ὁδηγ-ός G3595
A guide, leader; one who leads others along a path, often used metaphorically of religious teachers.
A noun meaning guide or leader — one who shows the way. In the Gospels, Jesus uses it pointedly against the Pharisees: 'blind guides' (Matt 15:14; 23:16, 24) who lead others astray despite claiming to know the path. Acts 1:16 applies it to Judas as 'guide' to those who arrested Jesus. In Rom 2:19, Paul quotes the Jewish self-understanding of being 'a guide to the blind.' The multilingual convergence of Spanish 'guía,' French 'guide,' and German 'Führer' all point to the core sense of directional leadership.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A guide or leader, one who directs others along a physical or moral path. All five NT uses carry strongly metaphorical overtones of religious or moral guidance. Jesus' repeated charge of 'blind guides' (ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, Matt 23:16, 24) exposes leaders who mislead rather than guide. In Acts 1:16, Judas served as ὁδηγός to Jesus' captors — a dark inversion of the guide role. Rom 2:19 echoes Jewish self-identity as 'a guide to the blind,' which Paul then deconstructs. The Spanish 'guía' and French 'guide' preserve the same etymological link to showing the way. 5×
AR["أنَّكَ-دَليلٌ", "دَلِيلًا", "قَادَةٌ", "يا-قادَةً"]·ben["-সেই", "পথপ্রদর্শক", "পথপ্রদর্শকেরা"]·DE["Fuehrer", "ὁδηγοί", "ὁδηγοὶ", "ὁδηγοῦ"]·EN["guide", "guides"]·FR["guide"]·heb["מַדְרִיךְ", "מוֹלִיכֵי", "מוֹרֵי-דֶרֶךְ", "מוֹרֶה-דֶּרֶךְ"]·HI["मअरग-दरशक", "मार्गदर्शक", "मार्गदर्शको"]·ID["pemandu", "pemimpin-pemimpin", "penuntun"]·IT["guida", "odegoi"]·jav["dados-panuntun", "panuntun"]·KO["안내자들이다", "인도자", "인도자들아", "잡은-자들-에게"]·PT["guia", "guias"]·RU["вожди", "вождь", "проводником"]·ES["guía", "guías"]·SW["kiongozi", "viongozi", "vipofu"]·TR["-a", "kilavuz", "kılavuzları", "rehberler"]·urd["رہنما", "رہنماؤ"]
Related Senses
H8104 1. Qal: keep, observe (law/covenant) (399×)G3101 1. disciple, learner (263×)H5826 1. Qal: to help, aid (53×)H8334 1. to minister, serve (52×)H8334 2. minister, servant, attendant (46×)G5083 1. observe or obey commands (41×)H8104 2. Niphal: beware, take heed (34×)G1247 1. to serve or minister to (32×)H3256 1. discipline, chastise (Piel active) (27×)H5833 1. help, aid, assistance (26×)H8104 3. Qal: watch, look out (26×)H5341 1. keep, observe (commandments) (24×)G5083 2. guard or protect someone (23×)H5647 2. serve, minister to (a person) (21×)H5826 2. Qal participle: helper (21×)G5219 1. obey, be obedient to (20×)H5341 2. guard, protect, preserve (a person) (20×)G1398 1. serve, render service to (19×)H5828 1. help, assistance (19×)H5411 1. Nethinim, temple servants (18×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὁδηγ-ός, ὁ, guide, Refs 2nd c.BC+; of a goddess, Refs 2nd c.AD+; part of a dirigible χελώνη, Refs 2nd c.BC+ adjective, ὁδηγὰ πλοῖα pilot-boats, Refs 2nd c.AD+