τετράπους (tetrapous)
tetrapous
four-footed
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The neuter plural adjective tetrapous literally means "four-footed." In the New Testament, it functions as a substantive noun to describe land animals, specifically those that walk on four legs rather than wings or fins. The term appears in three verses: Acts 10:12, Acts 11:6, and Romans 1:23.
In Acts, Peter sees a vision of a sheet containing all kinds of tetrapous being lowered from heaven. This detail highlights the diversity of clean and unclean animals according to Jewish law, signaling that the gospel message extends beyond traditional dietary boundaries. The same word appears in Romans, where Paul describes idolatry as exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal humans or tetrapous.
The word is a compound of tettares ("four") and pous ("foot"). Its usage underscores the physical reality of created beasts. By linking human idols to these common animals, the text emphasizes the degradation of worshipping creatures over the Creator. The term serves as a clear marker for terrestrial life in biblical imagery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tetrapous simply describes land animals that walk on four legs. In Acts, Peter sees these creatures in a vision alongside birds and reptiles. This mix of animals shows that God’s care extends to all living things, not just those considered clean or unclean by human rules.
Paul uses the same term in Romans to describe how people can lose their way. He warns against trading the glory of God for images of creatures like four-footed animals. It reminds us to keep our focus on the Creator rather than getting lost in created things.
When we read these verses, we see a call to appreciate the world around us while remembering who made it. The physical details of creation point us toward deeper spiritual truths about worship and humility.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- quadrupeds3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τετράποδα2×
- τετραπόδων1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 10:12
in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.
Peter’s vision includes tetrapous to show that the gospel breaks down traditional barriers between different types of animals and, by extension, people.
-
Romans 1:23
and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.
Paul lists tetrapous as an example of idolatry, showing how humans can mistakenly worship created creatures instead of the Creator.