περιπᾰτ-έω G4043
To walk physically on foot; figuratively, to conduct oneself or live in a certain manner, describing ethical and spiritual behavior.
One of the New Testament's most vivid metaphors hides inside an everyday word for walking. Paul's letters are saturated with it: 'walk in love,' 'walk by the Spirit,' 'walk in newness of life.' The physical sense — Peter walking on water (Matt 14:29), Jesus walking by the sea (Matt 4:18) — provides the concrete image that the ethical metaphor depends on. The LSJ lexicon traces this figurative extension to the first century BC, but the apostolic writers made it a signature idiom. Spanish splits between 'caminar' (physical) and 'andar' (conduct), while German 'wandeln' elegantly carries both senses.
3. sense 3 — A single occurrence in 1 Pet 5:8 where the devil 'walks about' (peripatei) like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. The English 'walks-about' and Spanish 'anda-alrededor' both emphasize restless, predatory prowling — neither mere physical walking nor ethical conduct, but a menacing, purposeful circling. The imagery merges literal motion with malevolent intent in a way that resists neat classification under either main sense. 1×
AR["يَجولُ"]·ben["ঘুরে-বেড়ায়"]·DE["wandeln"]·EN["walks-about"]·FR["marcher"]·heb["מְהַלֵּךְ"]·HI["घूमता-है"]·ID["berkeliling"]·IT["camminare"]·jav["mlampah,"]·KO["걸어-다니니"]·RU["ходит,"]·ES["anda-alrededor"]·SW["anatembea"]·TR["dolaşır"]·urd["پھرتا-ہے،"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. conduct oneself, live — The figurative sense: to conduct oneself, to live or behave in a particular way. Nearly half the occurrences (48x) describe manner of life — walking in darkness or light (John 12:35), walking according to the flesh or Spirit (Rom 8:4), walking worthily of one's calling (Eph 4:1). Spanish 'andad/caminad' and German 'wandeln/wandelt' both serve this ethical register. Mark 7:5 uses it for following tradition, showing the metaphor extends from moral to cultural conduct. 48×
AR["أنْ-تَسْلُكوا","اسلُكوا","امْشُوا","اُسلُكوا","تَسلُكوا","سالِكينَ","لِتَسلُكوا","نَسلُكُ","يَسلُكَ","يَمشونَ"]·ben["আমরা-চলি,","চল","চল,","চলছি","চলছে","চলতে","চলতেছি।","চলি","তোমরা-চল","হাঁটছে"]·DE["wandeln","wandelt"]·EN["to-walk","walk","walking","we-walk"]·FR["marcher"]·heb["הִתְהַלְּכוּ","לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ","לְכוּ","לָלֶכֶת","מִתְהַלְּכִים"]·HI["चलते-हुए","चलते-हुए।","चलते-हैं-हम","चलते-हैन","चलन","चलना","चलने","चलनेवाले","चलो","चलो,","हम-चलें"]·ID["Berjalanlah","berjalan","berjalan.","berjalanlah","berjalanlah--","hidup","hiduplah","kami-berjalan","kita-berjalan,"]·IT["camminare"]·jav["Mlampaha","kawula-lumampah","kawula-lumampah,","lumampah","lumampah-","lumampaha","lumampaha,","sami-lumampah,"]·KO["걷고-있는-것을","걷도록","걸는-자들로","걸는다","걸어-다니고","걸으나","걸으라","걸으며","우리-가-걸으면","행하고","행하기를","행하도록","행하라","행하라,","행하지"]·PT["andai","andai--","andam","andamos","andando","andando.","andar","andar.","andardes","andarmos","para-andardes"]·RU["ходим","ходим,","ходите","ходите-","ходить","ходить.","ходят","ходящие","ходящих"]·ES["Caminad","andad","andamos","andando","andar","caminad","caminan","caminando","caminar","para-caminar"]·SW["enendeni","kuenenda","kutembea","tembeeni","tukienenda","tukienenda,","tunaenenda,","tunaenenda.","tunatembea","wakitembea","wanatembea","wanatembea,"]·TR["Yürüyün","yurumek","yurumeye","yuruyin","yürümek","yürürüz","yürüyenler","yürüyerek","yürüyor","yürüyorlar.","yürüyormuşuz-gibi","yürüyorsak","yürüyoruz","yürüyün"]·urd["چلتے-ہوئے","چلتے-ہوئے۔","چلتے-ہیں","چلنا","چلنا۔","چلنے-والے","چلنے-کو","چلنے-کے-لیے","چلو","چلیں،"]
Matt 11:5, Mark 7:5, Luke 7:22, John 12:35, Acts 21:21, Rom 6:4, Rom 8:1, Rom 8:4, Rom 13:13, Rom 14:15, 1 Cor 3:3, 1 Cor 7:17 (+36 more)
2. walk physically — The literal, physical sense: to move on foot, to walk somewhere. Jesus walking on the sea (Matt 14:25), the healed paralytic walking (Matt 9:5), and crowds walking along roads all use this concrete meaning. With 47 occurrences, the physical sense nearly matches the figurative in frequency — a reminder that the metaphor stays grounded. Spanish 'camina/caminando' and the identical French 'marcher' carry this straightforward ambulatory meaning. 47×
AR["امشِ","امْشِ","اِمشِ","اِمْشِ","ماشِيًا","ماشِيَيْنِ","مَاشِيًا","مَاشِيَيْنِ","يَمْشُونَ"]·ben["হাঁট","হাঁট?","হাঁটছিলেন","হাঁটছে","হাঁটছেন","হাঁটতে","হাঁটতে-হাঁটতে","হাঁটো","হেঁটে"]·DE["wandeln","wandelt"]·EN["walk","walking"]·FR["marcher"]·heb["הִתְהַלֵּךְ","הַלֵּךְ","הוֹלְכִים","מְהַלְּכִים","מְהַלֵּךְ","מִתְהַלְּכִים","מִתְהַלֵּךְ"]·HI["और","चल","चल?","चलते-हुए","चलते-हुए,","चल।","समझे"]·ID["berjalan","berjalan,","berjalanlah","berjalanlah!","berjalanlah.","berjalanlah?","sedang-berjalan"]·IT["camminare"]·jav["lumakua?","lumampaha","lumampaha!","lumampaha?","mlampah","mlampah,","mlampah.","mlampaha.","mlampaha?","nalika-mlampah"]·KO["걷고-계시는-그에게","걷고-있는","걷는","걷는-것을,","걸어가면서","걸어가시는","걸어가시는-것을","걸어다년라","걸어다녔라","걸어라","걸으라?","걸으며","걸으시는-것을","걸으시며","그리고"]·PT["anda","anda?","andando","andando,"]·RU["идущего","идущим","идя","ходи","ходи!","ходи.","ходи?","ходя,","ходящего","ходящий","ходящими","ходящих"]·ES["camina","caminando"]·SW["akitembea","mkitembea","tembea","tembea?","wakitembea"]·TR["yürü","yürü?","yürürken","yürüyen","yürüyenlere","yürüyerek","yürüyor"]·urd["پر","چل","چلتا-ہوا","چلتے-ہوئے","چلتے-ہوئے،"]
Matt 4:18, Matt 9:5, Matt 14:25, Matt 14:26, Matt 14:29, Matt 15:31, Mark 2:9, Mark 5:42, Mark 6:48, Mark 6:49, Mark 8:24, Mark 11:27 (+35 more)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
περιπᾰτ-έω, walk up and down, as in a cloister, opposed to βαδίζειν (take a walk), ἐν ταῖς στοαῖς Refs 4th c.BC+; walk about, Refs 5th c.BC+; περιπατεῖται ἡ ὁδός the road is for walking on, Refs 2nd c.AD+: with accusative, traverse, ὅλην τὴν Αἴγυπτον Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 walk about while teaching, discourse, Refs 5th c.BC+; π. ἐς τοὺς ἀκροωμένους dispute, argue with them, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __3 metaphorically, walk, i.e. live, NT+1st c.BC+