4391. prouparchó

Lexical Summary

prouparchó: To exist previously, to pre-exist

Original Word: προϋπάρχω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: prouparchó
Pronunciation: pro-oo-par'-kho
Phonetic Spelling: (pro-oop-ar'-kho)
KJV: + be before(-time)
NASB: before, formerly
Word Origin: [from G4253 (πρό - before) and G5225 (ὑπάρχω - possessions)]

1. to exist before
2. (adverbially) to be or do something previously

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

exist beforehand

From pro and huparcho; to exist before, i.e. (adverbially) to be or do something previously -- + be before(-time).

see GREEK pro

see GREEK huparcho

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from pro and huparchó
Definition
to exist beforehand
NASB Translation
been* (1), before (1), formerly (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4391: προϋπάρχω

προϋπάρχω: imperfect προϋπῆρχον; from Thucydides and Plato down; to be before, exist previously: with a participle Acts 8:9; προϋπῆρχον ὄντες, Luke 23:12; cf. Bornemann, Schol. ad h. l.; Winers Grammar, 350 (328); (Buttmann, § 144, 14).

Topical Lexicon

Concept Summary

proüparchō highlights a state or relationship that was already in place before the narrative moment under discussion. By marking what “was beforehand,” Scripture sets the stage for seeing either continuity or radical change brought about by the gospel.

Canonical Occurrences

1. Luke 23:12 – “That day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this time they had been enemies.”
2. Acts 8:9 – “Prior to this time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and had amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.”

Luke 23:12 – The Politics of Prior Hostility

Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea under Roman authority; Pontius Pilate governed Judea. Rivalry over jurisdiction, taxation, and influence kept them at odds. Luke notes that their enmity προϋπῆρχον—“had existed previously.” Ironically, the unjust trial of Jesus unites two political adversaries. The verse lays bare a tragic truth: sinful men can find common cause in opposition to God’s Anointed. The verb underscores that their friendship did not arise from noble reconciliation but from a shared complicity in condemning Christ (cf. Psalm 2:1-2).

Acts 8:9 – Sorcery’s Prior Hold on Samaria

Simon’s pre-existing reputation—“he had previously practiced sorcery”—sets a stark backdrop for Philip’s Spirit-empowered ministry. The contrast between magic and gospel is heightened by the imperfect tense of proüparchō: Simon’s influence was not a passing fad; it had been entrenched. When Samaritans believe Philip (Acts 8:12), Luke shows the gospel’s power to overthrow long-standing deception. The word therefore magnifies the triumph of truth over a previously dominant counterfeit.

Historical Context of Usage

• Greco-Roman courts often forged alliances out of expediency; Luke’s mention of existing hostility signals first-century readers to pay attention to an unusual political shift.
• Magical arts thrived across the Empire. Sorcery manuals (papyri) and amulets demonstrate how deeply such practices “pre-existed” the arrival of gospel messengers.

Theological Reflection

proüparchō reminds readers that God’s redemptive work enters real histories, not blank slates. Whether entrenched animosity (Luke) or entrenched deception (Acts), prior conditions never frustrate divine purpose. Christ’s passion exposes political hostility, then absorbs its violence; the Spirit’s mission exposes occult bondage, then liberates its captives. Both texts illustrate Ephesians 2:13—“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near.”

Ministry Implications

1. Discern Pre-existing Barriers. Evangelists, pastors, and disciplers must ask what “already exists” in people—cultural allegiances, sinful patterns, or relational histories—then proclaim Christ into that context.
2. Expect Transformative Breakthroughs. The gospel can reconcile old enemies and overthrow long-standing deceptions. No entrenched situation is immune to the power of Christ crucified and risen.
3. Guard Against Superficial Unity. Herod and Pilate’s newfound friendship warns that agreement opposed to God is not kingdom unity; true reconciliation centers on submission to Jesus.

Related Biblical Parallels

• Titus 3:3-5 – “For we ourselves were once foolish…But when the kindness of God our Savior appeared…”
• 1 Peter 2:10 – “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”
• Ephesians 4:22-24 – Putting off the “former way of life” that proüparchō—pre-exists—in the old self.

Key Takeaways

The rare verb proüparchō accentuates the “already-there” circumstances into which God speaks His decisive “now.” Whether dismantling political hostility or rescuing souls from sorcery, Scripture shows that prior conditions bow before the advancing kingdom of God.

Forms and Transliterations

προ=πήρχεν προ=πήρχον προυπηρχεν προυπῆρχεν προϋπῆρχεν προυπηρχον προϋπῆρχον προφασίζεσθαι προφασίζεται prouperchen proupêrchen proupērchen proupē̂rchen prouperchon proupērchon proüpêrchon proüpē̂rchon

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 23:12 V-IIA-3P
GRK: μετ' ἀλλήλων προϋπῆρχον γὰρ ἐν
NAS: day; for before they had been enemies
KJV: together: for before they were at
INT: with one another before they were indeed at

Acts 8:9 V-IIA-3S
GRK: ὀνόματι Σίμων προυπῆρχεν ἐν τῇ
NAS: Simon, who formerly was practicing magic
KJV: Simon, which beforetime in
INT: by name Simon was formerly in the

Strong's Greek 4391
2 Occurrences

προυπῆρχεν — 1 Occ.
προϋπῆρχον — 1 Occ.