Greek word · G3595

ὁδηγός

hodēgos

guide/leader

"Guide, one who leads the way": a guide for travellers or troops, and figuratively a teacher or instructor.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ὁδηγός, -οῦ, ὁ

(ὁδός, ἡγέομαι) [in LXX : Esther 8:1, Wisdom of Solomon 7:15 18:3, 1Ma.4:2, 2Ma.5:15 * ;]

a leader on the way, a guide: Acts 1:16. Fig., ὁ. τυφλῶν, Romans 2:19; pl., Matthew 15:14 23:16, 24.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Acts 1:16

Range of meaning

"Guide, one who leads the way": a guide for travellers or troops, and figuratively a teacher or instructor.

Against the English

"Guide" is accurate. NIV's "served as guide" and NLT's "guided" turn it into a verb, which is fine.

Used elsewhere in the period

Wisdom of Solomon 7:15 and 18:3 use it of God guiding; 1 Maccabees 4:2 uses it of men who guided an army. In the New Testament: Matthew 15:14 and 23:16, 24 ("blind guides") and Romans 2:19 ("a guide to the blind").

From the study of Matthew 15:14

Range of meaning

From hodos 'road, way' and agō 'lead'. A guide who leads a traveller along a road, figuratively a teacher or instructor who shows someone the right way.

Against the English

'Guide' (BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV) keeps the road picture. KJV 'leaders' moves it toward rank and authority, which modern readers hear as 'church leaders' or 'leadership', and the walking-beside picture fades.

How it drifted

Modern 'leader' is mostly about position and authority. The Greek is about knowing the way and taking someone safely along it.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Wisdom of Solomon 7:15 God is 'the guide (ὁδηγός) even of wisdom'. In 2 Maccabees 5:15 the high priest Menelaus is Antiochus's 'guide' into the temple. In Acts 1:16 Judas is 'guide' to Jesus' arresters. Most telling is Romans 2:19, where Paul describes the confident Jewish teacher as sure he is 'a guide of the blind (ὁδηγὸν τυφλῶν), a light to those in darkness'. That looks like a phrase Torah teachers used of their own calling, which Jesus here turns upside down. In Matthew 23:16, 24 Jesus calls them 'blind guides' again.

From the study of Romans 2:19

Range of meaning

One who leads the way, a guide. It is used of travel guides and military guides, and figuratively of teachers or anything that guides (BDAG s.v.).

Against the English

'Guide' (BSB, KJV, WEB, NASB) is accurate. YLT's 'leader' is weaker, because it drops the image of the road.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Wisdom 18:3: the pillar of fire is Israel's 'guide' on an unknown journey. Wisdom 7:15: God is 'the guide even of wisdom'. 2 Macc 5:15: a guide who leads someone into the Temple. Acts 1:16: Judas as 'guide' to those who arrested Jesus. Jesus calls some Pharisees 'blind guides' (hodēgoi tuphloi, Matt 15:14; 23:16, 24). Sibylline Oracles 3.194–195 calls God's people future 'guides of life for all mortals' (with the related word kathodēgoi).

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

  1. Matthew 15:14 ὁδηγοί guides

    Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

    Here: Literally a 'way-leader', someone who walks a traveller along a road. It points to the Pharisees' role as teachers who showed people how to 'walk' in God's law.

  2. Matthew 23:16 ὁδηγοὶ guides

    Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

    Here: Literally 'way-leader', someone who goes ahead on the road and shows others where to walk. Here it means the teachers whose rulings told ordinary Jews how to live out the Law.

  3. Matthew 23:24 ὁδηγοὶ Guides

    You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Acts · 1

  1. Acts 1:16 ὁδηγοῦ guide

    “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.

    Here: Literally "one who leads the way". Judas walked in front of the arresting party and showed them where Jesus was and which man he was (Luke 22:47).

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 2:19 ὁδηγὸν a guide

    if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness,

    Here: Literally 'one who leads along the road' (from hodos, 'road', and agō, 'lead'). The picture is someone taking a person who cannot see by the hand and walking them along the right path.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.