4253. pro

Lexicon

pro: before, in front of, prior to

Original Word: πρό
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: pro
Pronunciation: pro
Phonetic Spelling: (pro)
Definition: before, in front of, prior to
Meaning: (a) of place: before, in front of, (b) of time: before, earlier than.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

before, ago

A primary preposition; "fore", i.e. In front of, prior (figuratively, superior) to -- above, ago, before, or ever. In the comparative, it retains the same significations.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. preposition
Definition
before
NASB Translation
above (2), ago (4), ahead (2), ahead* (2), before (30), front (2), just outside (1), prior (1), right (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4253: πρό

πρό, a preposition followed by the genitive (Latinpro) (from Homer down), the Sept. chiefly for לִפְנֵי, before; used a. of place: πρό τῶν θυρῶν, τῆς θύρας, etc., Acts 5:23 R G; ; James 5:9; by a Hebraism, πρό προσώπου with the genitive of a person before (the face of) one (who is following) (Buttmann, 319 (274)): Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:76; Luke 7:27; Luke 9:52; Luke 10:1 (Malachi 3:1; Zechariah 14:20; Deuteronomy 3:18).

b. of Time: πρό τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν, Acts 5:36; Acts 21:38; (πρό τοῦ πάσχα, John 11:55); according to a later Greek idiom, πρό ἕξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα, properly, before six days reckoning from the Passover, which is equivalent to ἕξ ἡμέρας πρό τοῦ πάσχα, on the sixth day before the Passover, John 12:1 (πρό δύο ἐτῶν τοῦ σεισμοῦ, Amos 1:1; πρό μιᾶς ἡμέρας τῆς Μαρδοχαϊκῆς ἡμέρας, 2 Macc. 15:36; examples from secular writings are cited by Winers Grammar, 557 (518); (cf. Buttmann, § 131, 11); from ecclesiastical writings by Hilgenfeld, Die Evangelien etc., pp. 298, 302; also his Paschastreit der alten Kirche, p. 221f; (cf. Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word πρό, 1 and 2)); (πρό τῆς ἑορτῆς, John 13:1); πρό καιροῦ, Matthew 8:29; 1 Corinthians 4:5; τῶν αἰώνων, 1 Corinthians 2:7; παντός τοῦ αἰῶνος, Jude 1:25 L T Tr WH; ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων, (fourteen years ago), 2 Corinthians 12:2; add, 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Timothy 4:21; Titus 1:2; τοῦ ἀρίστου, Luke 11:38; κατακλυσμοῦ, Matthew 24:38; πρό τῆς μεταθέσεως, Hebrews 11:5; πρό καταβολῆς κόσμου, John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; πρό πάντων, prior to all created things, Colossians 1:17; (πρό τούτων πάντων (Rev. ἁπάντων), Luke 21:12); by a Hebraism, πρό προσώπου with the genitive of a thing is used of time for the simple πρό (Winers Grammar, § 65, 4b.; (Buttmann, 319 (274))), Acts 13:24 ((literally, before the face of his entering in)). πρό with the genitive of a person: John 5:7; John 10:8 (not Tdf.); Romans 16:7; οἱ πρό τίνος, those that existed before one, Matthew 5:12; with a predicate nominative added, Galatians 1:17. πρό with the genitive of an infinitive that has the article, Latinante quam (before, before that) followed by a finite verb (Buttmann, § 140, 11; Winer's Grammar, 329 (309)): Matthew 6:8; Luke 2:21; Luke 22:15; John 1:48 (49); ; Acts 23:15; Galatians 2:12; Galatians 3:23.

c. of superiority or pre-eminence (Winer's Grammar, 372 (349)): πρό πάντων, above all things, James 5:12; 1 Peter 4:8.

d. In Composition, πρό marks α. place: προαύλιον; motion forward (Latinporro), προβαίνω, προβάλλω, etc.; before another who follows, in advance, προάγω, πρόδρομος, προπέρμπω, προτρέχω, etc.; in public view, openly, πρόδηλος, πρόκειμαι. β. time: before this, previously, προαμαρτάνω; in reference to the time of an occurrence, beforehand, in advance, προβλέπω, προγινώσκω, προθέσμιος, πρωρίζω, etc. γ. superiority or preference: προαιρέομαι. (Cf. Herm. ad Vig., p. 658.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primary preposition

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Hebrew 6440: פָּנִים (panim) • Often translated as "before" or "in the presence of," this term is used to describe a position in front of or prior to something or someone.
• Strong's Hebrew 6924: קֶדֶם (qedem) • This term is used to denote "before" in terms of time or antiquity, often referring to ancient times or precedence in time.

These Hebrew terms share a conceptual similarity with the Greek "πρό," as they both convey notions of precedence, whether in time or space, and are integral to understanding the biblical text's portrayal of God's eternal nature and His interactions with humanity.

Usage: The term "πρό" is used in the New Testament to indicate temporal or spatial precedence. It is often translated as "before" in English, signifying either a prior time or a position in front of something else.

Context: The Greek preposition "πρό" is a fundamental term in the New Testament, appearing in various contexts to convey the idea of precedence. It is used to describe events or actions that occur before a certain point in time or to indicate a position that is in front of or ahead of something else.

In temporal contexts, "πρό" is used to denote events that happen prior to others. For example, in John 17:5, Jesus speaks of the glory He had with the Father "before" the world existed: "And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed."

Spatially, "πρό" can indicate a position that is in front of or ahead of another. This usage is less common in the New Testament but is still significant in understanding the relational dynamics described in the text.

Theologically, "πρό" can also imply a sense of priority or preeminence, as seen in passages that discuss the preexistence of Christ or the foreknowledge of God. This preposition helps to articulate the eternal nature and divine plan of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and the preordained nature of His works.

The use of "πρό" in the New Testament underscores the importance of understanding the temporal and spatial relationships within the biblical narrative, providing insight into the divine order and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

Forms and Transliterations

ΠΡΟ πρό πρὸ PRO prò

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 5:12 Prep
GRK: προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν
NAS: the prophets who were before you.
KJV: the prophets which were before you.
INT: prophets who [were] before you

Matthew 6:8 Prep
GRK: χρείαν ἔχετε πρὸ τοῦ ὑμᾶς
NAS: what you need before you ask Him.
KJV: ye have need of, before ye ask
INT: need you have before you

Matthew 8:29 Prep
GRK: ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι
NAS: here to torment us before the time?
KJV: to torment us before the time?
INT: are you come here before [the] time to torment

Matthew 11:10 Prep
GRK: ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου
KJV: my messenger before thy face,
INT: messenger of me before [the] face of you

Matthew 24:38 Prep
GRK: ἐκείναις ταῖς πρὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ
NAS: days before the flood
KJV: that were before the flood
INT: those before the flood

Mark 1:2 Prep
GRK: ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου
NAS: MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO
KJV: my messenger before thy face,
INT: messenger of me before face of you

Luke 2:21 Prep
GRK: τοῦ ἀγγέλου πρὸ τοῦ συλλημφθῆναι
NAS: by the angel before He was conceived
KJV: of the angel before he was conceived
INT: the angel before was conceived

Luke 7:27 Prep
GRK: ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου
NAS: MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO
KJV: my messenger before thy face,
INT: messenger of me before [the] face of you

Luke 9:52 Prep
GRK: ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ
NAS: messengers on ahead of Him, and they went
KJV: sent messengers before his face:
INT: he sent messengers before [the] face of him

Luke 10:1 Prep
GRK: δύο δύο πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ
NAS: them in pairs ahead of Him to every
KJV: two and two before his face
INT: pairs [by] pairs before [the] face of himself

Luke 11:38 Prep
GRK: πρῶτον ἐβαπτίσθη πρὸ τοῦ ἀρίστου
NAS: ceremonially washed before the meal.
KJV: first washed before dinner.
INT: first he washed before the dinner

Luke 21:12 Prep
GRK: πρὸ δὲ τούτων
NAS: But before all these things,
KJV: But before all these,
INT: Before however these things

Luke 22:15 Prep
GRK: μεθ' ὑμῶν πρὸ τοῦ με
NAS: Passover with you before I suffer;
KJV: with you before I suffer:
INT: with you before I

John 1:48 Prep
GRK: εἶπεν αὐτῷ Πρὸ τοῦ σε
NAS: and said to him, Before Philip
KJV: unto him, Before that Philip
INT: said to him Before that you

John 5:7 Prep
GRK: ἐγὼ ἄλλος πρὸ ἐμοῦ καταβαίνει
NAS: another steps down before me.
KJV: another steppeth down before me.
INT: I another before me descends

John 10:8 Prep
GRK: ὅσοι ἦλθον πρὸ ἐμοῦ κλέπται
NAS: came before Me are thieves
KJV: that ever came before me are
INT: who ever came before me thieves

John 11:55 Prep
GRK: τῆς χώρας πρὸ τοῦ πάσχα
NAS: out of the country before the Passover
KJV: to Jerusalem before the passover,
INT: the region before the passover

John 12:1 Prep
GRK: οὖν Ἰησοῦς πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν
NAS: six days before the Passover, came
KJV: six days before the passover came
INT: Therefore Jesus before six days

John 13:1 Prep
GRK: ΠΡΟ ΔΕ ΤΗΣ
NAS: Now before the Feast of the Passover,
KJV: Now before the feast of the passover,
INT: before moreover the

John 13:19 Prep
GRK: λέγω ὑμῖν πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι
NAS: on I am telling you before [it] comes
KJV: I tell you before it come, that,
INT: I tell you before it comes to pass

John 17:5 Prep
GRK: ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν
NAS: I had with You before the world
KJV: with thee before the world was.
INT: which I had before the

John 17:24 Prep
GRK: ἠγάπησάς με πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου
NAS: Me, for You loved Me before the foundation
KJV: me before the foundation
INT: you loved me before [the] foundation of [the] world

Acts 5:36 Prep
GRK: πρὸ γὰρ τούτων
NAS: For some time ago Theudas rose
KJV: For before these days
INT: before indeed these

Acts 12:6 Prep
GRK: φύλακές τε πρὸ τῆς θύρας
NAS: and guards in front of the door
KJV: and the keepers before the door kept
INT: guards also before the door

Acts 12:14 Prep
GRK: τὸν Πέτρον πρὸ τοῦ πυλῶνος
NAS: was standing in front of the gate.
KJV: Peter stood before the gate.
INT: Peter before the gate

Strong's Greek 4253
47 Occurrences

πρὸ — 47 Occ.