What does πούς (poús) mean in the Bible?
Pous means foot or feet. The word is ordinary body language, but Scripture often uses feet in scenes of welcome, rejection, humility, service, mission, readiness, worship, and submission.
Greek · G4228
πούς
A "foot" (figuratively or literally)
Reading a lexicon entry
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πούς G4228
Pronunciation poús
What does πούς (poús) mean in the Bible?
Pous means foot or feet. The word is ordinary body language, but Scripture often uses feet in scenes of welcome, rejection, humility, service, mission, readiness, worship, and submission.
Reader summary
Full entry for πούς (G4228) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4228?
The BSB source-word alignment has 93 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include feet (77), foot (7), . . . (4), [is] My (1), [the] feet (1).
Where does πούς (poús) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 4:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (19), Luke (19), John (14), Revelation (11).
Are there verse guides for πούς (poús)?
This entry includes 2 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Pous means foot or feet. The word is ordinary body language, but Scripture often uses feet in scenes of welcome, rejection, humility, service, mission, readiness, worship, and submission. Jesus tells His messengers to shake dust from their feet when a town refuses them. A sinful woman weeps at Jesus' feet and anoints them. Jesus washes His disciples' feet, making humble service visible.
Paul and Barnabas shake dust from their feet in protest after rejection. Paul quotes the beauty of feet bringing good news, and Ephesians speaks of feet fitted with gospel readiness. The word should not be over-allegorized, but its repeated settings make embodied posture and mission visible.
How the Bible Uses It
Pous names feet, often in concrete scenes where posture matters. Feet may mark rejection, repentance, humble service, mission proclamation, readiness, or worship. The word's theological value comes from the scene around it rather than from the body part alone.
- Matt.10.14
And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
Jesus tells rejected messengers to shake dust from their feet. The gesture marks accountable rejection of the message.
- Luke.7.38
As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the perfume.
The woman wets Jesus' feet with tears, wipes them with her hair, and anoints them. Feet become the place of humbled love and forgiveness.
- John.13.5
After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.
Jesus washes the disciples' feet. The word is central to enacted humble service before the cross.
- Acts.13.51
So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.
Paul and Barnabas shake dust from their feet after rejection. The mission gesture from Jesus' instruction continues in apostolic witness.
- Rom.10.15
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Paul cites beautiful feet bringing good news. Feet here picture sent proclamation of the gospel.
- Eph.6.15
And with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.
Believers stand with feet fitted with readiness from the gospel of peace. The word contributes to an image of stable, prepared witness.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It feet 77× Matthew 7:6, Matthew 10:14, Matthew 15:30, Matthew 18:8
foot 7× Matthew 4:6, Matthew 18:8, Matthew 22:13, Mark 9:45
. . . 4× Matthew 5:35, Acts 7:5, Acts 7:33, Acts 13:25
[is] My 1× Acts 7:49
[the] feet 1× 1 Timothy 5:10
[them] 1× John 12:3
feet [are] 1× Romans 3:15
legs 1× Revelation 10:1
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 4:6 πόδα to foot Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Matthew 5:35 ποδῶν to . . . Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Matthew 7:6 ποσὶν to feet Noun - Dative Masculine Plural Matthew 10:14 ποδῶν to feet Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Matthew 15:30 πόδας to feet Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Matthew 18:8 πούς to foot Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 18:8 πόδας to feet Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Matthew 22:13 πόδας to foot Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural Matthew 22:44 ποδῶν to feet Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Matthew 28:9 πόδας to feet Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 4:6
Aligned rows 93
Books represented 11
Matthew 10 Mark 6 Luke 19 John 14 Acts 19 Romans 3 1 Corinthians 4 Ephesians 2 1 Timothy 1 Hebrews 4 Revelation 11
Source forms
πόδας 55x podas Matthew 15:30, Matthew 18:8, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 28:9
ποδῶν 19x podōn Matthew 5:35, Matthew 10:14, Matthew 22:44, Mark 6:11
πόδες 7x podes Acts 5:9, Romans 3:15, Romans 10:15, Revelation 1:15
πόδα 3x poda Matthew 4:6, Luke 4:11, Revelation 10:2
ποσὶν 3x posin Matthew 7:6, Acts 14:8, Hebrews 12:13
πούς 3x pous Matthew 18:8, Mark 9:45, 1 Corinthians 12:15
ποσίν 2x posin John 20:12, 1 Corinthians 12:21
ποδός 1x podos Acts 7:5
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural 55x Matthew 15:30, Matthew 18:8, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 28:9
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural 19x Matthew 5:35, Matthew 10:14, Matthew 22:44, Mark 6:11
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural 7x Acts 5:9, Romans 3:15, Romans 10:15, Revelation 1:15
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural 5x Matthew 7:6, John 20:12, Acts 14:8, 1 Corinthians 12:21
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular 3x Matthew 4:6, Luke 4:11, Revelation 10:2
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular 3x Matthew 18:8, Mark 9:45, 1 Corinthians 12:15
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular 1x Acts 7:5
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use this word to teach concrete obedience, humility, and mission readiness.
- Keep the action around the feet more important than the body part itself.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every foot reference has the same spiritual meaning.
- Do not claim that foot washing proves humility while ignoring Jesus' own interpretation of service.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Revelation 22:8 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ποδῶν podon a "foot" (figuratively or literally) The form strengthens the picture of humble, bodily posture before the angel and supports the scene's attempted worship without adding meanings the context does not state. Read verse guide Romans 3:15 Noun Nominative Plural Masculine
πόδες podes a "foot" (figuratively or literally) The form helps the reader hear a vivid image of feet characterized by readiness for violence, but the moral force comes from the full clause, not from the case ending alone. Read verse guide Evidence Summary
Greek word. Literal body part; figuratively denotes subjection, submission, or movement toward a person or goal.
Source Gloss
a "foot" (figuratively or literally)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 93 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 4:6 Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
πόδα poda
the foot
Read verse Matthew 5:35 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ποδῶν podwn
the foot
Read verse Matthew 7:6 Noun Dative Plural Masculine
ποσὶν posin
the foot
Read verse Matthew 10:14 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ποδῶν podwn
the foot
Read verse Matthew 15:30 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Matthew 18:8 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
πούς pouv
the foot
Read verse Matthew 18:8 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Matthew 18:29 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Matthew 22:13 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Matthew 22:44 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ποδῶν podwn
the foot
Read verse Matthew 28:9 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας, podav
the foot
Read verse Mark 5:22 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Mark 6:11 Noun Genitive Plural Masculine
ποδῶν podwn
the foot
Read verse Mark 7:25 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
Read verse Mark 9:45 Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
πούς pouv
the foot
Read verse Mark 9:45 Noun Accusative Plural Masculine
πόδας podav
the foot
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 7 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 patterns 7 Aligned forms 93 Case pattern Accusative (58) Number pattern Plural (86)
Nominative · Plural · Masculine Acts 5:9 · Rom 3:15 · Rom 10:15 · Rev 1:15 · Rev 2:18 · Rev 10:1 · Rev 13:2 7×
Nominative · Singular · Masculine Matt 18:8 · Mark 9:45 · 1 Cor 12:15 3×
Genitive · Plural · Masculine Matt 5:35 · Matt 10:14 · Matt 22:44 · Mark 6:11 · Mark 12:36 · Luke 9:5 · Luke 20:43 · Acts 2:35 · Acts 7:33 · Acts 7:49 · Acts 13:25 · Acts 13:51 · Heb 1:13 · Heb 2:8 · Heb 10:13 · Rev 3:9 19×
Genitive · Singular · Masculine Acts 7:5 1×
Dative · Plural · Masculine Matt 7:6 · John 20:12 · Acts 14:8 · 1 Cor 12:21 · Heb 12:13 5×
Accusative · Plural · Masculine Matt 15:30 · Matt 18:8 · Matt 22:13 · Matt 28:9 · Mark 5:22 · Mark 7:25 · Mark 9:45 · Luke 1:79 · Luke 7:38 · Luke 7:44 · Luke 7:45 · Luke 7:46 · Luke 8:35 · Luke 8:41 · Luke 10:11 · Luke 10:39 55×
Accusative · Singular · Masculine Matt 4:6 · Luke 4:11 · Rev 10:2 3×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Literal body part, location of physical contact and reverent action
Figurative submission, enemies placed under authority of Christ
Literal body part, object of healing and gratitude in healing narrative
Literal body part, location where person approaches Jesus with petition
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 93 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
πούς is a primary word - no further derivation.
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
Pous shows how ordinary embodied details can carry real narrative and theological weight without becoming secret code. Feet are washed, anointed, shaken free of dust, sent with good news, and fitted for readiness. In each case, the meaning comes from the passage. Luke 7 uses feet to show humbled love before Jesus. John 13 uses feet to show the Lord's servant love.
Matthew 10 and Acts 13 use dust-shaking to mark rejected witness. Romans 10 and Ephesians 6 use feet for gospel mission and readiness. The word therefore helps teachers honor embodied discipleship while refusing fanciful allegory. That restraint lets humble actions point to Christ without overreading the image.
Anchor passage
John.13.5
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 10:14: dust shaken from feet marks accountable rejection of apostolic witness.
- Luke 7:36-50: the woman's actions at Jesus' feet display forgiven love.
- John 13:5-15: Jesus' foot washing reveals humble service under His lordship.
- Acts 13:51: apostolic mission continues Jesus' rejection-warning gesture.
- Romans 10:15: beautiful feet picture the sent preaching of good news.
- Ephesians 6:15: gospel readiness gives believers firm footing in spiritual conflict.
Pous is the common word for foot or feet. Because the term itself is concrete, interpretation should focus on the narrative or metaphorical action attached to the feet rather than on speculative symbolism.
From Old to New Testament
Old Testament foot language appears in pilgrimage, conquest, worship, mission, and submission imagery. The New Testament carries concrete foot language into scenes of Jesus' service, apostolic witness, and gospel readiness.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain