πρωτεύων
prōteúō
preeminent
To be first, to occupy the foremost position, to hold priority or preeminence, especially in rank, status, influence, or importance within a group or system. In Hellenistic and early Christian contexts, conveys the sense of having recognized authority, standing, or primacy over others. Broader semantic range includes the notion of leading, excelling, or surpassing others, not merely being literally 'first' in time.
Colossians 1:18 · Word #23
Lexicon G4409
| Lemma | πρωτεύω |
| Transliteration | prōteúō |
| Strong's | G4409 |
| Definition | To be first, to occupy the foremost position, to hold priority or preeminence, especially in rank, status, influence, or importance within a group or system. In Hellenistic and early Christian contexts, conveys the sense of having recognized authority, standing, or primacy over others. Broader semantic range includes the notion of leading, excelling, or surpassing others, not merely being literally 'first' in time. |
Morphology V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | PRS — Present — Ongoing or repeated action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | PTCP — Participle — A verbal adjective |
| Case | NOM — Nominative — The subject of the sentence |
| Gender | M — Masculine — Grammatical masculine |
| Number | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | preeminent |
| Literal | being-first |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | πρωτεύω |
| Strong's | G4409 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G4409-01
being foremost
| Morphological Notes | Verb, present active participle, nominative masculine singular (Gr,V,PPA,NMS) |
| Rendering Rationale | The present active participle denotes ongoing action, so "being foremost" reflects continuous holding of first place or primacy. It preserves the root sense of occupying the highest rank or status. |
View full lexicon entry for G4409 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
being foremost
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 agrees with the participial grammar and SILEX definition, matching the ongoing action in context. |