of, or (of number) which one -- what (manner of), which. see GREEK pou see GREEK hoios NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as posos Definition of what sort? NASB Translation any (1), kind of...by which (1), what (21), what kind (6), what things (1), which (3), which ones (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4169: ποίᾳποίᾳ, ποίας, ἡ (cf. Curtius, § 387), herbage, grass: according to some interpreters formal in James 4:14; but ποίᾳ there is more correctly taken as the feminine of the adjective ποῖος (which see), of what sort. (Jeremiah 2:22; Malachi 3:2; in Greek writings from Homer down.) STRONGS NT 4169: ποῖοςποῖος, ποίᾳ, ποῖον (interrogative pronoun, corresponding to the relative οἷος and the demonstrative τοῖος) (from Homer down), of what sort or nature (Latinqualis): absolute neuter plural in a direct question, Luke 24:19; with substantives, in direct questions: Matthew 19:18; Matthew 21:23; Matthew 22:36; Mark 11:28; Luke 6:32-34; John 10:32; Acts 4:7; Acts 7:49; Romans 3:27; 1 Corinthians 15:35; James 4:14; 1 Peter 2:20; in indirect discourse: Matthew 21:24, 27; Matthew 24:43; Mark 11:29, 33; Luke 12:39; John 12:33; John 18:32; John 21:19; Acts 23:34; Revelation 3:3; εἰς τινα ἡ ποῖον καιρόν, 1 Peter 1:11; ποίας (Rec. διά ποίας) namely, ὁδοῦ, Luke 5:19; cf. Winers Grammar, § 30, 11; ((also § 64, 5); Buttmann, §§ 123, 8; 132, 26; cf. Tobit 10:7). Topical Lexicon Scope and Emphases of Usage The interrogative adjective ποῖος/ποία/ποῖον appears thirty-three times across fourteen New Testament books. Whenever it surfaces, it presses the hearer to consider not mere fact but nature, quality, and character—“of what kind?” The Spirit employs the term to (1) expose motives, (2) sharpen ethical distinctions, (3) heighten eschatological watchfulness, and (4) unveil Christ’s person and work. Questioning Authority and Authenticity In the Temple debates (Matthew 21:23; Mark 11:28; Luke 20:2; Acts 4:7) the religious leaders demand, “By what authority are You doing these things?” Their insistence on the “kind” of authority unwittingly opens the door for Jesus to reveal His divine commission and, by parable, their own rejection of it. The same interrogative is used by the apostles’ opponents in Acts 4:7, setting the stage for Peter’s Spirit-filled testimony that all healing power flows “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 4:10). Thus ποῖος becomes a catalyst for gospel proclamation. Determining the Greatest Commandment When the lawyer asks, “Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36; Mark 12:28; cf. Matthew 19:18), the word directs the discussion from quantity (one among many) to quality (the essence of all). Jesus’ reply—love for God and neighbor—presents the heart of the Law and anticipates the new-covenant ethic empowered by the Spirit. Ethical Distinctiveness in Kingdom Living In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus asks three rapid-fire questions: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? … If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? … If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?” (Luke 6:32-34). Here ποία challenges disciples to embrace a love whose quality mirrors the Father’s indiscriminate grace. Peter echoes the same searching tone: “For what kind of credit is it if you sin and are beaten for it and you endure? But if you do good and suffer for it and you endure, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:20). Revealing the Nature of Christ’s Death Three times John uses ποῖος to interpret the cross: “He said this to signify the kind of death He was going to die” (John 12:33; 18:32; 21:19). The adjective calls attention not simply to the fact of death but to its redemptive character—lifted up, Roman crucifixion, God-glorifying martyrdom for Peter. By recording the term, John highlights Jesus’ sovereign knowledge and purposeful submission. Eschatological Watchfulness “Therefore keep watch, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42; cf. 24:43; Luke 12:39; Revelation 3:3). Here ποίᾳ underscores the unknown quality of the day or hour, urging continual readiness. The same alertness is demanded of Sardis: “If you do not wake up, … you will not know at what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). Resurrection and the Future Body “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’” (1 Corinthians 15:35). Paul answers by analogies of seed, flesh, and celestial bodies, insisting that the resurrection body will be of a kind fitted for glory—imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual. The question framed by ποῖος enables the apostle to unfold the longest single treatment of resurrection in Scripture. Prophetic Inquiry and Progressive Revelation Old-covenant prophets “were trying to determine the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing” (1 Peter 1:11). The combination “time and circumstances” (lit. “what time or what kind of time”) shows that ποῖος fuels the longing to understand messianic suffering and glory. The New Testament announces that the answer has arrived in Jesus. Soteriological Principle versus Boasting “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? … On that of faith” (Romans 3:27). By shifting the debate from works to the kind of law (principle) that governs justification, Paul secures all glory for God’s grace and disallows human pride. Divine Transcendence and Human Worship Stephen quotes Isaiah, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me?” (Acts 7:49). The interrogative magnifies God’s transcendence and indicts the Sanhedrin for reducing worship to a building while rejecting the true Temple—Christ Himself. Pastoral and Devotional Value 1. Self-examination: ποῖος invites believers to ask not only “what am I doing?” but “of what quality is my obedience, my love, my faith?” Summary Strong’s 4169 serves the New Testament writers as a probing instrument, uncovering the essence of matters central to revelation—authority, love, law, death, resurrection, and consummation. Each occurrence calls the reader beyond surface information to discern the qualitative reality that only God can fully define and ultimately supply in Christ. Forms and Transliterations ποια ποιά ποία ποίᾳ Ποῖα ποιαν ποίαν Ποιας Ποίας ποιον ποίον ποῖον ποίος ποιου ποίου ποιω ποίω ποίῳ πόκον πόκου πόκω πόκων poia poía Poîa poíāi poian poían Poias Poías poio poiō poíoi poíōi poion poîon poiou poíouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 19:18 IPro-AFPGRK: λέγει αὐτῷ Ποίας ὁ δὲ NAS: [Then] he said to Him, Which ones? And Jesus KJV: He saith unto him, Which? Jesus INT: He says to him Which moreover Matthew 21:23 IPro-DFS Matthew 21:24 IPro-DFS Matthew 21:27 IPro-DFS Matthew 22:36 IPro-NFS Matthew 24:42 IPro-DFS Matthew 24:43 IPro-DFS Mark 11:28 IPro-DFS Mark 11:29 IPro-DFS Mark 11:33 IPro-DFS Mark 12:28 IPro-NFS Luke 5:19 IPro-GFS Luke 6:32 IPro-NFS Luke 6:33 IPro-NFS Luke 6:34 IPro-NFS Luke 12:39 IPro-DFS Luke 20:2 IPro-DFS Luke 20:8 IPro-DFS Luke 24:19 IPro-NFS John 10:32 IPro-ANS John 12:33 IPro-DMS John 18:32 IPro-DMS John 21:19 IPro-DMS Acts 4:7 IPro-DFS Acts 4:7 IPro-DNS Strong's Greek 4169 |
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