Lexical Summary prói: Early, early in the morning Original Word: πρωΐ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance early, morning. Adverb from pro; at dawn; by implication, the day-break watch -- early (in the morning), (in the) morning. see GREEK pro NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originadverb from pro Definition early NASB Translation early (4), early morning (1), morning (7). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4404: πρωΐ´πρωΐ´ (WH πρωι< (cf. Iota, at the end)) (Attic πρώ (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 5, 4 d.)), adverb (from πρό), from Homer down, the Sept. often for בֹּקֶר, in the morning, early (opposed to ὀψέ): John 18:28 G L T Tr WH; Matthew 16:3 (opposed here to ὀψίας γενομένης (but T brackets; WH reject the passage)); (Matthew 21:18 T Tr text WH); Mark 1:35; Mark 11:20; Mark 16:9; (πρωι<, σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης, John 20:1); λίαν πρωι<, followed (in R G) by a genitive of the day (cf. Kühner, § 414, 5 c. β'. ii., p. 292), Mark 16:2; ἅμα πρωι<, Matthew 20:1; ἐπί τό πρωι<, Mark 15:1 (R G); ἀπό πρωι< ἕως ἑσπέρας, Acts 28:23. Used specifically of the fourth watch of the night, i. e. the time from 3 o'clock in the morning until 6, according to our reckoning ((cf. B. D. under the word Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Daily RhythmIn the New Testament the word translated “early in the morning” or simply “morning” denotes the first hours of daylight, immediately after night has passed but before the full heat of day. Within Jewish reckoning, this fell between the fourth and sixth hours of the night watch; within Roman reckoning, it coincided with the final watch prior to sunrise (Mark 13:35). The term therefore speaks to the liminal moment when darkness yields to light, a natural image readily adopted by Scripture to portray revelation, renewal, and decisive action. Distribution in the New Testament Canon The term appears twelve times, all within narrative books. Nine are found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John; the remaining instance occurs in Acts. Mark employs the word most frequently, underscoring his characteristic concern for temporal precision and rapid narrative movement. • Matthew 16:3; 20:1; 21:18 Together these references form a tapestry of early-morning scenes that advance redemptive history—from kingdom parables and temple cleansing to the passion, resurrection, and apostolic witness. Morning as the Hour of Divine Initiative 1. Beginning of Ministry Actions “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place to pray” (Mark 1:35). The dawning hour frames Jesus’ private intercession, reminding readers that communion with the Father precedes public ministry. Likewise, the landowner in the Parable of the Vineyard goes out “early in the morning to hire workers” (Matthew 20:1), illustrating the Father’s proactive grace toward laborers in His harvest. 2. Prophetic Fulfillment and Judgment When Jesus cursed the barren fig tree, “As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots” (Mark 11:20). The timing accents swift judgment following fruitless religiosity. Matthew 16:3 employs morning weather lore to rebuke the crowd’s inability to discern “the signs of the times,” exposing spiritual dullness despite clear daylight. 3. Legal Proceedings and the Passion The Sanhedrin convenes “early in the morning” to finalize its verdict against Jesus before transferring Him to Pilate (Mark 15:1). John corroborates: “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. Now it was early in the morning” (John 18:28). The contrast is stark—while the righteous Son stands condemned, the accusers avoid ceremonial defilement as the Passover dawns. Resurrection Dawn and Eschatological Hope All four Gospels associate the first discovery of the empty tomb with the early morning (e.g., Mark 16:2; John 20:1). Mark records that the women arrived “very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise,” while his summary statement, “After Jesus had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene” (Mark 16:9), forever links dawn with resurrection. Morning thus becomes a temporal metaphor for new creation, echoing prophetic oracles that liken Messiah’s advent to sunrise (Malachi 4:2). Early Morning in Apostolic Mission Acts 28:23 portrays Paul expounding “from morning till evening” to Roman Jews concerning “the kingdom of God.” The missionary labor that began at dawn persisted until twilight, illustrating apostolic fervor fueled by resurrection assurance. Pastoral and Devotional Implications • Prayer Priority: Jesus’ predawn withdrawal models unhurried fellowship with the Father before the demands of the day. Conclusion Across its twelve occurrences, the term translated “early in the morning” marks moments of divine initiative—prayer, judgment, sacrifice, resurrection, proclamation. The consistent witness of Scripture sets the dawning hour as a threshold where God’s purposes advance and where His people are summoned to alertness, dependence, and hope. Forms and Transliterations πρωι πρωί πρωὶ πρωϊ πρωΐ πρωῒ πρωϊα πρωϊι το τοπρωϊ τω τωπρωϊ proi proí proì prōi prōí prōìLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 16:3 AdvGRK: καὶ πρωί Σήμερον χειμών NAS: And in the morning, '[There will be] a storm KJV: And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather INT: And at morning today a storm Matthew 20:1 Adv Matthew 21:18 Adv Mark 1:35 Adv Mark 11:20 Adv Mark 13:35 Adv Mark 15:1 Adv Mark 16:2 Adv Mark 16:9 Adv John 18:28 Adv John 20:1 Adv Acts 28:23 Adv |
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