προτείνω
proteínō
G4385 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To stretch out or extend forward; specifically, to stretch out or tie a person in a prostrate position, typically as preparation for punishment such as scourging. The primary sense involves physically extending or pulling toward a particular position, often forcibly, and sometimes with the sense of preparing someone or something for ritual, legal, or punitive action. In certain contexts, especially in judicial or punitive settings, it denotes the act of binding someone by stretching them out.
Semantic Range
to stretch forward, to extend, to stretch out a person (esp. for punishment), to tie or bind in a prostrate position for scourging or torture, to offer or present (rare general sense)
Root / Etymology
From the prefix πρό (pro-, "before, forward") and τείνω (teinō, "to stretch, extend"); thus, "to stretch forward/out". Compound verb formation typical of Koine Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested sparsely in extant Greek literature, προτείνω most often appears in juridical and punitive contexts, especially in the context of Roman judicial procedures where individuals were stretched out and bound before flogging or torture (cf. Acts 22:25, LXX uses in similar legal settings). The act was both a physical preparation (making the body taut for punishment) and a ritualized display of legal process. In broader Greek usage, προτείνω can mean to extend or hold something out in front of oneself, but in Koine and specifically New Testament/Septuagint contexts, the legal-punitive sense predominates. English Bibles usually render with terms like "bind" or "stretch out" (e.g., "bind him to be scourged"), which may obscure the specific procedural and physical aspects in the original context. Not to be confused with simple "binding" (δέω) or "binding hand and foot"; προτείνω indicates a special action connected with punitive practice.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πρό and (to stretch); to protend, i.e. tie prostrate (for scourging):--bind.
Root Family
προτείνω (proteínō) — to stretch, to extend, to strain forward
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4385-01 |
προέτειναν | proeteinan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they stretched him out | they stretched out | they stretched out | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4385-01 |
Acts 22:25 | προέτειναν | proeteinan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they stretched him out | they stretched out | they stretched out |