noun · neuter
hudem
Strong’sG5204
water
stem hud-76 times in the New Testamentin 12 of 27 books6 of 6 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
Water, the ordinary liquid, in any of its natural forms 1234. It is used of water for drinking, washing, and baptizing, and appears often in the plural for bodies of water or many waters 1. It stands in contrast to wine, to blood, and to spirit/fire in various New Testament passages 1.
By extension the word is also used figuratively, of divine truth and grace: "living water" and "the water of life" describe spiritual refreshment given by God 12.
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
ὕδωρ gen., ὕδατος, τό,
[in LXX chiefly for מַיִם;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5204 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidhoo'-dore
water (as if rainy) literally or figuratively
Fromfrom the base of G5205;
King Jameswater.
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
see near the end], τό, genitive ὕδατος: an Epic dialect dative ὕδει in Refs 8th c.BC+; later nominative ὕδος Refs 3rd c.BC+; Boeotian dialect οὕδωρ probably in Refs:—water, of any kind, but in Refs 8th c.BC+ rarely of seawater without an epithet, ἄνεμός τε καὶ ὕ. Refs 8th c.BC+; of rivers, ὕ. Αἰσήποιο, Στυγός, Refs 8th c.BC+; so in Lyric poetry and Trag., ὕ, Ἀσώπιον Refs 5th c.BC+: frequently in plural (but only once in Refs 8th c.BC+ the waters of Cephisus, Refs 5th c.BC+: spring-water, drinking-water, οἶνον ἔμισγον καὶ ὕ. Refs 8th c.BC+; ὕ. πίνων a water-drinker, Refs 5th c.BC+ water for washing the hands, see at {χεί; φέρτε χερσὶν ὕ}. Refs 8th c.BC+ —a curse was invoked upon those who refused fire (i.e. the right to borrow burning embers) or water or to direct a traveller on his way, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὅταν τὸ ὕδωρ πνίγῃ, τί δεῖ ἐπιπίνει; if water chokes, what more can be done ? of a desperate case, Refs 4th c.BC+
2 rain-water, rain, ὅτε λαβρότατον χέει ὕ. Ζεύς Refs 8th c.BC+ is a gloss in Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ Διὸς, or παρὰ τοῦ Δ., ὕ. Refs 5th c.BC+; καινὸν ἀεὶ τὸν Δία ὕειν ὕδωρ, ὕδωρ τὸν θεὸν ποιῆσαι, Refs 5th c.BC+ thunder-showers, Refs 5th c.BC+
3 for ἐν ὕδατι βρέχεσθαι, Refs 5th c.BC+
4 in the law-courts, τὸ ὕδωρ was the water of the water-clock (κλεψύδρ), and hence the time it took in running out, ἂν ἐγχωρῇ τὸ ὕδωρ Refs 4th c.BC+; ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ὕ., ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ ὕ., in the time allowed me, Refs; οὐκ ἐνδέχεται πρὸς ταὐτὸ ὕ. εἰπεῖν one cannot say (all) in one speech, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐπίλαβε τὸ ὕ. stop the water (which was done while the speech was interrupted by the calling of evidence and reading of documents), Refs 4th c.BC+; ἀποδιδόναι, παραδιδόναι τινὶ τὸ ὕ., to give him the turn of speaking, Refs 4th c.BC+
5 generally, liquid, ὕδατος εἴδη τὰ τοιάδε· οἶνος, οὖρον, ὀρός Refs 5th c.BC+
II part of the constellation Aquarius, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.2 a name for the winter solstice, Refs 4th c.AD+
III Ὕδατα, τά, as the name of places with hot or mineral waters, Ὕ. Σέζτια, Latin Aquae Sextiae, Ὕ. Νεαπολιτανά, etc., Refs 2nd c.AD+ [ῠ by nature, ὕ?~Xδωρ Refs 8th c.BC+, and so always in Attic dialect (except sometimes in dactylic verse, Refs 8th c.BC+ (always at end of line except in phrase Στυγὸς ὕδωρ Refs 8th c.BC+; later Epic dialect admits ὕ ¯ δωρ more freely, Refs 3rd c.BC+, so that we find ῡ in the second half of the foot in Refs 7th c.BC+.] (Cf. Sanskrit udán-, genitive udn-ás 'water', ORefs 5th c.BC+ woeter, O Norse vatn; I.-Refs 5th c.BC+ u(e)d- with suffix r alternating with n (ὕδ-ṇ-τος): cognate with Sanskrit u-ná-t-ti (root ud-), 3rd.pers. plural u-n-d-ánti 'moisten', cf. Latin unda.)
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 or object direct | hudem6×ὕδωρ | hudeim2×ὕδατα |
| of, belonging to genitive | hudeu22×ὕδατος | hudeiu12×ὑδάτων |
| to, for dative | hude13×ὕδατι | hudei1×ὕδασιν |
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
hude 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.
76 occurrences, every one of them listed
hudem“water”subject or objectdirect singular6×
John 4:14… dipsati eis ton aiōnon, alla tem hudem hem dōami auto geneti en auto …But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst …
John 5:7… ouk echamō hina hotan tarassiteia tem hudem balateia min eis tan kolumbēthran; en …… me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on …
John 19:34… nussata, kai exerchata euthuos haimem kai hudem.… a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
Acts 8:36… hudem, kai fēatō tos eunouchos; Idou hudem, tinem kōluatō min baptizira?… the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me …
1 John 5:8tem pneumem kai tem hudem kai tem haimem, kai tois treis …the Spirit, the water, and the blood — and these three …
Revelation 16:12… megon ton Eufraton; kai xēranita tem hudem autou, hina hetoimaziteia tas hodas toiu …… the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the …
hudeu“water”of, belonging togenitive singular22×
Matthew 3:16… tos Iēsus euthuos anabainata apo teu hudeu; kai idou anoigila tois ouranois, kai …… He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and …
Mark 1:10kai euthuos anabainarōntos ek teu hudeu horata schizorōntoin toin ouranoin kai tem …… Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open …
Mark 9:41Hos gar an potizateia vin potēriem hudeu en onome hoti christou avō, amēn …… gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of …
Mark 14:13… polan, kai apantati vi anthrōpos keramiem hudeu bastazarōntos; akolouthavar auto,… a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him,
Luke 8:24“water”… to anemo kai to kludōno teu hudeu, kai pauela, kai geneta galēnas.The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.
Luke 16:24… baptateia tem akrem tou daktulou autou hudeu kai katapsuchateia tan glōssan mu, hoti …… the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I …
Luke 22:10… tan polan sunantati vi anthrōpos keramiem hudeu bastazarōntos; akolouthavar auto eis tan oikian …… a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him to …
John 2:7… autoi tos Iēsus; Gemizavar tain hudriain hudeu; kai gemizala autain heōs anō.… the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the …
John 3:5… si, ean mē tinos genniteia ek hudeu kai pneumeu, ouk dunotō eiserchara eis …… God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
John 4:13… auta; Pantos tos pinarōntos ek teu hudeu houteu dipsati palin;… to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.
John 4:14hos de an pinateia ek teu hudeu heu mis dōami auto, ouk mē …… him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in …
John 4:14… dōami auto geneti en auto pēgas hudeu hallorōnteu eis zōan aiōnian.… become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 7:38… potamois ek tau koiliau autou rali hudeu zōarōnteu.… Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”
Acts 8:39hote de anabainala ek teu hudeu, pneumem kuriou harpazata ton Filippon, kai …… they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried …
Ephesians 5:26… autan hagiazateia katharizarantos te loutre teu hudeu en rēme,… cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
Hebrews 9:19… labarantos tem haimem toiu moschoiu meta hudeu kai erieu kokkineu kai hussōpau autem …… of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled …
1 Peter 3:20… houtem atō oktō psuchais, diasōzila dia hudeu.… only eight souls, were saved through water.
2 Peter 3:5… ouranois ale ekpalai kai gēas ek hudeu kai dia hudeu sustēarēntas to tou …… the earth was formed out of water and by water,
2 Peter 3:5… kai gēas ek hudeu kai dia hudeu sustēarēntas to tou theou logo,… formed out of water and by water,
1 John 5:6Houtos atō tos ercharantos dia hudeu kai haimeu, Iēsus Christos; ouk en …… is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ — not by …
Revelation 21:6… dipsarōnto dōami ek tau pēgau teu hudeu tau zōau dōreōs.… freely from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 22:1Kai deikata mi potamon hudeu zōau lampron hōs krustallon, ekporeuorōnton ek …… showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal …
hude“water”to, fordative singular13×
Matthew 3:11Mis men vin baptizamō en hude eis metanoian; tos de opisō mu …I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will …
Mark 1:8mis baptizama vin hude, autos de baptizati vin en pneume …I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with …
Luke 3:16… legarōntos pantoi tos Iōannos; Mis men hude baptizamō vin; erchotō de tos ischuroteros …… of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I …
Luke 8:25… kai toi anemoi epitassatō kai te hude, kai hupakoualō auto?… commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”
John 1:26… tos Iōannos legarōntos; Mis baptizamō en hude; mesos vu stēatē hon vis ouk …“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands …
John 1:31… Israēl dia houtem erchama mis en hude baptizarōntos.… the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed …
John 1:33… alla tos pemparantos min baptizarō en hude ekeinos mi legata; Epi hon an …… who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom …
Acts 1:5hoti Iōannos men baptizata hude, vis de en pneume baptizivi hagie …For John baptized with water, but in a few days you …
Acts 11:16… kuriou hōs legate; Iōannos men baptizata hude, vis de baptizivi en pneume hagie.… how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with …
Hebrews 10:22… suneidēsiau ponērau kai louorēntois tem sōmem hude kathare;… and our bodies washed with pure water.
2 Peter 3:6“water”dia heiu tos tote kosmos hude katakluzirantos apoleta;through which the world of that time perished in the …
1 John 5:6… haimeu, Iēsus Christos; ouk en te hude monem alla en te hude kai …… and blood, Jesus Christ — not by water alone, but by water and blood …
1 John 5:6… te hude monem alla en te hude kai en te haime; kai tem …… not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the …
hudeim“water”subject or objectdirect plural2×
John 3:23… en Ainōn engus teu Saleim, hoti hudeim polleim ate ekei, kai paragenole kai …… at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept …
Revelation 17:15Kai legatō mi; Teim hudeim heim horasa, hou tas pornas kathotō, …… the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was …
hudeiu“waters”of, belonging togenitive plural12×
Revelation 1:15… kai tas fōnas autou hōs fōnas hudeiu polleiu,… was like the roar of many waters.
Revelation 7:17… kai hodēgati autoin epi zōau pēgain hudeiu; kai exaleifati tos theos pantem dakruem …… lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every …
Revelation 8:10… potamoiu kai epi tain pēgain teiu hudeiu.… rivers and on the springs of water.
Revelation 8:11… Apsinthos. kai geneta tem tritem teiu hudeiu eis apsinthan, kai pollois toiu anthrōpoiu …… is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and …
Revelation 8:11… pollois toiu anthrōpoiu apothnēskala ek teiu hudeiu, hoti pikranila.… many people died from the bitter waters.
Revelation 11:6… autoiu, kai exousian echalō epi teiu hudeiu strefarō auteim eis haimem kai pataxara …… prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the …
Revelation 14:2… fōnan ek tou ouranou hōs fōnan hudeiu polleiu kai hōs fōnan brontau megau, …… heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder …
Revelation 14:7“water”… tan gēan kai thalassan kai pēgain hudeiu.And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”
Revelation 16:4… toin potamoin kai tain pēgain teiu hudeiu; kai geneta haimem.… into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.
Revelation 16:5kai akouama tou angelou teiu hudeiu legarōntou; Dikaios asō, tos arōntor kai …… I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy …
Revelation 17:1… pornau tau megau tau kathorōntau epi hudeiu polleiu,… great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
Revelation 19:6… fōnan ochlou pollou kai hōs fōnan hudeiu polleiu kai hōs fōnan brontaiu ischuraiu, …… multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of …
hudei“water”to, fordative plural1×
Matthew 8:32“water”… tan thalassan, kai apothnēskala en tei hudei.… bank into the sea and died in the waters.
hudem17×
Matthew 17:15… tem purem kai pollakis eis tem hudem.… into the fire or into the water.
Matthew 27:24… ōfelatō alla mallon thorubos genotō labarantos hudem aponipteta tain cheirain apenanti tou ochlou …… riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the …
Luke 7:44… gunaikan? eiserchama su eis tan oikian, hudem mi epi podoin ouk dōasa; houtas …… house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet …
John 2:9hōs de geueta tos architriklinos tem hudem oinon genorēntem, kai ouk oidatelē pothen …… master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine …
John 2:9… de diakonois oidalelē tois antlarēntois tem hudem, fōnatō ton numfion tos architriklinos… the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom …
John 4:7Erchotō gunaikas ek tau Samareiau antlara hudem. legatō auta tos Iēsus; Dōasar mi …… a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me …
John 4:10… aitasa auton kai dōata an si hudem zōarōntem.… He would have given you living water.”
John 4:11… atō bathuem; pothen oun echasō tem hudem tem zōarōntem?… then will You get this living water?
John 4:15… gunaikas; Kurior, dōasar mi houtem tem hudem, hina mē dipsameiō mēde dierchomeiō enthade …… to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get …
John 4:46… Kana tau Galilaiau, hopou poiata tem hudem oinon. kai ate tinos basilikos hou …… Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a …
John 13:5eita balatō hudem eis ton niptēron, kai archeta niptarō …After that, He poured water into a basin and began to …
Acts 8:36… kata tan hodan, erchala epi tinem hudem, kai fēatō tos eunouchos; Idou hudem, …… the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is …
Acts 8:38… harmem, kai katabainala amfoterois eis tem hudem tos tē Filippos kai tos eunouchos, …… the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
Acts 10:47Mēti tem hudem dunotō kōluara tinos teu mē baptizira …“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have …
James 3:12… ampelas sukeim? oute halukem glukuem poiara hudem.… can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Revelation 12:15… teu stomeu autou opisō tau gunaikau hudem hōs potamon, hina autan potamoforētan poiateia.… from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the …
Revelation 22:17… tos dipsarōntos erchotōr, tos thelarōntos labatar hudem zōau dōreōs.… and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
hudeim3×
Matthew 14:28… min erchara pros sin epi teim hudeim;… to come to You on the water.”
Matthew 14:29… teu ploieu Petros peripatata epi teim hudeim kai erchata pros ton Iēsun.… of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
Mark 9:22… eis purem auton balata kai eis hudeim hina apolateia auton; alla ei tinem …… into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if …