πεζῇ

pezēi

G3979 adverb

SILEX Entry

Root ποδ- foot, to walk

Definition

By foot; with reference to traveling or moving by walking rather than by riding, sailing, or using any form of conveyance. It functions as an adverb indicating the manner of travel: on foot, by walking. In various contexts, it can contrast specifically with travel by boat or animal, emphasizing direct passage overland.

Semantic Range

on foot, by walking, as a pedestrian, by land (not by vessel or animal), on the ground

Root / Etymology

Dative singular feminine of the adverbial derivative of πούς (foot), formed as the adverb πεζῇ, from the root meaning 'foot, to walk'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested in classical Greek (e.g., Herodotus, Thucydides) as an established adverb for expressing travel by foot, in direct contrast with other forms of travel such as by horse (ἱππῇ), ship (ναυσί), or in a carriage (ἅρματι). The specific adverbial form πεζῇ focuses on the mode or means of movement rather than general physical walking (πεζός as an adjective means 'on foot, pedestrian, infantry'). In the Septuagint and New Testament Greek, πεζῇ typically marks distinction from sea travel (as in Acts 20:13), and English versions often translate with 'on foot,' but this can obscure the adverbial nuance and the strong contrast it marks with alternative forms of travel. The form itself is archaic in post-classical prose, surviving especially in set phrases regarding journeys. It appears infrequently but is precise in describing the act of traveling by land, on foot, rather than by conveyance or animal.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

dative case feminine of a derivative of πούς (as adverb); foot-wise, i.e. by walking:--a- (on) foot.

Root Family

πεζῇ (pezēi) — foot, to walk, pedestrian movement

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3979-01 πεζῇ peze ADV on foot on foot on foot 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3979-01 Matthew 14:13 πεζῇ peze ADV on foot on foot on foot
G3979-01 Mark 6:33 πεζῇ peze ADV on foot on foot on foot