πεζῇ
on foot
Definition
πεζῇ is an adverb meaning 'on foot' or 'by land,' describing travel by walking rather than by boat or other means. In its two New Testament occurrences, it consistently carries this literal sense of pedestrian travel. In Matthew 14:13 and Mark 6:33, it describes the crowds who saw Jesus depart by boat and then proceeded to follow him along the shore on foot. The word emphasizes the determined, physical effort undertaken by the people to reach Jesus, contrasting their mode of travel with his.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in the parallel accounts of Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13 and Mark 6:33). In both contexts, it describes the action of the crowds who, after seeing Jesus depart by boat, hurried 'on foot' from the towns to meet him at his destination. The usage highlights the people's eagerness and initiative, as they take the overland route to intercept Jesus' boat.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek noun πεζός (pezos, G3978), meaning 'one who goes on foot,' a pedestrian, or an infantry soldier. It is related to the word πούς (pous, G4228), meaning 'foot.' The adverbial form πεζῇ literally means 'in a pedestrian manner' or 'by foot.' Its meaning is straightforward and has remained consistent, denoting travel by walking as opposed to by sea or mounted.
Semantic Range
In the ancient world, travel 'on foot' was the most common and accessible mode of transportation for ordinary people. The detail that the crowds went πεζῇ underscores their ordinary status and their remarkable determination. They did not have horses or chariots; their pursuit of Jesus required personal, strenuous effort. This contrasts with Jesus' mode of travel (by boat, which was faster for crossing the sea) and sets the stage for the miraculous provision that follows, meeting the needs of those who had exerted themselves to be near him.
πορεύομαι (poreuomai, G4198) — a general verb for 'to go' or 'to journey,' without specifying the means. πεζῇ specifies the manner of that going.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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