οἷος G3634
Such as, of what sort, of which kind; a qualitative relative pronoun introducing comparisons.
A correlative relative pronoun that characterizes the quality or kind of something, answering the implicit question 'of what sort?' Rather than specifying quantity or identity, it focuses on the nature or character of its referent. In the New Testament it appears most memorably in eschatological descriptions: 'such tribulation as has not been from the beginning' (Matt 24:21; Mark 13:19), emphasizing the unprecedented quality of end-time distress. Mark uses it vividly to describe the supernatural whiteness of Jesus' garments at the Transfiguration—'such as no launderer on earth could bleach them' (Mark 9:3). Spanish 'cual' and French 'que/qui' reflect the qualitative comparison at its core.
Senses
1. such as, of what sort — A qualitative relative pronoun meaning 'such as,' 'of what sort,' or 'of which kind,' used to describe the character or nature of something rather than its quantity or identity. Deployed in eschatological warnings to mark events as unprecedented in quality—'tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of creation' (Mark 13:19; Matt 24:21). Also used at the Transfiguration to express the incomparable brilliance of Jesus' garments (Mark 9:3). Multilingual glosses—Spanish 'cual,' German 'der/den,' French 'que'—all function as qualitative relative markers, confirming the comparative-characterizing function. 15×
AR["أيُّ-نَوْعٍ", "أَيَّ", "أَيِّ", "الَّتي", "الَّذي", "الَّذِي", "الّذي", "كَأَنَّ", "كَما", "كَما-أُريدُ", "كَمَا", "مِثلُهُ"]·ben["কেমন", "কোন", "যেমন"]·DE["das", "den", "der", "die", "οἵα", "οἵου"]·EN["as", "of-what-kind", "such", "such-as", "what-kind", "what-kind-of"]·FR["duquel", "que", "qui"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר", "אֵיזוֹ", "כְּאִלּוּ", "כְּאֵלֶּה", "כְּאֵלֶּה-שֶׁ", "כְּאָשֶׁר", "כְּמוֹ", "כַּאֲשֶׁר"]·HI["ऐसा", "किस", "कैसि", "कैसे", "जैस", "जैसा", "जैसे", "जो"]·ID["Seperti", "bagaimana", "macam-apa", "seolah-olah", "seperti", "seperti-apa", "seperti-yang"]·IT["che", "del-quale", "i-quali", "il-quale", "tale"]·jav["ingkang", "kados", "kados-ingkang", "kados-pundi", "punapa"]·KO["-처럼", "~같은", "같은", "그러한", "그러한-것", "어떠하냐", "어떠한", "어떠한-자들", "어떠한-자들로", "어떠한-자로", "어떤", "어떤-것들이", "어떤-사람들인지"]·PT["Qual", "como", "de-qual", "quais", "qual"]·RU["-так-что", "какие", "какими", "каков", "какого", "какой", "таким", "такими"]·ES["como", "como-si", "cual", "cuales", "cuáles", "de-qué-clase"]·SW["ambayo", "haijawahi-kuwa", "kama", "kama-alivyokuwa", "kama-ambalo", "kama-ambayo", "kama-yale", "mateso-namna-gani", "mlivyo", "tulivyo", "tulivyokuwa", "wa-namna", "ya-aina-gani", "yaliyonipata"]·TR["gibi", "hangi-gibi", "nasıl", "nasıl-", "ne", "ne türden-", "ne-turlu", "sanki", "ve-", "öyle-ki"]·urd["ایسا", "جس-جیسی", "جیسا", "جیسی", "جیسے", "کس", "کیسے"]
Matt 24:21, Mark 9:3, Mark 13:19, Luke 9:55, Rom 9:6, 1 Cor 15:48, 1 Cor 15:48, 2 Cor 10:11, 2 Cor 12:20, 2 Cor 12:20, Phil 1:30, 1 Thess 1:5 (+3 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
οἷος, οἵα, Ionic dialect οἵη, οἷον, (ὅς) such as, of what sort, relative and indirect interrogative pronoun, correlative to direct interrogative ποῖος, indefinite ποιός, demonstrative τοῖος: ὅσσος ἔην οἷός τε Refs 8th c.BC+ what a man for valour, Refs adverb, οἷος πόλεμόνδε μέτεισι as he rushes into war, Refs —Usage: __I οἷος in an independent sentence as an exclamation of astonishment, ὢ…