What?
ποῖοςStrong’s G4169poios
Appears in 32 verses of the New Testament
In short
Poios is the Greek word usually translated “what”, “which” and “what kind of”. It appears in 32 verses of the New Testament.
“He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,”
Meaning
Usually translated “what”, “which” and “what kind of”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- what 16
- which 4
- in what 2
- by what 2
- what kind of 2
- on what 1
- what way 1
- what things 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Luke 8
- Matthew 7
- Mark 4
- John 4
- Acts 3
- 1 Peter 2
10 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Matthew 21:23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
- Matthew 21:24And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
- Matthew 21:27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
- Matthew 22:36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
- Matthew 24:42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
- Matthew 24:43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Greek dictionary
ποῖος poios · what?
ποῖος, -α, -ον interrog. pronom. adj. (corresponding to the demonstr. τοῖος and the relat. οἷος), [in LXX chiefly for זֶה אֵי־ ;] of what quality or sort: absol., n. pl., Luk.24:19; with subst.; (a) prop., in direct questions: Mat.19:18 21:23 22:36 24:42, Mrk.11:28 12:28, Luk.6:32-34, Jhn.10:32, Act.4:7 7:49, Rom.3:27, 1Co.15:35, Jas.4:14 (but see: ποία), 1Pe.2:20; (b) in indirect questions = ὁποῖος : Mat.21:24, 27 24:43, Mrk.11:29, 33, Luk.12:39 20:2, 8, Jhn.12:33 18:32 21:19 Act.23:34, 1Pe.1:11, Rev.3:3; ποῖας (sc. ὁδοῦ), Luk.5:19.† (AS)
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “what” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
WHAT, pronoun
relative or substitute. [G., Latin See Wight.]
- That which.
- Which part.
- what is the substitute for a sentence or clause of a sentence.
- what is used as an adjective, of both genders, often in specifying sorts or particulars.
All definitions and other forms of “what”
- what is much used in asking questions. what sort of character is this? what poem is this? what man is this we see coming?
- what time, at the time or on the day when.
- To how great a degree.
- Whatever.
- Some part, or some.
- what is sometimes used elliptically for what is this, or how is this?“WHAT! Could ye not watch with me one hour?” Matthew 26:40
- what is used interrogatively and elliptically, as equivalent to what will be the consequence? what will follow? As in the phrase, what if I undertake this business myself?
WHAT, noun
Fare; things; matter. [Not in use.]
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.