noun · neuter
potēriem
Strong’sG4221
a drinking cup
stem potēri-31 times in the New Testamentin 6 of 27 books4 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
ποτήριον refers to a drinking cup, especially a wine-cup 1234. It is used of the actual vessel used for drinking, including in accounts of the Lord's Supper, where it is called "the Cup" 3.
By extension, the word can refer to the contents of the cup rather than the vessel itself — a cupful or draught, the drink itself 12.
Figuratively, "cup" describes a person's lot or fate 2, particularly the portion of experience granted by divine providence — whether that portion is prosperity or adversity, the suffering appointed for someone (including the sufferings of Christ), or a divine punishment poured out 1.
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
ποτήριον, -ου, τό, dimin. of ποτήρ
(< πίνω), [in LXX chiefly for כּוֹס;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4221 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpot-ay'-ree-on
a drinking-vessel; by extension, the contents thereof, i.e. a cupful (draught); figuratively, a lot or fate
Fromneuter of a derivative of the alternate of G4095;
King Jamescup.
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
drinking-cup, wine-cup, Refs 7th c.BC+; οὔποτ᾽ ἐκ ταὐτοῦ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν πίεται π.Refs 2nd c.AD+
2 the Cup in the Eucharist, NT
3 jar, Refs 2nd c.AD+
4 receptacle for offerings in temples, Refs 2nd c.BC+
II absorbent preparation, Refs 2nd c.AD+
III see at {ποτίρριον}.
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 | potēriem4×ποτήριον | potērieim |
| of, belonging to genitive | potērieu4×ποτηρίου | potērieiu1×ποτηρίων |
| to, for dative | potērie2×ποτηρίῳ | potēriei |
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
potērie 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.
31 occurrences, every one of them listed
potēriem“cup”subject or objectdirect singular4×
Matthew 26:39… dunatem atō, parerchatar apo mu tem potēriem houtem; plēn ouk hōs mis thelamō …… if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as …
Luke 22:20… meta tem deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem tem potēriem tas kainas diathēkas en te haime …… He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My …
1 Corinthians 10:16tem potēriem tau eulogiau hem euloganō, ouchi koinōnias …Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a …
1 Corinthians 11:25… meta tem deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem tem potēriem tas kainas diathēkas atō en te …… He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My …
potērieu“cup”of, belonging togenitive singular4×
Matthew 23:25… hupokritoir, hoti katharizavō tem exōthen teu potērieu kai tau paropsidau, esōthen de gemalō …… You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are …
Matthew 23:26… tuflor, katharizasar prōtem tem entos teu potērieu kai tau paropsidau, hina geneteia kai …… First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside …
Luke 11:39… vis tois Farisaiois tem exōthen teu potērieu kai tou pinaxou katharizavō, tem de …… Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are …
1 Corinthians 11:28… tou artou esthiatōr kai ek teu potērieu pinatōr;… the bread and drinks of the cup.
potērie“cup”to, fordative singular2×
Revelation 14:10… theou tou kerannuorēntou akratou en te potērie tau orgau autou, kai basaniziti en …… God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will …
Revelation 18:6… kata teim ergeim autau; en te potērie he kerannuata kerannuavar auta diplouem;… a double portion in her own cup.
potērieiu“cups”of, belonging togenitive plural1×
Mark 7:4… polleim atō heim paralabala kratarō, baptismoin potērieiu kai xestoiu kai chalkieiu kai klinaiu… to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.
potēriem20×
Matthew 10:42… an potizateia henon toiu mikroiu houtoiu potēriem psuchreu monon eis onomem mathētou, amēn …And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of …
Matthew 20:22… oidavē tinem aitovō; dunovō pinara tem potēriem hem mis mellamō pinarō? legalō auto; …… Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We …
Matthew 20:23legatō autoi; Tem men potēriem mu pinevi, tem de kathizara ek …“You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at …
Matthew 26:27kai labarantos potēriem kai eucharistarantos dōata autoi legarōntos; Pinavar …Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to …
Mark 9:41Hos gar an potizateia vin potēriem hudeu en onome hoti christou avō, …… if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the …
Mark 10:38… oidavē tinem aitovō; dunovō pinara tem potēriem hem mis pinamō, ē tem baptismem …… Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized …
Mark 10:39… tos de Iēsus legata autoi; Tem potēriem hem mis pinamō pinevi kai tem …… brothers answered. “You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and …
Mark 14:23kai labarantos potēriem eucharistarantos dōata autoi, kai pinala ek …Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to …
Mark 14:36… patror, panteim dunateim si; paraferasar tem potēriem houtem apo mu; alla ouk tinem …… are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I …
Luke 22:17kai decherantos potēriem eucharistarantos legata; Labavar houtem kai diamerizavar …After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take …
Luke 22:20kai tem potēriem hōsautōs meta tem deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem …… way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new …
Luke 22:42… Patror, ei boulosō paraferasar houtem tem potēriem apo mu; plēn mē tem thelēmem …… if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will …
John 18:11… tan machairan eis tan thēkan; tem potēriem hem dōatē mi tos patros ouk …… Peter. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”
1 Corinthians 10:21ouk dunovō potēriem kuriou pinarō kai potēriem daimoneiu; ouk …You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup …
1 Corinthians 10:21ouk dunovō potēriem kuriou pinarō kai potēriem daimoneiu; ouk dunovō trapezau kuriou metecharō …… cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake …
1 Corinthians 11:25hōsautōs kai tem potēriem meta tem deipnara, legarōntos; Houtem tem …… way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new …
1 Corinthians 11:26… esthiaveiō ton arton houton kai tem potēriem pinaveiō, ton thanaton tou kuriou katangelavō, …… eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until …
1 Corinthians 11:27… esthiateiō ton arton ē pinateiō tem potēriem tou kuriou anaxiōs, enochos eti teu …… eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy …
Revelation 16:19… enōpion tou theou dōara auta tem potēriem tou oinou tou thumou tau orgau …… the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury …
Revelation 17:4… kai litho timio kai margaritoi, echarōntas potēriem chrusouem en ta cheira autau gemarōntem …… held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities …