noun · feminine
hodas
Strong’sG3598
a way, road, journey
stem hod-101 times in the New Testamentin 13 of 27 books8 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
ὁδός refers to a way, road, or path — the literal route, track, or channel along which something travels 1234.
It also denotes the journey or travel itself, the act of going from one place to another rather than the road one goes on, including the course or distance covered 1234.
Used figuratively, it describes a course of conduct or manner of life — a way of thinking, acting, or doing something 123. In this figurative sense the word can stand alone, without any qualifying phrase, as a name for the Christian faith and its followers, and it can describe Christ himself as the way of approach to God 13.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ὁδός, -οῦ, ἡ,
[in LXX chiefly (very freq.) for דֶּרֶךְ;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3598 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidhod-os'
a road; by implication, a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means
Fromapparently a primary word;
King Jamesjourney, (high-)way.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(οὐδός once in Refs 8th c.BC+:
I of Place, way, road, Refs 8th c.BC+; ὁ. ἱερά, to Eleusis, Refs 3rd c.BC+; ποταμοῦ ὁ. course, channel of a river, Refs 5th c.BC+: with expression of the direction, ὁδὸς ἐς.. Refs 8th c.BC+; τὴν εὐθὺς Ἄργους.. ὁ. leading straight to Argos, Refs 5th c.BC+; τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ. the way to truth, Refs
I.2 with Preps., πρὸ ὁδοῦ further on the way, forwards, Refs 8th c.BC+; later, ={προὔργου}, profitable, useful, πρὸ ὁ. εἶναι πρός τι to be helpful towards.., Refs 4th c.BC+by the way, Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ τὴν ὁ. along the road, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐκ τῆς ὁ. on his road, Refs 5th c.BC+ 'the man in the street', Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν ὁδῷ on a road, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁδοῦ πάρεργον by the way, cursorily, Refs 1st c.BC+
I.3 ὁδός is frequently omitted, ἐπορευόμην τὴν ἔξω τείχους Refs 5th c.BC+; ἡ ἐπὶ θανάτου, see at {θάνατος}; compare τηνάλλως.
II as an Action, travelling, journeying, whether by land or water, journey, voyage, Refs 8th c.BC+; also, expedition, foray, ὁδὸν ἐλθέμεναι Refs 8th c.BC+; τριήκοντα ἡμερέων.. ὁ. a thirty days' journey, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἄστρων ὁδοί Refs 5th c.BC+ by or in which.., Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐρανοῦ τέμνων ὁ... Ἥλιε, metaphorically from a ship, Refs 5th c.BC+ is to make a road, Refs 5th c.BC+; similarly where ὁ. is road, μέσην ἔρχευ τὴν ὁ. Refs 6th c.BC+; ἰόντες τὴν ἱρὴν ὁ., from Delphi, Refs 5th c.BC+
III metaphorically, way or manner, πολλαὶ δ᾽ ὁ... εὐπραγίας Refs 5th c.BC+; θεσπεσία ὁ. the way or course of divination, Refs 5th c.BC+; λογίων ὁ. their way, intent, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.2 a way of doing, speaking, etc., τῆσδ᾽ ἀφ᾽ ὁδοῦ διζήσιος Refs 4th c.BC+; τριφασίας ἄλλας ὁ. λόγων ways of telling the story, Refs 5th c.BC+; but τριφασίας ὁ. τρέπεται turns into three forms, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁ. ἥντιν᾽ ἰών by what course of action, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.3 method, system, Refs 4th c.BC+methodically, systematically, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.4 of the Christian Faith and its followers, NT. (Root sed- 'go', in Sanskrit sad-, ā-sad- 'come to', 'reach', OSlavonic choditi 'go'.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | hodas5×ὁδὸς | hodais2×ὁδοὶ |
| object accusative | hodan51×ὁδὸν | hodain8×ὁδοὺς |
| direct address vocative | hodar | hodair |
| of, belonging to genitive | hodau8×ὁδοῦ | hodaiu1×ὁδῶν |
| to, for dative | hoda23×ὁδῷ | hodai3×ὁδοῖς |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
hoda is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
101 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
hodas“way”subjectnominative singular5×
Matthew 7:13“road”… plateias tas pulas kai euruchōras tas hodas tas apagarōntas eis tan apōleian, kai …… gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter …
Matthew 7:14“road”… stenas tas pulas kai thliborēntas tas hodas tas apagarōntas eis tan zōan, kai …… small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a …
John 14:6… auto tos Iēsus; Mis amō tas hodas kai tas alētheias kai tas zōas; …Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life …
2 Peter 2:2… autoiu tai aselgeiai, dia hoin tas hodas tau alētheiau blasfēmiti;… depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.
Revelation 16:12… tem hudem autou, hina hetoimaziteia tas hodas toiu basilevoiu toiu apo anatolau hēliou.… was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
hodan“way”objectaccusative singular51×, 50 shown
Matthew 3:3… boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr tain tribain autou.… calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths …
Matthew 4:15Gēas Zaboulōn kai gēas Nefthalim, hodan thalassau, peran tou Iordanou, Galilaias teiu …… Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan …
Matthew 10:5… tos Iēsus parangelarantos autoi legarōntos; Eis hodan ethneiu mē aperchaveia kai eis polan …… instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any …
Matthew 10:10“journey”mē pēran eis hodan mēde duo chitōnoin mēde hupodēmeim mēde …Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for …
Matthew 11:10… pro prosōpeu su, hos kataskeuazati tan hodan su emprosthen su.… of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’
Matthew 13:4… auton heim men piptata para tan hodan, kai ercharanteim teim peteineim katesthiata auteim.… sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured …
Matthew 13:19… autou; houtos atō tos para tan hodan sperirantos.… is the seed sown along the path.
Matthew 20:30… idou duo tuflois kathorōntois para tan hodan, akouarantois hoti Iēsus paragatō, krazala legarōntois; …… two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was …
Matthew 22:16… oidanē hoti alēthos asō kai tan hodan tou theou en alētheia didaskasō, kai …… honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the …
Mark 1:2… pro prosōpeu su, hos kataskeuazati tan hodan su;… of You, who will prepare Your way.”
Mark 1:3… boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr tain tribain autou,… calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths …
Mark 2:23“way”… sporimeiu, kai tois mathētois autou archela hodan poiarō tillarōntois toin stachuoin.… through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain as they …
Mark 4:4… sperarō hem men piptata para tan hodan, kai erchata teim peteineim kai katesthiata …… sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured …
Mark 4:15houtois de alō tois para tan hodan hopou sperotō tos logos, kai hotan …… are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As …
Mark 6:8… parangelata autoi hina mēdenem airaleiō eis hodan ei mē rabdan monem, mē arton, …… nothing but a staff for the journey — no bread, no bag, no money …
Mark 10:17“journey”Kai ekporeuorōntou autou eis hodan prostrecharantos henos kai gonupetarantos auton eperōtate …… Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must …
Mark 10:46… Bartimaios tuflos prosaitos kathote para tan hodan.… of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
Mark 11:8… teim himatieim autoiu strōnnuala eis tan hodan, allosois de stibadain koptarantois ek toiu …… crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had …
Mark 12:14… prosōpem anthrōpoiu, alla epi alētheiau tan hodan tou theou didaskasō; exestinatō dōara kēnson …… You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the …
Luke 1:79“way”… teu kateuthunara toin podoin nu eis hodan eirēnau.… death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 2:44“journey”… arō en ta sunodia erchala hēmerau hodan kai anazētale auton en toi sungenoi …… He was in their company, they traveled on for a day before they began to look for Him among their relatives and friends.
Luke 3:4… boarōntou en ta erēma; Hetoimazavar tan hodan kuriou, euthuain poiavōr tain tribain autou.… calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths …
Luke 7:27… pro prosōpeu su, hos kataskeuazati tan hodan su emprosthen su.… of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’
Luke 8:5… auton hem men piptata para tan hodan, kai katapatita kai teim peteineim tou …… sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the …
Luke 8:12tois de para tan hodan alō tois akouarantois, eita erchotō tos …The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the …
Luke 9:3… pros autoin; Mēdenem airavōr eis tan hodan, mēte rabdan mēte pēran mēte arton …“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them, “no staff, no …
Luke 10:4… mē hupodēmeim, kai mēdenon kata tan hodan aspazeveia.… Do not greet anyone along the road.
Luke 18:35… Ierichō tuflos tinos kathote para tan hodan epaitarōntos.… blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.
Luke 20:21… labasō prosōpem, alla epi alētheiau tan hodan tou theou didaskasō;… show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the …
John 1:23… boarōntou en ta erēma; Euthunavar tan hodan kuriou, kathōs legata Ēsaios tos profētos.… in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
John 14:4kai hopou mis hupagamō oidavē tan hodan.You know the way to the place where I am …
John 14:5… oidanē pou hupagasō; pōs dunonō tan hodan oidarē?… so how can we know the way?”
Acts 1:12… hem atō engus Ierousalēm sabbateu echarōntem hodan.… near the city, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
Acts 8:26… kai poreuosōr kata mesēmbrian epi tan hodan tan katabainarōntan apo Ierousalēm eis Gazan; …… and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to …
Acts 8:36hōs de poreuole kata tan hodan, erchala epi tinem hudem, kai fēatō …As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the …
Acts 8:39… ouketi tos eunouchos, poreuote gar tan hodan autou chairarōntos.… no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
Acts 16:17… tou hupsistou alō, hotinois katangelalō vi hodan sōtērēau.… who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
Acts 18:25houtos ate katēchorēntos tan hodan tou kuriou, kai zesarōntos te pneume …He had been instructed in the way of the Lord and was fervent …
Acts 18:26… auton kai akribesterem auto ektithela tan hodan tou theou.… aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Acts 19:9… tinois sklērunole kai apeithale kakologarōntois tan hodan enōpion teu plētheu, apostēarantos apo autoiu …… to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left …
Acts 22:4hos houtan tan hodan diōkama achri thanatou, desmeuarōntos kai paradōarōntos …I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both …
Acts 24:14… de houtem si hoti kata tan hodan han legalō hairesian houtōs latreuamō to …… of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I …
Acts 25:3… enedran poiarōntois anairara auton kata tan hodan.… ambush to kill him along the way.
Acts 26:13hēmerau mesau kata tan hodan horama, basilevor, ouranothen huper tan lamprotan …… king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven …
Romans 3:17kai hodan eirēnau ouk gnōskala.and the way of peace they have not known.”
1 Corinthians 12:31… teim megotereim. kai ēti kata huperbolan hodan vi deikamō.… will show you the most excellent way.
1 Thessalonians 3:11… tos kurios nu Iēsus kateuthunatoia tan hodan nu pros vin;… and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.
Hebrews 9:8… hagieu, mēpō fanerorē tan teiu hagieiu hodan ēti tau prōtau skēnau echarōntau stasian,… Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place had …
Hebrews 10:20han enkainizata ni hodan prosfatan kai zōarōntan dia teu katapetasmeu, …by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain …
2 Peter 2:15kataleiparantois euthuan hodan planila, exakoloutharantois ta hoda tou Balaam …They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the …
hodau“way”of, belonging togenitive singular8×
Matthew 2:12“way”… mē anakamptara pros Hērōdon dia allosau hodau anachōrala eis tan chōran autoiu.… a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
Matthew 8:28… mē ischuarō tinon parerchara dia tau hodau ekeinau.… that no one could pass that way.
Matthew 21:19kai horarantos sukan henan epi tau hodau erchata epi autan, kai oudenem heuriskata …Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but …
Luke 11:6epeidē filos mu parageneta ek hodau pros min kai ouk echamō hem …… has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set …
Acts 9:2… sunagōgain, hopōs ean tinoin heuriskateia tau hodau arōntoin, androin tē kai gunaikain, dorēntoin …… men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners …
Acts 19:23… ekeinon tarachos ouk oligos peri tau hodau.… arose a great disturbance about the Way.
Acts 24:22… Fēlikos, akribesterem horarēntos teim peri tau hodau, legarantos; Hotan Lusios tos chiliarchos katabainateia …… who was well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “When …
James 5:20… hoti tos epistrefarantos hamartōlon ek planau hodau autou sōzati psuchan autou ek thanatou …… sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death …
hoda“way”to, fordative singular23×
Matthew 5:25… hotinou asō meta autou en ta hoda, mēpote sin paradōateia tos antidikos to …… while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand …
Matthew 15:32… ouk thelamō, mēpote ekluileia en ta hoda.… or they may faint along the way.”
Matthew 20:17“way”… mathētoin kata idian, kai en ta hoda legata autoi;… He took the twelve disciples aside and said,
Matthew 21:8… strōnnuala heautoiu teim himatieim en ta hoda, allosois de koptale kladoin apo teiu …… crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the …
Matthew 21:8… teiu dendreiu kai strōnnuale en ta hoda.… trees and spread them on the road.
Matthew 21:32erchata gar Iōannos pros vin en hoda dikaiosunau, kai ouk pisteuava auto; tois …… John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not …
Mark 8:3… eis oikon autoiu, ekluili en ta hoda; kai tinois autoiu apo makrothen hēkalē.… hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come …
Mark 8:27… Kaisareiau tau Filippou; kai en ta hoda eperōtate toin mathētoin autou legarōntos autoi; …… villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do …
Mark 9:33… generantos eperōtate autoin; Tinem en ta hoda dialogizove?… What were you discussing on the way?”
Mark 9:34… pros allēloin gar dialegila en ta hoda tinos megoteros.… they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which …
Mark 10:32Ale de en ta hoda anabainarōntois eis Hierosolumeim, kai ate proagarōntos …As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead …
Mark 10:52… anablepata, kai akolouthate auto en ta hoda.… sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Luke 9:57Kai poreuorōntoiu autoiu en ta hoda legata tinos pros auton; Akolouthami si …As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will …
Luke 10:31… de hierevos tinos katabainate en ta hoda ekeina, kai horarantos auton antiparerchata;… priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he …
Luke 12:58… antidikou su epi archonton, en ta hoda dōasar ergasian apallaxorē apo autou, mēpote …… adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may …
Luke 19:36… hupostrōnnuale teim himatieim heautoiu en ta hoda.… people spread their cloaks on the road.
Luke 24:32… ni hōs lalate ni en ta hoda, hōs dianoigate ni tain grafain?… He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:35kai autois exēgole teim en ta hoda kai hōs gnōskita autoi en ta …… told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus …
Acts 9:17… Iēsus tos horirantos si en ta hoda ha erchose, hopōs anablepaseia kai pimplēiseia …… who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has …
Acts 9:27… kai diēgeta autoi pōs en ta hoda horata ton kurion kai hoti lalata …… had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had …
James 2:25… dikaiita, hupodecherantas toin angeloin kai hetera hoda ekbalarantas?In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute …
2 Peter 2:15kataleiparantois euthuan hodan planila, exakoloutharantois ta hoda tou Balaam tou Bosor hos misthon …… and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who …
Jude 1:11“way”ouai autoi, hoti ta hoda tou Kain poreuila, kai ta plana …Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed for profit into the error of Balaam …
hodais“ways”subjectnominative plural2×
Romans 11:33… teim krimeim autou kai anexichniastais tais hodais autou.… are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
Revelation 15:3… tos pantokratoror; dikaiais kai alēthinais tais hodais su, tos basilevos toiu aiōnoiu;… Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!
hodain“ways”objectaccusative plural8×
Matthew 22:10“roads”… exercharantois tois doulois ekeinois eis tain hodain sunagala pantoin hoin heuriskala, ponēroin tē …So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and …
Luke 1:76“ways”… kalisi, proporeuesi gar enōpion kuriou hetoimazara hodain autou,… will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way …
Luke 3:5… eis euthuan kai tais trachuais eis hodain leiain;… be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.
Luke 14:23… pros ton doulon; Exerchasar eis tain hodain kai fragmoin kai anankazasar eiserchara, hina …… his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to …
Acts 2:28gnōrizasa mi hodain zōau, plērasi min eufrosunēau meta teu …… have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me …
Acts 13:10“paths”… pantau dikaiosunau, ouk pauesi diastrefarōntos tain hodain kuriou tain euthuain?… of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
1 Corinthians 4:17“ways”… en kurio, hos vin anamimnēskati tain hodain mu tain en Christo Iēso, kathōs …… faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is …
Hebrews 3:10… kardia; autois de ouk gnōskala tain hodain mu;… and they have not known My ways.’
hodaiu“roads”of, belonging togenitive plural1×
Matthew 22:9“roads”poreuovōr oun epi tain diexodain taiu hodaiu, kai hosoin ean heuriskaveia kalavar eis …Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’
hodai“ways”to, fordative plural3×
Acts 14:16“ways”… easata panteim teim ethneim poreuorō tai hodai auteiu;… He let all nations go their own way.
Romans 3:16“paths”suntrimmem kai talaipōrias en tai hodai autoiu,ruin and misery lie in their wake,
James 1:8andros dipsuchos, akatastatos en pantai tai hodai autou.… double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.