Lexical Summary prodidómi: To betray, to deliver up, to give over Original Word: προδίδωμι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance first give. From pro and didomi; to give before the other party has given -- first give. see GREEK pro see GREEK didomi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pro and didómi Definition to give before, give first NASB Translation first given (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4272: προδίδωμιπροδίδωμι: 1 aorist 3 person singular προέδωκεν; 1. to give before, give first: Romans 11:35 (Xenophon, Polybius, Aristotle). 2. to betray: Aeschylus, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, others; τήν πατρίδα, 4 Macc. 4:1. Strong’s Greek 4272 appears once in the New Testament (Romans 11:35) as the aorist active indicative, third-person singular, of a compound verb that means “to give before, give first, be beforehand in giving.” The stress falls on precedence: someone would need to make the initial outlay before any thought of return. Paul employs the term to declare that no creature has ever taken that first step with God. Old Testament Roots Paul cites Job 41:11, where the Septuagint asks, “Who has given to Me first, that I should repay?” The same verb family is used in the LXX, making the apostolic quotation a direct bridge from Hebrew wisdom literature to New-Covenant theology. In Job’s setting, the question magnifies God’s sovereignty over creation; in Romans it magnifies divine sovereignty in redemption. Context in Romans 11 Romans 11 concludes a three-chapter treatment of Israel and the Gentiles, climaxing in a doxology (Romans 11:33-36). Verse 35, introduced by “For” in verse 34, supplies the rhetorical proof that God’s wisdom and grace are unsearchable: “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” The verb stands as the linchpin of Paul’s argument. Human beings are not the initiators; grace is never a matter of reimbursement. Salvation—whether of Jewish remnant or Gentile graft—originates “from Him and through Him and to Him” (Romans 11:36). Biblical Theology of Divine Precedence 1. Creation: God “gives to all life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25). The order of giving is from God downward, not upward. 2. Covenant: In Genesis 15:1–6 it is the Lord who pledges Himself before Abraham offers any obedience, foreshadowing the unilateral character of grace celebrated in Romans. 3. Redemption: John 3:16 presents God as the One who “so loved…that He gave.” Humanity responds; it never initiates. 4. Sanctification: James 1:17 calls every good gift “from above,” reinforcing that believers never place God in their debt. Historical Reception • Early Church: Irenaeus read Romans 11:35 against Gnosticism, insisting that the Creator owes no debt to lesser æons. Ministry Implications Humility: No ministry achievement, monetary offering, or act of devotion can place God under obligation. Any sense of entitlement evaporates in light of Romans 11:35. Worship: Because God is always the First Giver, every gathering of believers is fundamentally responsive—thanksgiving rather than negotiation. Generosity: Believers imitate their Lord by giving without awaiting repayment (Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 9:7). Assurance: If God’s giving preceded our believing, then His faithfulness does not depend on our merit; eternal security rests on the Giver, not the recipients. Systematic Connections • Soteriology: Salvation is by grace alone; prevenient grace (in the sense of divine initiative, not semi-Pelagian enablement) accords with Romans 11:35. Pastoral Illustrations 1. Stewardship Campaigns: Romans 11:35 guards against language insinuating that God “needs” our offerings. Further Study Job 41:11; Psalm 24:1; Isaiah 40:13–14 (quoted in Romans 11:34); Acts 17:25; 1 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 9:15; James 1:17. Together these passages expand the theme that God is always first in giving and never in debt to His creation. |
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