ποσάκις (posakis)
posakis
how often!
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb posakis asks "how often" or "how many times." It appears only three times in the New Testament, all within the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In each instance, it functions as a direct interrogative, prompting the listener to consider frequency.
In Matthew 18:21, Peter uses the word when asking Jesus if he should forgive a brother seven times. The question sets up Jesus’ teaching on limitless forgiveness. Similarly, in Luke 13:34 and Matthew 23:37, Jesus employs posakis to express his longing for Jerusalem. He asks how often he desired to gather its people, highlighting a repeated desire that was ultimately rejected.
The word derives from posoi, meaning "how many." This root connection emphasizes the countable nature of the action being discussed. Translators typically render it simply as "how often," preserving the straightforward inquiry without adding theological nuance beyond the context of each passage.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word posakis simply asks "how often." It appears in three places where people are counting forgiveness or longing for connection. Peter uses it to set a limit on mercy, asking if seven times is enough. Jesus turns the question around, showing that divine love does not keep a tally of offenses but offers grace beyond calculation.
In other passages, Jesus uses this same word to express deep sorrow over Jerusalem’s refusal. He describes wanting to gather people like a hen gathers her chicks, a image of protective care that highlights how often God reaches out in patience. This reminds us that our relationships benefit when we stop counting wrongs and start offering repeated kindness.
When you feel tempted to hold onto a grudge or measure someone’s worth by their mistakes, this word invites you to look past the numbers. It points toward a faith that trusts in endless mercy rather than strict accounting. Let this encourage you to offer grace freely, knowing that God’s love for you is not limited by a count.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- how often2×
- How often1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ποσάκις3×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 18:21
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
Peter uses the word to propose a specific limit for forgiveness, which Jesus then expands into a lesson on boundless mercy.
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Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
Jesus employs the term to express his repeated desire to protect Jerusalem, emphasizing the frequency of his patient invitation despite rejection.
-
Luke 13:34
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!
This parallel account highlights Jesus’ longing to gather the people, using the word to underscore the persistent nature of his care.