Lexical Summary posos: How much, how many, how great Original Word: πόσος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance how greatFrom an absolute pos (who, what) and hos; interrogative pronoun (of amount) how much (large, long or (plural) many) -- how great (long, many), what. see GREEK hos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origininterrog. adjective from a prim. root Definition how much? how great? NASB Translation how (1), how great (1), how many (10), how many things (1), how much (13), what (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4214: πόσοςπόσος, πόση, πόσον ((cf. Curtius, § 631), from Aeschylus down, Latinquantus), how great: Matthew 6:23; 2 Corinthians 7:11; πόσος χρόνος, how great (a space) i. e. how long time, Mark 9:21; neuter how much, Luke 16:5, 7; πόσῳ (by) how much, Matthew 12:12; πόσῳ μᾶλλον, Matthew 7:11; Matthew 10:25; Luke 11:13; Luke 12:24, 28; Romans 11:12, 24; Philemon 1:16; Hebrews 9:14; πόσῳ χείρονος τιμωρίας, Hebrews 10:29; plural how many: with nouns, Matthew 15:34; Matthew 16:9; Mark 6:38; Mark 8:4, 19; Luke 15:17; Acts 21:20; πόσα, how grave, Matthew 27:13; Mark 15:4. Topical Lexicon Overview Greek Strong’s 4214 (variously inflected as πόσος, πόσο, πόσα, πόσοι, πόσον, etc.) introduces questions or exclamations about quantity or degree. Across its twenty-seven New Testament occurrences it ranges from simple numerical inquiry to weighty theological argument, always pressing the listener or reader to measure reality in the light of divine truth. Semantic Range and Theological Nuances 1. Numerical count – “How many?” (Mark 6:38). The word therefore moves easily from the marketplace to the sanctuary, from practical inventory to spiritual exhortation. Experiential Contexts in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus repeatedly uses the term when engaging the disciples’ senses. Before feeding the crowds He asks, “How many loaves do you have?” (Mark 8:5). After the miracle He obliges them to recall, “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets of fragments did you pick up?” (Mark 8:19), and again, “when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets did you collect?” (Mark 8:20). The question turns mere arithmetic into worship, proving that scarcity in human hands becomes abundance in His. In Matthew 27:13 and Mark 15:4 Pilate’s “How many things” charged against Jesus ironically exposes the emptiness of those accusations, contrasting the rulers’ exaggerated claims with the silence of the righteous Sufferer. Teaching Technique: The “How Much More” Argument The rabbinic qal vahomer (light-to-heavy) reasoning saturates Jesus’ teaching: Such sayings affirm both God’s providence and the believer’s worth, combating anxiety by anchoring faith in the Father’s character. Counting Miraculous Provision The evangelists record seven distinct “posos” questions tied to the feeding narratives (Matthew 15:34; 16:9-10; Mark 6:38; 8:5, 19-20). The repetition underlines two ministry principles: 1. God invites human participation (“Bring them here to Me”). Exhortation to Moral Responsibility Matthew 10:25 employs the comparative force negatively: “If the master of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!” Persecution is normalized for disciples. Paul echoes the same device positively: “If their trespass means riches for the world, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” (Romans 11:12). Here “poso” stirs missionary hope for Israel’s future restoration. Pauline and General Epistle Usage • 2 Corinthians 7:11 – “See what godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves… what punishment!” The cascading “what” (πόσην) catalogues observable fruits of repentance. Eschatological and Missional Implications Romans 11:24 extends a botanical parable into prophecy: if wild branches were grafted contrary to nature, “how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!” The degree-marker fuels confidence in God’s covenant fidelity and final ingathering. Pastoral and Homiletical Applications 1. Cultivate gratitude by rehearsing “how many” blessings the Lord has already multiplied. Historical Reception Early church fathers seized upon the “how much more” pattern to demonstrate Scripture’s internal logic. Chrysostom, preaching on Matthew 7, called it “the golden ladder by which the mind ascends from earthly examples to heavenly assurances.” The Reformers likewise invoked these passages to ground assurance of salvation in the finished work of Christ, showing that if lesser promises are sure, the greater cannot fail. Conclusion Strong’s 4214 subtly but powerfully invites readers to weigh, count, and compare in the light of God’s revelation. Whether measuring loaves, mercy, or final judgment, the word directs every calculation toward Christ, Who alone defines true magnitude. Forms and Transliterations ποσα πόσα ποσαι πόσαι ποσας πόσας πόση ποσην πόσην Ποσοι Πόσοι ποσον πόσον Ποσος Πόσος Ποσους Πόσους ποσω πόσω πόσῳ ποσων πόσων posa pósa posai pósai posas pósas posen posēn pósen pósēn poso posō Posoi Pósoi pósōi poson posōn póson pósōn Posos Pósos Posous PósousLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:23 IPro-NNSGRK: τὸ σκότος πόσον NAS: that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! KJV: be darkness, how great [is] that darkness! INT: that darkness how great Matthew 7:11 IPro-DNS Matthew 10:25 IPro-DNS Matthew 12:12 IPro-DNS Matthew 15:34 IPro-AMP Matthew 16:9 IPro-AMP Matthew 16:10 IPro-AFP Matthew 27:13 IPro-ANP Mark 6:38 IPro-AMP Mark 8:5 IPro-AMP Mark 8:19 IPro-AMP Mark 8:20 IPro-GNP Mark 9:21 IPro-NMS Mark 15:4 IPro-ANP Luke 11:13 IPro-DNS Luke 12:24 IPro-DNS Luke 12:28 IPro-DNS Luke 15:17 IPro-NMP Luke 16:5 IPro-ANS Luke 16:7 IPro-ANS Acts 21:20 IPro-NFP Romans 11:12 IPro-DNS Romans 11:24 IPro-DNS 2 Corinthians 7:11 IPro-AFS Philemon 1:16 IPro-DNS Strong's Greek 4214 |
    |