Greek word · G4219

πότε

pote

when?

Appears 19 times in 17 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

πότε

interrog. adv. of time,

when?: Matthew 25:37-39, 44 Luke 21:7, John 6:25; ἕως π., how long: Matthew 17:17, Mark 9:19, Luke 9:41, John 10:24, Revelation 6:10. In indir. questions, = ὁπότε, Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:4, 33 13:35, Luke 12:36 17:20 (see Bl., § 25, 4).†

(AS)

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

Where it appears

Matthew · 7
  1. Matthew 17:17 πότε πότε when

    “O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”

    Here: Together with heōs it forms 'how long?', the stock opening of biblical laments and of God's complaints about his people.

  2. Matthew 24:3 πότε when

    While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

    Here: A question about timing: when will it happen?

  3. Matthew 25:37 πότε when

    Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?

    Here: A real question asking for a time. They cannot think of a single occasion when they met him in need. This 'when?' comes back four times in verses 37–39 and 44 and holds the scene together.

  4. Matthew 25:38 πότε When

    When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

    Here: A question word asking for an occasion. Repeated in vv. 37, 38 and 39, it carries the righteous people's honest surprise: they can't remember any moment when they met the Lord in need.

  5. Matthew 25:39 πότε When

    When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

    Here: A question word asking for a point in time. This is the third 'When…?' in a row (vv. 37, 38, 39). The repetition shows real bewilderment: the righteous cannot remember any such moment.

  6. Matthew 25:44 πότε when

    And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

    Here: A question word. The righteous asked 'when?' three times (25:37–39). Here it appears once and covers the whole list.

Mark · 5
  1. Mark 9:19 πότε πότε when

    “O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

    Here: Completes 'how long?', the classic phrasing of a biblical lament.

  2. Mark 13:4 πότε when

    “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”

    Here: A question about time. Jesus never gives a date. Later in the chapter he says no one knows 'that day or hour' (13:32).

  3. Mark 13:33 πότε when

    Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come.

    Here: An indirect question. It echoes the disciples' opening question in 13:4, 'Tell us, when (pote) will these things be?' Jesus closes by saying, in effect, that the 'when' is exactly what you will not have.

  4. Mark 13:35 πότε when

    Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.

    Here: A question word used here inside a statement ('when'). It sets up the list of four possible times that follows.

Luke · 4
  1. Luke 9:41 πότε when

    “O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

    Here: 'Until when?' is the Greek Old Testament's wording for the Hebrew cry 'ad-matay, 'how long?', heard in the psalms of lament and in God's complaints about Israel.

  2. Luke 12:36 πότε whenever

    Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

    Here: A question word used in an indirect question: they wait, not knowing when he will come. The not-knowing is the point of the whole parable (see v.40).

  3. Luke 17:20 πότε when

    When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs.

    Here: An interrogative of time. The question is about timing and dates, not about what the kingdom is. Jesus will refuse to answer on those terms.

  4. Luke 21:7 πότε when

    “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

John · 2
  1. John 6:25 πότε when

    When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

  2. John 10:24 πότε when

    So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Revelation · 1
  1. Revelation 6:10 πότε, when,

    And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?”

    Here: Together with heōs it forms 'how long?' (Hebrew ʿad-mātay / ʿad-ʾānāh). This is the classic opening of Israel's lament psalms (Ps 13:1–2; 74:10; 79:5; 94:3).

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