πώποτε (pōpote)
pōpote
ever
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb pōpote translates as "ever" or "at any time," functioning as an emphatic marker in negative contexts to mean "never." It combines the sense of continuity with a universal scope, appearing six times in the New Testament across Luke, John, and First John. Its presence signals that a condition has not occurred at any point up to the present moment.
In John’s Gospel, this word carries significant theological weight by contrasting human limitation with divine reality. Jesus uses it to assert His unique relationship with the Father, asking if anyone has seen God "at any time" (John 1:18), implying that no human has ever beheld the Father directly. Similarly, in John 6:35, He declares He is the bread of life, stating that whoever comes to Him will never hunger again, using the term to emphasize the permanence and totality of His provision.
The word also appears in Luke’s account of the Passover preparations, where Jesus instructs disciples to find a room marked by a man carrying a water jar "at any time" (Luke 19:30). Here, it serves as a practical identifier for an event that would happen at a specific future moment. In First John 4:12, it underscores the invisibility of God, noting that no one has ever seen God, yet His love is made complete when believers love one another.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pōpote often appears in negative sentences to mean “never” or “at no time.” It emphasizes that a situation has not happened up to this moment and will not change. In John’s Gospel, Jesus uses it to show that no human has ever seen God directly. This highlights our need for His Son to reveal the Father to us.
Yet this word also brings comfort. When Jesus says we will never hunger or thirst spiritually again, He promises lasting satisfaction. The term reminds us that God’s provision is complete and permanent. We can trust that what He offers today remains true forever.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at any time2×
- ever;1×
- ever yet;1×
- ever yet1×
- at any time.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πώποτε3×
- πώποτε·2×
- πώποτε.1×
Key Verses
-
John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
Jesus uses this phrase to emphasize that no human has ever seen God directly, highlighting the unique role of the Son in revealing the Father.
-
John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Here the word underscores the permanence of Jesus' promise that those who believe in Him will never experience spiritual thirst again.
-
I John 4:12
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
This occurrence reinforces the invisibility of God while contrasting it with the visible reality of love among believers.