Lexical Summary pós: how, what, why Original Word: πῶς Strong's Exhaustive Concordance at all, somehowAdverb from the base of pou; 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). see GREEK pou NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origininterrog. adverb from the same as posos Definition how? NASB Translation how (101), what (1), why (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4459: πῶςπῶς (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: Luke 1:34; Luke 10:26; John 3:9; John 9:26; 1 Corinthians 15:35 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 266 (250)); πῶς οὖν, John 9:10 Tdf. (but L WH brackets οὖν), John 9:19; Romans 4:10. β. of one about to controvert another, and emphatically deny that the thing inquired about has happened or been done: Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:23; Luke 11:18; John 3:4, 12; John 5:44, 47; John 6:52; John 9:16; 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20; Romans 3:6; Romans 6:2; 1 Corinthians 14:7, 9, 16; 1 Timothy 3:5; Hebrews 2:3; καί πῶς, Mark 4:13; John 14:5 (here L text Tr WH omit καί); πῶς οὖν, Matthew 12:26; Romans 10:14 R G; πῶς δέ, Romans 10:14a 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: Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 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.: Galatians 2:14 G L T Tr WH; Matthew 22:12; John 4:9; John 6:52; John 7:15; πῶς λέγεις, λέγουσι, κτλ., Mark 12:35; Luke 20:41; John 8:38; καί πῶς, Luke 20:44; Acts 2:8; καί πῶς σύ λέγεις, John 12:34; John 14:9 (here L T WH omit; Tr brackets καί); πῶς οὖν, John 6:42 (here T WH Tr text πῶς νῦν); Matthew 22:43; πῶς οὐ, how is it that ... not, why not? Matthew 16:11; Mark 8:21 R G L marginal reading; 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? Matthew 26:54; πῶς φύγητε, how shall ye (who wish to escape) escape etc. Matthew 23:33; add, πῶς οὖν, Romans 10:14 L T Tr WH; πῶς δέ, Romans 10:14a 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; Acts 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: Matthew 6:28; Mark 12:41; Luke 12:27; Acts 15:36; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:6; 1 Timothy 3:15; τό πῶς (on the article see ὁ, II. 10 a.); with the imperfect Luke 14:7; with the perfect, Revelation 3:3; with the aorist, Matthew 12:4; Mark 2:26 (here Tr WH brackets πῶς); Luke 8:36; Acts 9:27, etc.; after ἀναγινώσκειν, Mark 12:26 T Tr WH; how it came to pass that, etc. John 9:15; with the future: μέριμνα, πῶς ἀρέσει (because the direct question would be πῶς ἀρέσω;), 1 Corinthians 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), Mark 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: Mark 11:18 L T Tr WH; Mark 14:1, 11 (R G); Matthew 10:19; Luke 12:11; τό πῶς, Luke 22:2, 4; Acts 4:21. III. in exclamation, how: πῶς δύσκολόν ἐστιν, Mark 10:24; πῶς παραχρῆμα, Matthew 21:20; πῶς δυσκόλως, Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24; with a verb, how (greatly): πῶς συνέχομαι, Luke 12:50; πῶς ἐφίλει αὐτόν, John 11:36. Pōs appears 118 times across the New Testament, occurring in every major literary division: the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, Acts, the Pauline corpus, the General Epistles, and Revelation. It surfaces both in narrative and didactic passages, functioning as a pivot for questions, exclamations of wonder, rhetorical challenges, and statements that underscore human limitation and divine provision. Inquiry in the Mouth of Learners Disciples frequently employ pōs to voice confusion or need for clarification. Nicodemus asks, “Πῶς can a man be born when he is old?” (John 3:4). Thomas echoes the pattern: “Lord, we do not know where You are going; Πῶς can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Such inquiries mark authentic learning moments, drawing readers into the text as fellow seekers who find answers in Christ’s subsequent explanations. Rhetorical Questions by the Lord Jesus Jesus uses pōs to expose error and provoke reflection. He challenges religious leaders: “Πῶς then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’?” (Matthew 22:43). He confronts hypocrisy: “You brood of vipers, Πῶς can you speak good things when you are evil?” (Matthew 12:34). These questions are not requests for information but instruments of revelation, unveiling the heart’s condition and the Scriptures’ christological focus. Demonstration of Human Inability and Divine Sufficiency Several occurrences display the contrast between human helplessness and God’s power. “Πῶς hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24; Luke 18:24) underscores dependence on divine grace. Paul presses the point: “He who did not spare His own Son… Πῶς will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). The adverb thus signals both problem and solution—human limitation met by divine generosity. Instruction for Apostolic Witness When Jesus sends His followers before hostile tribunals He commands, “Do not worry Πῶς or what you will say” (Matthew 10:19; Luke 12:11). The Spirit’s enabling renders strategic planning of speech unnecessary, highlighting the supernatural character of gospel testimony. Hermeneutical Function in Christological Argument Christ and the apostles leverage pōs to connect Old Testament texts with New Testament revelation. Jesus’ Psalm 110 argument (Matthew 22:43–45; Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44) and Paul’s discussion of Abraham’s justification (Romans 4:10) both pivot on “how,” forcing listeners to reconcile Scripture with fulfilled prophecy. Pastoral and Ethical Applications in Pauline Epistles Paul repeatedly wields pōs to shape Christian conduct. He asks the Corinthian believers to consider “πῶς each one builds” on the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10) and “πῶς shall the weak conscience be emboldened” (1 Corinthians 8:9). In 1 Timothy 3:15 he writes “so that you will know πῶς one ought to conduct himself in the household of God,” tying doctrinal truth to ecclesial order. Evangelistic Logic and Missional Necessity Romans 10:14–15 strings four successive pōs questions—“Πῶς then will they call… πῶς will they believe… πῶς will they hear… πῶς can they preach unless they are sent?”—constructing an unbreakable chain from sending to salvation. The passage clarifies that proclamation is God’s ordained means for bringing faith to the nations. Ethical Introspection John’s first epistle applies pōs to test the authenticity of love: “If anyone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him, πῶς can the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). The adverb pierces superficial religiosity, demanding congruence between confession and compassion. Eschatological Urgency Jesus warns the church in Sardis, “If you do not wake up… you will not know ποίαν hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). The uncertainty of “how” and “when” His coming will occur motivates perpetual readiness. Narrative Detail and Testimony Narrators use pōs to relay eyewitness accounts. After the Gerasene demoniac’s deliverance, witnesses report “πῶς it had happened to the demon-possessed man” (Mark 5:16; Luke 8:36). Luke likewise preserves Cornelius’s retelling of “πῶς he had seen the angel” (Acts 11:13). These narrative uses validate historical events and encourage faith. Principles for Preaching and Teaching Today 1. Employ rhetorical “how” questions to move hearers from complacency to conviction, following Jesus’ and Paul’s example. Through its varied occurrences, pōs invites readers to ponder manner, possibility, and consequence, guiding them from questions to faith and from observation to obedience. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 6:28 AdvGRK: τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνουσιν οὐ NAS: Observe how the lilies KJV: of the field, how they grow; INT: of the field how they grow [they do] not Matthew 7:4 Adv Matthew 10:19 Adv Matthew 12:4 Adv Matthew 12:26 Adv Matthew 12:29 Adv Matthew 12:34 Adv Matthew 16:11 Adv Matthew 21:20 Adv Matthew 22:12 Adv Matthew 22:43 Adv Matthew 22:45 Adv Matthew 23:33 Adv Matthew 26:54 Adv Mark 2:26 Adv Mark 3:23 Adv Mark 4:13 Adv Mark 4:30 Adv Mark 5:16 Adv Mark 9:12 Adv Mark 10:23 Adv Mark 10:24 Adv Mark 11:18 Adv Mark 12:26 Adv Mark 12:35 Adv |
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