ὁδοιπορέω (hodoiporeō)
hodoiporeō
to journey
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb hodoiporeō simply means to travel or journey on foot. It is a compound word formed from hodos, meaning "way" or "road," and poreuomai, meaning "to go" or "to walk." This etymology paints a clear picture of someone moving along a path, emphasizing the physical act of traveling rather than just the destination.
In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Acts 10:9. The context describes Peter going up to the flat roof of his house to pray at noon. While he is waiting for lunch and growing hungry, the narrative notes that he was "on the way" (hodoiporeō) when he fell into a trance. Here, the term grounds the spiritual vision in a mundane, everyday moment of travel and waiting.
Because it occurs so rarely, the word does not carry heavy theological weight on its own. Instead, it serves as a precise descriptor for physical movement. Translators typically render it as "went up" or "was traveling," capturing the simple reality that Peter was engaged in the ordinary activity of moving about his day when divine revelation interrupted him.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hodoiporeō describes the simple act of traveling on foot. It combines ideas of a path and walking, painting a clear picture of someone moving from one place to another. In Acts 10:9, this term is used to describe Peter going up to the housetop to pray. The text notes he was on his journey when he reached that spot.
This detail reminds us that God often meets us in the ordinary moments of our day. Peter was not in a temple or leading a service; he was simply moving through his daily routine, perhaps feeling hungry and tired. Yet, it was in this mundane setting that he received a profound vision. Your faith does not require special circumstances to be valid.
When you feel like your life is just a series of transitions, remember that God sees you there. He can interrupt your travel plans with grace. The spiritual life is woven into the physical reality of where you are and what you are doing. You do not need to escape your current path to find Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- when are journeying1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὁδοιπορούντων1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 10:9
Now on the next day as they were on their journey and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.
This occurrence grounds a major theological vision in the physical reality of Peter's daily movement, showing that divine revelation can interrupt ordinary travel.