5074. tetrapous
Lexical Summary
tetrapous: Four-footed, quadruped

Original Word: τετράπους
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: tetrapous
Pronunciation: te-TRA-pous
Phonetic Spelling: (tet-rap'-ooce)
KJV: fourfooted beast
NASB: four-footed animals
Word Origin: [from G5064 (τέσσαρες - four) and G4228 (πούς - feet)]

1. a quadruped

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
four-footed animal

From tessares and pous; a quadruped -- fourfooted beast.

see GREEK tessares

see GREEK pous

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from tessares and pous
Definition
four-footed
NASB Translation
four-footed animals (3).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5074: τετράπους

τετράπους, τετράπουν, genitive τετράποδος (from τέτρα, which see, and πούς a foot), from Herodotus and Thucydides down, four-footed: neuter plural namely, beasts, Acts 10:12; Acts 11:6; Romans 1:23. (The Sept. for בְּהֵמָה.)

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Basic Meaning

Strong’s Greek 5074 designates a “four-footed creature,” any land animal that walks on all fours. In Scripture the term functions both literally, describing living creatures, and theologically, standing for the entire created order below humanity.

Occurrences in the New Testament

The noun appears only three times: Acts 10:12; Acts 11:6; Romans 1:23. In each setting it frames a pivotal theological moment—Peter’s vision opening the gospel to the Gentiles and Paul’s indictment of pagan idolatry.

Old Testament Background

Genesis 1:24-25 records God’s deliberate creation of “livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals,” declaring them good. Subsequent Mosaic legislation distinguished “clean” from “unclean” quadrupeds (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14), a boundary marker that shaped Israel’s identity. Sacrificial worship frequently employed four-footed animals (Exodus 29:38-42), highlighting their role in atonement and covenant fellowship.

Peter’s Vision and the Inclusion of the Gentiles (Acts 10–11)

“In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air” (Acts 10:12). The sheet’s mixture of creatures—clean and unclean—symbolized the worldwide scope of redemption. When Peter was commanded, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat,” his protest revealed entrenched ceremonial boundaries. The heavenly reply, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,” prepared Peter to enter the house of Cornelius, announcing the gospel without distinction (Acts 10:34-35). The repeated account in Acts 11:6 confirms the Spirit-led abolition of dietary barriers and, by extension, ethnic barriers in Christ.

Idolatry and the Degradation of Worship (Romans 1:23)

Paul writes that fallen humanity “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:23). Quadrupeds represent the lower tiers of creation to which idolatry demotes divine glory. The descent—man, birds, four-footed animals, reptiles—portrays an ever-deepening corruption. Here the word underscores how sin reverses God’s intended hierarchy: instead of ruling over the animal kingdom (Genesis 1:26), sinners bow before it.

Christological Fulfillment and Ethical Implications

By His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled and superseded ceremonial food laws (Mark 7:19; Hebrews 9:9-14). Consequently, four-footed animals no longer divide God’s people but serve as symbols of the gospel’s unrestricted reach. At the same time, Romans 1 warns believers to guard their worship, lest created blessings become idols.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Gospel Mission: Acts 10 encourages breaking cultural taboos that hinder evangelism, while remaining anchored in apostolic doctrine.
2. Discipleship: Teaching on Romans 1:23 exposes the heart’s propensity toward idolatry, fostering repentance and exclusive devotion to Christ.
3. Creation Stewardship: Recognizing four-footed animals as part of a “very good” creation motivates responsible care for the environment without lapsing into creature worship.
4. Table Fellowship: Understanding the repeal of ceremonial food distinctions promotes unity in diverse congregations, consistent with Romans 14:1-4.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 5074, though rare, frames two watershed truths: God’s welcome of all nations through the gospel and humanity’s tragic fall into idolatry. Properly grasped, it directs believers to celebrate the Creator, steward His creatures wisely, and proclaim the salvation that lifts every repentant sinner—Jew or Gentile—into the family of God.

Forms and Transliterations
τετραποδα τετράποδα τετράποδι τετραποδων τετραπόδων τετράποσι τετράποσιν τετράπουν tetrapoda tetrápoda tetrapodon tetrapodōn tetrapódon tetrapódōn
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Englishman's Concordance
Acts 10:12 Adj-NNP
GRK: πάντα τὰ τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετὰ
NAS: and there were in it all [kinds of] four-footed animals and crawling creatures
KJV: all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth,
INT: all the quadrupeds and creeping things

Acts 11:6 Adj-ANP
GRK: εἶδον τὰ τετράποδα τῆς γῆς
NAS: it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth
KJV: saw fourfooted beasts of the earth,
INT: saw the quadrupeds of the earth

Romans 1:23 Adj-GNP
GRK: πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν
NAS: and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
KJV: and fourfooted beasts, and
INT: of birds and quadrapeds and creeping things

Strong's Greek 5074
3 Occurrences


τετράποδα — 2 Occ.
τετραπόδων — 1 Occ.

5073
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