Greek word · G4164

ποικίλος

poikilos

various

Many-coloured, embroidered, dappled; by extension varied, of many kinds, complex.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ποικίλος, -η, -ον

[in LXX for נָקֹד, רִקְמָה, etc. ;]

many-coloured, variegated. Metaphorical, various, manifold: Matthew 4:24, Mark 1:34, Luke 4:40, 2 Timothy 3:6, Titus 3:3, Hebrews 2:4 13:9, James 1:2, 1 Peter 1:6 4:10.†

(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 James 1:2

Range of meaning

Many-coloured, embroidered, dappled; by extension varied, of many kinds, complex.

Against the English

KJV 'divers' (old English for 'diverse'), WEB/NASB 'various', BSB/NIV/ESV 'of many kinds'. All are correct; none keeps the 'many-coloured' picture.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in the LXX of Joseph's coat in some traditions and of embroidered work; 1 Pet 1:6 has the same phrase, 'various trials'. 1 Pet 4:10 speaks of the 'many-coloured (poikilēs) grace of God'.

From the study of 1 Peter 4:10

Range of meaning

Many-colored, dappled, embroidered, patterned. From there: varied, of many kinds, diverse. In some settings it can also mean intricate or subtle.

Against the English

KJV/BSB/YLT have 'manifold,' which is accurate but old-fashioned ('many-fold') and unfamiliar to many readers. WEB/NIV's 'in its various forms' and ESV's 'varied' are clearer but lose the visual image of something multicolored.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Old Testament uses it for Joseph's patterned tunic (Gen 37:3) and for multicolored fabrics. In the New Testament it describes 'various diseases' (Mark 1:34), 'various trials' (James 1:2), and in this letter 'various trials' (1 Pet 1:6).

From the study of 1 Peter 1:6

Range of meaning

Many-colored, variegated, embroidered. By extension: diverse, of many kinds, intricate.

Against the English

KJV has 'manifold' and most modern versions 'various' or 'all kinds of'. These keep the sense of variety but lose the color picture.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in the Greek Old Testament for Joseph's many-colored coat (Gen 37:3) and for embroidered fabrics. James 1:2 has the same phrase as here, 'various trials' (πειρασμοῖς ποικίλοις), which suggests a shared early Christian way of speaking. 1 Peter 4:10 speaks of 'the many-colored grace of God' (ποικίλης χάριτος θεοῦ).

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 4:24 ποικίλαις various

    News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

    Here: Literally 'many-coloured', and so 'of every kind'. The list covers every kind of affliction.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 1:34 ποικίλαις of various

    And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

    Here: Literally "many-colored" or "variegated," so "of every kind." The point is the range of complaints. No single kind of illness was beyond him.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 4:40 ποικίλαις various

    At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.

    Here: "Of every sort". The word first meant multicoloured or variegated. The point is that no kind of illness was beyond him.

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 3:6 ποικίλαις, various,

    They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,

    Here: Literally 'multi-coloured', so 'of every sort'. Their desires pull them in many directions at once. The same phrase is used for the pre-conversion life in Titus 3:3.

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:3 ποικίλαις, various,

    For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

    Here: Literally 'many-coloured' or 'variegated', as in embroidery. Here it means 'all sorts of': a whole range of cravings, not one sin.

Hebrews · 2

  1. Hebrews 2:4 ποικίλαις by various

    and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

    Here: Literally 'multicoloured' or 'variegated', so 'of many kinds'. The acts of power were not all of one sort.

  2. Hebrews 13:9 ποικίλαις various

    Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to them.

    Here: First used of patterned or multicolored cloth, then of anything varied. Here it suggests a confusing assortment of teachings, set against the one unchanging Christ of v. 8.

James · 1

  1. James 1:2 ποικίλοις, various,

    Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,

    Here: Literally 'multicoloured, variegated'. Trials come in every shape and shade. Holding it to the end of the sentence leaves the stress on the variety.

1 Peter · 2

  1. 1 Peter 1:6 ποικίλοις various

    In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials

    Here: Literally 'many-colored, variegated'. It means trials of every kind. In 4:10 Peter uses the same word for the 'many-colored' grace of God.

  2. 1 Peter 4:10 ποικίλης of [the] manifold

    As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.

    Here: Originally 'multicolored' or 'patterned' (of cloth or embroidery), then 'of many kinds.' One grace of God shows up in many different forms across many people. It echoes 'various (poikilois) trials' in 1:6.

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