Before
πρόStrong’s G4253pro
Appears in 46 verses of the New Testament
In short
Pro is the Greek word usually translated “before”, “just outside” and “ago”. It appears in 46 verses of the New Testament.
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”
Meaning
Usually translated “before”, “just outside” and “ago”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- before 43
- just outside 1
- ago 1
- above 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- John 9
- Luke 7
- Acts 7
- Matthew 5
- Galatians 3
- 1 Corinthians 2
16 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Matthew 5:12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
- Matthew 6:8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
- Matthew 8:29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
- Matthew 11:10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
- Matthew 24:38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
- Mark 1:2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
All 46 verses, by book
Greek dictionary
πρό pro · before
πρό prep. with genitive, [in LXX chiefly for פָּנִים ;] before; (a) of place: Act.12:6, 14 14:13, Jas.5:9; π. προσώπου (= Heb. פָּנִים, Deu.3:18, Mal.3:1, al.; Bl., § 40, 9), Mat.11:10, Mrk.1:2, Luk.1:76 7:27 9:52 10:1, Act.14:13; …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “before” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
BEFO'RE, preposition
[be and fore, that is by fore, near the fore part.]
- In front; on the side with the face, at any distance; used of persons.
- In presence of, with the idea of power, authority, respect.“Abraham bowed before the people of the land” Genesis 23:12“Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord” Micah 2:13
- In sight of; as before the face.
- In the presence of, noting cognizance of jurisdiction.
All definitions and other forms of “before”
- In the power of, noting the right or ability to choose or possess; free to the choice.“My land is before thee” Genesis 20:15
- In front of any object; as before the house; before the fire.
- Preceding in time.“Before I was afflicted, I went astray” Psalms 119:67“Before Abraham was, I am” John 8:58
- In preference to.
- Superior; preceding in dignity.
- Prior to; having prior right; preceding in order; as, the eldest son is before the younger in succession.
- Previous to; in previous order; in order to.
- before the wind, is to move in the direction of the wind by its impulse.
BEFO'RE, adverb
In time preceding.
- In time preceding, to the present, or to this time; hitherto; as, tumults then arose which before were unknown.
- Further onward in place, in progress, or in front.“Reaching forth to those things which are before” Philippians 3:13
- In front; on the fore part.“The battle was before and behind” 2 Chronicles 13:14
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.