English · KJV
G4197

πορεία

poreía /por-i'-ah/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom πορεύομαι
Meaningtravel (by land); figuratively (plural) proceedings, i.e. career
KJV usagejourney(-ing), ways.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of poreía — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word poreía, represented by G4197, refers to travel, a journey, or figuratively, one's proceedings or career. Its base definition is "journey(-ing), ways." This term is used sparingly in scripture, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of G4197 showcase its dual meaning. In a literal sense, it describes the physical travels of Jesus. The gospel of Luke notes that he was "journeying toward Jerusalem" Luke 13:22, moving through cities and villages while teaching. In a figurative sense, the word is used to describe the course of a person's life. James warns that "the rich man fade away in his ways" James 1:11, comparing the pursuits and career of the wealthy to withering grass.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of travel and action:

  • G1279 diaporeúomai: Defined as "to travel through:--go through, journey in, pass by." This word appears in the same verse as G4197, stating that Jesus "went through" G1279 the cities on his journey Luke 13:22.
  • G4160 poiéō: A broad verb meaning "to make or do." In Luke 13:22, it is combined with G4197 to form the phrase "journeying," literally "making a journey," which specifies the action being performed.

Theological Significance

Despite its infrequent use, G4197 carries significant theological weight in its contexts.

  • The Purposeful Journey: In Luke, the word describes Christ's deliberate travel toward Jerusalem Luke 13:22. This is not aimless wandering but a journey with a specific, redemptive destination.
  • The Perishable Career: In James, the term "ways" illustrates the transient and ultimately futile nature of a life focused on worldly riches. The rich man's life path, his career and proceedings, is destined to "fade away" James 1:11.

Summary

In summary, G4197 provides a concise yet powerful illustration of two contrasting paths. It can denote a literal, physical journey, as with Christ's purposeful ministry on the road to Jerusalem. It can also represent the figurative journey of a person's life and career, which, when focused on earthly things, is presented as temporary and perishable.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

  • Accusative Singular Feminine 1×
  • Dative Plural Feminine 1×
Dative
The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Accusative
The direct object of the verb.
Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

G1279 διαπορεύομαι from διά and πορεύομαι; to travel through:--go through, journey in, pass by. G4160 ποιέω apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):--ab

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke and James (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

1
Luke
1
James

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.