πρόσκλισις (G4346) — Greek Lexicon

πρόσκλισις

prósklisis

G4346 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An inclination or tendency toward someone or something; in particular, a disposition to favor or show preference (especially in personal relationships or in matters of judgment). The word denotes a leaning towards, either physically or metaphorically, conveying the idea of partiality or biased favor.

Semantic Range

inclination, leaning towards, tendency to favor, disposition toward partiality, personal bias, proclivity

Root / Etymology

From the prepositional prefix πρός (toward) and the verb κλίνω (to incline, lean, bend). Thus, literally 'a leaning towards.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

πρόσκλισις is a rare word, primarily attested in later Greek, including early Christian writings. In Koine and Hellenistic Greek, it is used metaphorically for granting favor or showing partiality, often in contexts warning against biased judgment, such as in 1 Timothy 5:21. The notion is not so much active discrimination, but rather an internal disposition or tendency, which may give rise to partial actions. Earlier Greek tends to use other terms for favoritism or partiality (e.g., προσωποληψία), while πρόσκλισις distinctly emphasizes the inward inclination. Standard English translations render it as 'partiality,' 'prejudice,' or 'favoritism,' but these terms may not fully convey the underlying sense of an internal leaning rather than a direct outward action.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a compound of πρός and κλίνω; a leaning towards, i.e. (figuratively) proclivity (favoritism):--partiality.

Root Family

πρόσκλισις (prosklisis) — leaning toward, inclination, bias, proclivity

Root κλιν- to lean, to incline, to bend

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4346-01`	πρόσκλισιν	prosklisin	`N ACC F SG`	partiality	a leaning toward	a leaning toward	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4346-01`	1 Timothy 5:21	πρόσκλισιν	prosklisin	`N ACC F SG`	partiality	a leaning toward	a leaning toward

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