ποῖος G4169
Interrogative pronoun asking 'which?' or 'what kind of?', probing either identity or qualitative nature.
A questioning word that presses beyond simple 'what?' to ask 'which one?' or 'what sort of thing is this?' In the Gospels it frequently appears in tense exchanges where Jesus is challenged about the source of his authority (Matt 21:23-27) or asked to name the greatest commandment (Matt 22:36). The qualitative force emerges when the manner or character of something is in view, as when John notes 'what kind of death' Jesus would die (John 12:33; 18:32). Spanish and German translations consistently distinguish cuál/welcher for selection from de qué clase/welcher Art for quality.
Senses
1. which, what (interrogative selection) — Interrogative selecting from a set: 'which?' or 'what?' when the speaker seeks to identify a specific item, person, or authority. The multilingual glosses converge on selection words -- English 'which,' Spanish 'cuál,' German 'welcher,' French 'quel.' Prominent in the authority disputes of Matt 21:23-27 and the question about the great commandment (Matt 22:36). 26×
AR["أَيَّ","أَيَّةُ","أَيَّةِ","أَيُّ","أَيِّ","أَيّ","فِي-أَيِّ"]·ben["-কর্তৃত্বে","এইগুলি","কি","কী","কোন","কোন-","কোন্","কোন্"]·DE["welch","welcher"]·EN["what","what-kind-of","which"]·FR["quel","qui"]·heb["אֵיזֶה","אֵיזוֹ","בְּאֵיזֶהַ","בְּאֵיזוֹ","מָה"]·HI["-से","किस","कैसी","कौन-सी","तुमने"]·ID["apa","apakah","hari-yang-mana","jaga-mana","kuasa","mana","pukul-berapa","yang-mana"]·IT["che-cosa","quale?"]·jav["ingkang-pundi","punapa","pundi","wekdal-punapa"]·KO["무슨","어느","어떤"]·PT["qual","que"]·RU["в-какой","в-какую","в-который","какая","каким-","какое","какой","какою","какою-"]·ES["a-qué","cuál","en-cuál"]·SW["-","gani","hivi","ipi","jimbo-gani","mamlaka-gani","ni-jambo-gani","saa-gani","yupi"]·TR["-","hangi","nasıl"]·urd["کس","کون-سے","کونسا","کیا","ہے"]
Matt 19:18, Matt 21:23, Matt 21:24, Matt 21:27, Matt 22:36, Matt 24:42, Matt 24:43, Mark 11:28, Mark 11:29, Mark 11:33, Mark 12:28, Luke 5:19 (+14 more)
2. what kind of, what sort of — Qualitative interrogative: 'what kind of?' or 'what sort of?' when the question concerns the nature or character of something rather than its identity. Spanish 'de qué clase' and French 'quel...quoi?' signal the shift toward quality. Used notably of the manner of Jesus' death (John 12:33; 18:32; 21:19) and James's philosophical question about the nature of human life (Jas 4:14). 7×
AR["أَيَّ","أَيُّ","أَيِّ","بِأَيِّ","بِـ-أَيِّ","ماذا"]·ben["কি","কিসের","কেমন","কোন","কোন-প্রকার","কোন্ও"]·DE["welch","welcher"]·EN["by-what-kind-of","what","what-kind","what-kind-of"]·FR["quel","qui","quoi?"]·heb["אֵיזֶה","אֵיזוֹ","בְּאֵיזֶה"]·HI["किस","किस-प्रकार-की","कैसा","कैसी","कैसे"]·ID["Rumah-apakah","apakah","dengan-kematian-apa","dengan-mati","seperti-apa","waktu-macam-apa"]·IT["che-cosa","quale?"]·jav["Ingkang-pundi","kados-punapa","pejah-ingkang-punapa","punapa","pundi"]·KO["무슨","어떠한","어떤"]·PT["Pois-qual","de-que","qual","que-tipo-de"]·RU["какая","какое","какой","какою"]·ES["con-qué","cuál","de-qué-clase","qué","qué-tipo-de"]·SW["gani","kifo-gani","sifa-gani","wakati-gani","ya-namna-gani"]·TR["hangi","nasıl","ne-tür","ne-türlü"]·urd["کِس","کیسا","کیسی","کیسے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ποῖος, α, ον, Ionic dialect κοῖος, η, ον, of what kind? in Refs 8th c.BC+ what manner of speech hast thou spoken! Refs 8th c.BC+; ποῖοί κ᾽ εἶτ᾽ Ὀδυσῆϊ ἀμυνέμεν what sort would ye be to.. ! Refs 8th c.BC+; in simple questions, ποίῃ.. νηΐ σε ναῦται ἤγαγο; Refs 5th c.BC+; ποῖος οὐ interrogative, equivalent to every affirmative, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 frequently in Comedy texts and Prose dialogue, used…