πόθεν G4159
Whence, from where—interrogative adverb of place, origin, or cause, often expressing astonishment
The interrogative adverb πόθεν ('from where?') probes origin, source, and cause. In the NT it frequently carries a deeper theological register than mere geography: 'Where then does this man get all these things?' (Matt 13:54-56) questions the origin of Jesus' wisdom and power. Nicodemus asks 'How can these things be?' with the same existential puzzlement (John 3:9, using πῶς but in a πόθεν-like register). The multilingual glosses—French 'd'où,' Spanish 'de dónde,' German 'woher'—all preserve the directional interrogative force, consistently pointing back toward a source that demands explanation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An interrogative adverb asking 'from where?' in terms of place, origin, or cause, frequently carrying overtones of astonishment or theological mystery. In Nazareth, it voices the crowd's incredulity at Jesus' authority (Matt 13:27, 54, 56). At Cana, the headwaiter does not know 'whence' the wine came (John 2:9). Pilate asks Jesus 'Where are you from?' (John 19:9), elevating a spatial question to a christological one. 29×
AR["مِن-أَينَ", "مِنْ أَيْنَ", "مِنْ-أَيْنَ"]·ben["কোথা-থেকে"]·DE["woher"]·EN["From-where", "from-where"]·FR["d'où"]·heb["מֵאַיִן"]·HI["कहअन-से", "कहन-से", "कहाँ-से", "कहां-से"]·ID["Dari-mana", "dari-mana"]·IT["da-dove?"]·jav["Saking-pundi", "saking-pundi", "saking-pundi."]·KO["어디서", "어디서인지", "어디에서"]·PT["De-onde", "de-onde"]·RU["Откуда", "откуда"]·ES["De-dónde", "de-dónde", "¿De-dónde", "¿de-dónde"]·SW["Kutoka-wapi", "Wapi", "anatoka-wapi", "kutoka-wapi", "mnatoka-wapi", "ni", "ninatoka-wapi"]·TR["Nereden", "nereden"]·urd["خریدیں", "پس", "کہاں-سے"]
Matt 13:27, Matt 13:54, Matt 13:56, Matt 15:33, Matt 21:25, Mark 6:2, Mark 8:4, Mark 12:37, Luke 1:43, Luke 13:25, Luke 13:27, Luke 20:7 (+17 more)
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πόθεν, Ionic dialect κόθεν: __I interrogative adverb whence? __I.1 of Place, εἰρώτα.., τίς εἴη καὶ π. ἔλθοι Refs 8th c.BC+ __I.2 of origin, π. γένος εὔχεται εἶναι from what stock he avows that he is by descent, Refs 8th c.BC+ __I.3 in speaking, π. ἄρξωμα; Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.4 of the cause, whence? wherefore? π. χοὰς ἔπεμψε; ἐκ τίνος λόγο; Refs 4th c.BC+; to express surprise or negation, π. γὰρ…