πρόγνωσις
prógnōsis
G4268 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
awareness or knowledge of something beforehand, especially knowledge of future events before they occur; in some contexts, an advanced understanding or recognition in advance, such as a prearranged plan or intention. The term denotes both the act of knowing in advance and the content of what is known or foreseen.
Semantic Range
foreknowledge, knowledge in advance, awareness beforehand, advance recognition, prearrangement, prediction
Root / Etymology
Derived from προγινώσκω ('to know beforehand', from πρό 'before' + γινώσκω 'to know, to recognize'). Cognate with prognosis in English, reflecting shared medical and predictive senses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
πρόγνωσις is rare in classical Greek, but is attested in medical contexts (notably Hippocrates) as 'prognosis'—predicting the likely course of a disease. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it denotes divine foreknowledge or prior knowledge, often in the context of God's advance knowledge or predetermined plan (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:2). The word can have both a neutral sense (simply knowing in advance) or a more specific sense of predetermination, depending on context. English translations often render it as 'foreknowledge,' but this may obscure its broader sense of advance awareness or recognition, not strictly theological or predestinarian. In Hellenistic and medical Greek, the term carried practical, predictive connotations rather than solely metaphysical ones. Distinct from προαίρεσις (decision beforehand) or πρόθεσις (plan, purpose).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from προγινώσκω; forethought:--foreknowledge.
Root Family
πρόγνωσις (prognōsis) — to know beforehand, awareness in advance, advance recognition
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4268-02 |
πρόγνωσιν | prognosin | N ACC F SG |
foreknowledge | foreknowledge | foreknowledge | 1 |
G4268-01 |
προγνώσει | prognosei | N DAT F SG |
foreknowledge | to foreknowledge | foreknowledge | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4268-01 |
Acts 2:23 | προγνώσει | prognosei | N DAT F SG |
foreknowledge | to foreknowledge | foreknowledge |
G4268-02 |
1 Peter 1:2 | πρόγνωσιν | prognosin | N ACC F SG |
foreknowledge | foreknowledge | foreknowledge |