ὁδοιπορέω

I travel, pursue a way

Definition

The verb ὁδοιπορέω means to travel or journey along a road or way. It specifically denotes the act of being on a journey, often implying movement from one place to another. In its single New Testament occurrence in Acts 10:9, it describes Peter going up to the housetop to pray while on a journey. The word carries the straightforward sense of traveling, without the additional metaphorical meanings of spiritual journeying found in some other Greek terms for travel.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 10:9, where it describes the Apostle Peter's action: 'Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.' Here, it specifies that Peter was engaged in travel or was on a journey when this event occurred. The context is Peter's stay in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner, and the term simply notes his itinerant state prior to his pivotal rooftop vision that leads to the conversion of Cornelius.

Etymology

Derived from the combination of ὁδός (hodos, G3598), meaning 'road' or 'way,' and πορέω (poreō), a verb meaning 'to proceed' or 'to go.' Thus, ὁδοιπορέω literally means 'to proceed on a road' or 'to go on a way.' It is a compound word that vividly pictures the concrete action of traveling along a path.

Semantic Range

While the word itself is mundane, its single biblical occurrence is theologically significant. In Acts 10:9, Peter's act of 'journeying' (or being on a journey) sets the stage for his rooftop vision, which dramatically reveals God's will to include Gentiles in the gospel. Thus, the ordinary act of travel becomes the backdrop for a pivotal moment in salvation history, illustrating how God uses everyday circumstances to communicate divine truth and direct the mission of the church.

In the first-century Roman world, journeying was a common but often arduous and dangerous undertaking, undertaken on foot, by animal, or by ship. Travel was associated with trade, military movement, religious pilgrimage, or the spread of news. Peter's 'journeying' in Acts 10:9 would have been understood as a normal part of life for an apostle or teacher spreading a message, though the text does not specify if he was between cities or simply moving about locally in Joppa.

πορεύομαι (poreuomai, G4198) — A more general and common verb for 'to go' or 'to proceed,' used for various types of movement, including metaphorical journeys. πορεία (poreia, G4197) — A noun meaning 'a journey' or 'a way of life,' focusing on the course or path taken. ὁδηγέω (hodēgeō, G3594) — Means 'to lead' or 'to guide' on a way, emphasizing direction rather than the act of traveling itself.

Word Details

Scripture References