A very short Greek word study

You might be asking - "Why would you EVER post a Greek word study in you blog" - Well of all the studies I have done I feel like this one has a lot of meaning. It is intended to be something my fellow graduate students and professionals may use in their study. I also set up my blog to be public so if somebody searches the meaning of this word they can find their answer here.

The word is:
περιπατεω - Verb - To Walk

The word περιπατεω occurs six times in I John.  The occurrences including parsing are as follows:
περιπατωμεν- present active subjunctive, first plural I John 1:6, 1:7
περιεπατησεν aorist active indicative third singular I John 2:6
περιπατειν present active infinitive I John 2:6
περιπατει present active indicative third singular.



This Greek word is used in I John to describe one who walks in light rather than darkness. There are few words that appear in close proximity to this word in the few occurrences found in I John. John uses it to speak of walking in the light as Jesus is in the light so we may have fellowship with Him. Jesus’ name or a personal pronoun for Jesus is used each time John speaks of this type of walking. The idea is that one may not have fellowship with Him while walking in darkness.

It may also be defined as to “go about, walk around with an indication of the place where one walks about.” In other places it may be defined, “to stay, spend some time, or be, without the idea of remaining on the same spot.” Another meaning may be “to go about which is an indication of the way one is clothed.”


There are many other New Testament texts where word appears. Some examples are Mk. 2:9, Jn 5:5-12, Ac 3:6-12. Mk 5:42, and many more. These other occurrences may have similar or different meanings. One example is when Luke records the Acts of the Apostles. In Acts 3, Peter tells a lame man to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus. It is interesting that the person of Jesus is in close proximity to this idea of walking. Jesus was not physically there but the walking occurred once Peter healed the lame man saying “in the name of Jesus.” One may assert that the lame man was now walking physically as well walking in the light as spoken of in I John.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament continues to reinforce this idea. It says that περιπατεω, “is first used in the New Testament quite commonly in the simple original sense ‘to walk around.’ Thus in the accounts of the healing of lame fold we repeatedly find it.” Paul uses this word to speak of walking in life in the moral sense. He calls the people to live their lives walking in the Spirit. This word is often further specified or given more precision with the addition of κατα, εν, αξιως, or a dative. Another use is in I Peter 5:8 when the devil is describes as roaming around. Many of these uses refer to a being moving from one place to another.


What does this mean?


The authors use περιπατεω to speak of physical walking but it almost always could have the idea of walking spiritually. Many times it is found when the lame is healed and telling the reader that they got up and started walking. My present thinking of this word is that it can be used to instruct people to walk about our world physically and in a spiritual way, in the light as Jesus. The word us used in I John to compare Jesus to the light and instruct all people to walk and abide or "live" in the light as Jesus is in the light. Another theological idea is that it means to leave one place and enter into another. This can be a physical movement as well as spiritually moving from darkness into light. 





It is also interesting to not that the verb used for "go" in the great commission - "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel (also translated - Good News)" can also mean "walk" "travel" or "live" in the Greek. This means the great commission doesn't hold only the idea of going but of walking, traveling, and living in the world spreading the Good News.