What does ποικίλος (poikílos) mean in the Bible?
G4164 describes something varied, diverse, or manifold. It does not name the content by itself; the noun it modifies can be disease, trial, desire, miracle, teaching, or grace.
Greek · G4164
ποικίλος
Various
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ποικίλοςG4164
Pronunciationpoikílos
What does ποικίλος (poikílos) mean in the Bible?
G4164 describes something varied, diverse, or manifold. It does not name the content by itself; the noun it modifies can be disease, trial, desire, miracle, teaching, or grace.
Reader summary
Full entry for ποικίλος (G4164) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4164?
The BSB source-word alignment has 10 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include various (3), with various (2), all kinds (1), by various (1), of [the] manifold (1).
Where does ποικίλος (poikílos) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 4:24. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Peter (2), Hebrews (2), 2 Timothy (1), James (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G4164 describes something varied, diverse, or manifold. It does not name the content by itself; the noun it modifies can be disease, trial, desire, miracle, teaching, or grace. In Luke. 4. 40, people with various diseases are brought to Jesus, who lays hands on each and heals them, preserving individual attention within a diverse crowd. In Jas. 1. 2, believers encounter trials of many kinds and are called to view them through the endurance God forms, not to enjoy pain itself.
In 1Pet. 4. 10, each believer serves others with a received gift as a steward of God's manifold grace. G4164 opens teaching on differentiated suffering, diverse service, and grace adequate to many needs. It does not flatten every illness or trial, promise identical outcomes, or turn variety into doctrinal relativism.
How the Bible Uses It
G4164 modifies diseases, passions, trials, miracles, teachings, and grace. The adjective emphasizes multiplicity or variety, while the modified noun and argument determine whether that diversity is harmful, painful, gracious, or evidential.
- Luke.4.40
At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.
People suffering from varied diseases are brought to Jesus, who lays hands on each person and heals them.
- Jas.1.2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
James addresses trials of many kinds and calls believers to recognize how tested faith produces endurance toward maturity.
- 1Pet.4.10
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
Each believer uses a received gift to serve others as a steward of the many-sided grace of God.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itvarious3×Matthew 4:24, Hebrews 2:4, 1 Peter 1:6
with various2×Mark 1:34, Luke 4:40
all kinds1×Hebrews 13:9
by various1×2 Timothy 3:6
of [the] manifold1×1 Peter 4:10
of many kinds1×James 1:2
to all sorts1×Titus 3:3
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 4:24ποικίλαιςtovariousAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralMark 1:34ποικίλαιςtowith variousAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralLuke 4:40ποικίλαιςtowith variousAdjective - Dative Feminine Plural2 Timothy 3:6ποικίλαιςtoby variousAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralTitus 3:3ποικίλαιςtoto all sortsAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralHebrews 2:4ποικίλαιςtovariousAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralHebrews 13:9ποικίλαιςtoall kindsAdjective - Dative Feminine PluralJames 1:2ποικίλοιςtoof many kindsAdjective - Dative Masculine Plural1 Peter 1:6ποικίλοιςtovariousAdjective - Dative Masculine Plural1 Peter 4:10ποικίληςtoof [the] manifoldAdjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 4:24
Aligned rows10
Books represented8
Matthew1Mark1Luke12 Timothy1Titus1Hebrews2James11 Peter2
Source forms
ποικίλαις7xpoikilaisMatthew 4:24, Mark 1:34, Luke 4:40, 2 Timothy 3:6
ποικίλοις2xpoikiloisJames 1:2, 1 Peter 1:6
ποικίλης1xpoikilēs1 Peter 4:10
Parsing patterns
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural7xMatthew 4:24, Mark 1:34, Luke 4:40, 2 Timothy 3:6
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural2xJames 1:2, 1 Peter 1:6
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular1x1 Peter 4:10
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not tell sufferers to feel happy about trauma or abuse by confusing joy in God's promised work with pleasure in the evil endured.
- Do not force one healing story, coping practice, gift profile, or ministry style onto people with different bodies and circumstances.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G4164 makes every form of diversity morally good or doctrinally true.
- Do not claim that manifold grace promises every person the same gift, healing, trial, or visible outcome.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Variety of kinds or types, emphasizing diverse manifestations of the same category rather than mere difference
Strong'sG4164
Lexical occurrences10 versesGreek text appearances10 timesWord forms3 forms10 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study link1 Peter 4:7-11Source Gloss
various
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Variety of kinds or types, emphasizing diverse manifestations of the same category rather than mere difference
many-coloured, variegated. Metaphorical, various, manifold: Mat.4:24, Mrk.1:34, Luk.4:40, 2Ti.3:6, Tit.3:3, Heb.2:4 13:9, Jas.1:2, 1Pe.1:6 4:10.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
10 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 4:24Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαιςpoikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseMark 1:34Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαιςpoikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseLuke 4:40Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαιςpoikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verse2 Timothy 3:6Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαις,poikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseTitus 3:3Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαις,poikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseHebrews 2:4Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαιςpoikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseHebrews 13:9Adjective Dative Plural Feminine
ποικίλαιςpoikilaiv
various, of different colors
Read verseJames 1:2Adjective Dative Plural Masculine
ποικίλοις,poikiloiv
various, of different colors
Read verse1 Peter 1:6Adjective Dative Plural Masculine
ποικίλοιςpoikiloiv
various, of different colors
Read verse1 Peter 4:10Adjective Genitive Singular Feminine
ποικίληςpoikilhv
various, of different colors
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns3Aligned forms10Case patternDative (9)Number patternPlural (9)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Genitive · Singular · Feminine1 Pet 4:101×
Dative · Plural · FeminineMatt 4:24 · Mark 1:34 · Luke 4:40 · 2 Tim 3:6 · Titus 3:3 · Heb 2:4 · Heb 13:97×
Dative · Plural · MasculineJas 1:2 · 1 Pet 1:62×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
diverse, multifaceted
Showing 1 selected witness from 10 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ποικίλος is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Highlights the rich diversity of God’s grace expressed through different gifts.1 Peter 4:7-11
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G4164 gives language for a world and a church that are not one-dimensional. Jesus receives people with varied diseases and lays hands on each, refusing to let a crowd erase individual need. James speaks of many kinds of trials, so faithful endurance cannot be reduced to one story or one timetable. Peter answers manifold need with manifold grace: gifts differ, but every recipient is a steward called to serve others so God is glorified through Jesus Christ.
Variety is not automatically good, since the same adjective describes enslaving desires and strange teachings. Nor does unity require sameness. Faithful ministry discerns the kind of need, honors the person experiencing it, and deploys received gifts for the common good. It neither ranks suffering nor markets one testimony as the norm. God's grace is coherent in Christ and richly fitted to a diverse community, while false variety still requires doctrinal discernment.
Anchor passage
1Pet.4.10
Doctrinal connections
- G4164: Jesus gives personal attention within a crowd whose illnesses and suffering are genuinely varied.
- G4164: trials differ in form, and tested faith seeks mature endurance without calling pain intrinsically good.
- G4164: God's grace is manifold while remaining the grace of the one God given through Jesus Christ.
- G4164: every received gift creates stewardship for service rather than status or private ownership.
- G4164: the Spirit distributes varied gifts according to divine will, resisting both envy and self-exaltation.
- G4164: varied teachings and desires require discernment because multiplicity alone does not establish truth.
G4164 is a Greek adjective meaning varied, many-colored, or manifold. Its gender, number, and case agree with the noun it qualifies, and its moral force comes from that noun and the surrounding response.
From Old to New Testament
Creation, wisdom, prophetic ministry, and Israel's many callings display ordered variety under one God. The New Testament locates diverse gifts and needs within one body and directs all service toward God's glory through Christ.