τετρά-πους G5074
four-footed; referring to quadrupeds, animals that walk on four legs
This adjective describes the category of four-footed animals, distinguishing them from birds, fish, and creeping things in biblical taxonomy. The term appears in contexts listing various classes of creatures, whether in visions (Acts 10 and 11) or in descriptions of human idolatry (Romans 1). Ancient natural philosophy commonly used the number of feet as a primary classification system for living beings, making this a straightforward descriptor that cuts across species from cattle to wild beasts.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The three occurrences form two distinct contexts: Peter's vision in Acts 10:12 and 11:6 describes a sheet containing "all kinds of four-footed animals," part of God's dramatic revelation about clean and unclean categories. Romans 1:23 lists four-footed animals among the degrading images humans worship instead of God. The Spanish cuadrúpedos, French quatre-pieds, and German vierfuessig all mirror the Greek compound structure (tetra- = four + pous = foot). The classification highlights God's creative order while exposing human tendency to worship the creature rather than the Creator. 3×
AR["ذَواتِ-الأربَعِ", "ذَوَاتِ-ٱلْأَرْبَعِ"]·ben["চতুষ্পদ", "চতুষ্পদদের,"]·DE["vierfuessig", "τετράποδα"]·EN["four-footed", "of-four-footed-animals"]·FR["quatre-pieds"]·heb["אַרְבַּע-רֶגֶל", "אַרְבַּע-רַגְלַיִם"]·HI["चौपाए", "चौपायों"]·ID["berkaki-empat", "binatang-berkaki-empat,"]·IT["quadrupede"]·jav["kewan-sikil-sekawan", "kewan-sikil-sekawan,", "kéwan-sikil-sekawan,"]·KO["네-발-짐승들", "네발-짐승들-이", "네발-짐승들을"]·PT["de-quadrúpedes"]·RU["четвероногие", "четвероногих"]·ES["cuadrúpedos", "de-cuadrúpedos"]·SW["wanyama-wenye-miguu-minne,", "wenye-miguu-minne", "wenye-miguu-minne,"]·TR["dört-ayaklılar", "dört-ayaklıları", "dört-ayaklıların"]·urd["چوپائے", "چوپایوں-کی"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τετρά-πους, ὁ, ἡ, πουν, τό, genitive ποδος, plural ποδα, four-footed, Refs 5th c.BC+; λεία τ. a booty of cattle, Refs 2nd c.BC+; τετράποδα ζῴδια, viz. Aries, Taurus, Leo, Sagittarius, Refs __2 τετράπουν, τό, quadruped, beast, NT+5th c.BC+ __II of things, δίφρος τ. Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 of four feet in length or area, Refs 5th c.BC+