πότε G4219
When? (interrogative temporal adverb); ever, at any time (in lest-clauses with me); perhaps, possibly (rare).
The Greek particle pote wears two masks depending on accent and syntax. As an interrogative adverb, it asks 'when?' — the disciples' pressing question about the end of the age (Matt 24:3), and Jesus' exasperated 'how long?' (Mark 9:19). As an enclitic within mepote, it shifts to 'ever, at any time' in clauses of apprehension: 'lest you dash your foot against a stone' (Matt 4:6). Spanish cuándo versus acaso and German wann versus jemals capture the split neatly. A rare third use slides toward 'perhaps,' where the crowd wonders whether John might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15).
Senses
1. ever (lest/that not) — A component of the conjunction mepote or similar constructions, meaning 'ever, at any time,' typically in clauses expressing apprehension or negative purpose — 'lest at any time.' This sense accounts for 20 occurrences and appears prominently in Satan's quotation of Psalm 91:12 during the temptation: 'lest at any time you strike your foot against a stone' (Matt 4:6; Luke 4:11). It recurs in Jesus' parable warnings (Matt 5:25; 13:15, 29) and the hardening formula of Isaiah 6:10 as quoted in the Gospels. Spanish alguna vez, French jamais, and German jemals all shift from interrogative to indefinite temporal vocabulary. 20×
AR["-", "أَبَدًا", "رُبَّمَا", "مَتَى", "يَوْماً", "يَوْمًا"]·ben["কখনও", "কখনো", "কদাচ"]·DE["wann"]·EN["-", "at-any-time", "ever"]·FR["quand"]·heb["-", "אֵי-פַּעַם", "אוּלַי", "גַּם", "מִן", "מָתַי", "פְּעַם", "פְּעָם", "פֶּן"]·HI["-", "और", "कदअचित", "कदाचित", "कभि", "कभी", "कभेए", "क्षमा-किया-जाए"]·ID["-mungkin", "-sampai", "jangan", "mungkin", "nanti", "pada-suatu-saat", "pernah", "sekalipun", "suatu-waktu"]·IT["quando", "quando?"]·jav["-", "bokbilih", "kapan", "kapan-waé", "mbok-menawi", "mboten", "nalika", "naté", "ngantos"]·KO["-라도", "또한", "언제가", "언젠가", "할까", "혹시", "혹시라도"]·PT["aconteca", "algum-dia", "alguma-vez", "jamais", "nunca", "porventura", "talvez", "tendo-posto"]·RU["-когда", "когда", "когда-либо", "когда-нибудь"]·ES["acaso", "alguna-vez", "alguna‒vez", "que", "sea-que"]·SW["je", "labda", "wakati", "wakati-fulani", "wakati-fulani-", "wakati-wowote"]·TR["-", "-o", "belki", "bir-zaman", "hiç", "ki-", "zaman"]·urd["ایسا-نہ-ہو", "کبھی", "کہیں"]
Matt 4:6, Matt 5:25, Matt 7:6, Matt 13:15, Matt 13:29, Matt 15:32, Matt 27:64, Mark 4:12, Mark 14:2, Luke 12:58, Luke 14:8, Luke 14:12 (+8 more)
2. when? (interrogative) — The direct interrogative temporal adverb meaning 'when?' — used in questions about the timing of events. With 19 occurrences, this sense dominates the apocalyptic discourse: 'When will these things be?' (Matt 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7) and the judgment scenes of Matthew 25:37-44, where the righteous ask 'Lord, when did we see you hungry?' Spanish cuándo, French quand, and German wann all deploy their standard interrogative temporal forms. Jesus also uses it in rhetorical frustration: 'O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?' (Mark 9:19; Matt 17:17). 19×
AR["مَتى", "مَتَى"]·ben["কখন", "কতকাল", "কতদিন", "পর্যন্ত", "পর্যন্ত,"]·DE["wann"]·EN["when"]·FR["quand"]·heb["מָתַי"]·HI["कब", "कब-तक", "कब-तक,"]·ID["kapan", "kapan,"]·IT["quando?"]·jav["dangu", "kapan", "pinten", "pinten-dangu", "pintèn", "pintèn-dangu"]·KO["그-때", "언제", "언제까지"]·PT["quando"]·RU["каких-пор", "когда", "когда,"]·ES["cuándo"]·SW["hivi", "lini", "lini,", "wakati-gani"]·TR["-e-kadar", "ne-zaman"]·urd["کب", "کب-تک"]
Matt 17:17, Matt 17:17, Matt 24:3, Matt 25:37, Matt 25:38, Matt 25:39, Matt 25:44, Mark 9:19, Mark 9:19, Mark 13:4, Mark 13:33, Mark 13:35 (+7 more)
3. perhaps/indeed — An epistemic particle expressing possibility or uncertainty — 'perhaps, possibly, indeed' — in contexts where the question is not about timing but about likelihood. Only 3 clear occurrences: the crowd wondering 'whether perhaps he might be the Christ' (Luke 3:15), the people's murmuring 'Can it be that the authorities know indeed that this is the Christ?' (John 7:26), and Luke 4:11 in a construction that blends temporal and modal force. Spanish acaso and sea que capture the dubitative tone, while French and German generally fold this into their temporal renderings. 3×
AR["أَبَدًا", "حَقًّا", "يَومًا"]·ben["কখনও", "কখনো"]·DE["wann"]·EN["ever", "perhaps"]·FR["quand"]·heb["אוּלַי", "פַּעַם"]·HI["कभी", "कभी।", "तो"]·ID["barangkali", "pada-suatu-waktu", "sungguh"]·IT["quando?"]·jav["mbokmanawi", "saestu."]·KO["어쩌면", "정말로"]·PT["porventura", "que"]·RU["когда", "ли", "поистине"]·ES["*", "acaso", "sea-que"]·SW["labda", "usije"]·TR["acaba", "hiç", "yoksa"]·urd["کبھی"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πότε, Ionic dialect κότε, Doric dialect πόκα Refs 3rd c.BC+:__I interrogative Particle used in direct and indirect questions, when? at what time? Refs 8th c.BC+; πότ᾽ ἆρ; ={πότε} with ἆρα Refs 5th c.BC+ __II indefinite ποτε (Attic dialect, also Refs 4th c.BC+, Ionic dialect κοτε, Doric dialect ποκα, Aeolic dialect ποτα Refs 7th c.BC+ __II.1 at some time or other, at some time, τάχ᾽ ἄν ποτε θυμὸν…