Greek word · G4217

ποταπός

potapos

of what kind?

A later form of older ποδαπός, which originally meant "from what country? of what origin?" By the Hellenistic period it had become a stronger form of ποῖος: "of what sort?

Appears 7 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

ποταπός

(late form of cl. ποδ-), -ή, -όν, [in LXX: Dan LXX Su 1:54* ;]

1. (= ποδαπός) from what country?

2. In late writers, = ποῖος, of what sort?: Matthew 8:27, Mark 13:1, Luke 1:29 7:39, 2 Peter 3:11, 1 John 3:1.†

(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 1 John 3:1

Range of meaning: A later form of older ποδαπός, which originally meant "from what country? of what origin?" By the Hellenistic period it had become a stronger form of ποῖος: "of what sort? what kind of?" It is often used in exclamations of wonder or surprise ("what kind of…!"), and sometimes it suggests size ("how great!").
Against the English: KJV/BSB "what manner of" keeps the "kind" sense but sounds flat today. WEB and NASB "how great a" turn it into a question of amount. ESV "what kind of" stays closest to the word. NIV "How great is" and NLT "how very much" choose the amount sense too. The Greek is mainly about what kind, with amount implied by the exclamation.
How it drifted: No drift in the English as such. The overreach comes from preaching that brings back the old "from what country" sense, which had faded by the first century.
Used elsewhere in the period: NT: Matt 8:27 ("what sort of man is this?"), Mark 13:1 ("what wonderful stones!"), Luke 1:29 (Mary wondering "what sort of greeting this might be"), Luke 7:39, 2 Pet 3:11. In each case the meaning is "what kind of," usually with wonder, not geographic origin. BDAG gives the Koine meaning as "of what sort or kind."

From the study of 2 Peter 3:11

Range of meaning: Originally ποδαπός, 'from what country?'. In Koine Greek it became 'of what sort or quality?'. In the NT it often expresses wonder or admiration: 'what sort of man is this?' (Matt 8:27), 'what wonderful stones!' (Mark 13:1), 'what manner of love' (1 John 3:1). It can also be neutral or suspicious (Luke 7:39).
Against the English: 'What kind of people' (BSB, WEB) and 'what manner of persons' (KJV) are accurate. Plain English may hear only a neutral question. The Greek invites an answer like 'people of a striking, exceptional quality'.
Used elsewhere in the period: BDAG gives 'of what sort or kind', often implying something out of the ordinary. Gospel and Johannine usage, cited above, shows how often the wondering sense appears.

From the study of Luke 7:39

Range of meaning: Originally "from what country?", later "of what sort/kind?" It asks about a thing's quality and often carries amazement, admiration or disapproval.
Against the English: "What kind of woman" captures it well. The English phrase "what kind of woman" carries a similar insinuation, so the translation holds.
Used elsewhere in the period: Matt 8:27 ("what sort of man is this?", in awe); Luke 1:29 (Mary wondering "what sort of greeting" this was); 2 Pet 3:11; 1 John 3:1 ("what sort of love"). BDAG notes the move from "of what origin" to "of what kind."

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

Matthew 8:27 ποταπός What kind [of man]

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Here: Asks what kind of being Jesus is, not just who he is by name. The word often carries a note of astonishment. The Greek does not add "man". It leaves open what category he belongs to.

Mark · 2

Mark 13:1 ποταποὶ ποταπαὶ what

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!”

Luke · 2

Luke 1:29 ποταπὸς what kind

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Luke 7:39 ποταπὴ what

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”

Here: Asks about quality or kind, often with surprise or disapproval: "what sort of woman." Simon is putting her in a moral category.

2 Peter · 1

2 Peter 3:11 ποταποὺς what kind

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness

Here: 'What sort of [people]?' This is a question about quality, not quantity. In the NT the word often carries a note of wonder ('what manner of love', 1 John 3:1), so the question invites an answer like 'people of a remarkable kind'.

1 John · 1

1 John 3:1 ποταπὴν what

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Here: An exclamation of wonder: "what kind of love this is!" It is used the way the disciples say "what sort of man is this?" (Matt 8:27). It points to how unusual the love is, and to how much of it there is.

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