προφθάνω
prophthánō
G4399 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To come before someone or something, to precede (especially in action or arrival); to anticipate or take action in advance of another. The term primarily signifies the act of doing or arriving at something ahead of another, with contextual nuances such as responding before being addressed, or meeting a need in advance.
Semantic Range
to precede in action, to come before (in speech or appearance), to anticipate, to respond before called upon, to act before another
Root / Etymology
From the preposition πρό ('before') and the verb φθάνω ('to come before, to precede'). The compound construction emphasizes the aspect of preceding or anticipating.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, φθάνω means 'to do or be before, to anticipate.' The compound προφθάνω appears rarely in earlier literature but becomes attested in Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 17:25). It typically means 'to come before' in the sense of arriving or acting before someone else, sometimes with the nuance of anticipating a request or action. In Matthew 17:25, it refers to Jesus speaking to Peter before Peter could address him. English translations traditionally use 'prevent' in an archaic sense ('to come before'), but this sense has shifted in modern English, where 'prevent' now means 'to stop from happening.' Thus, standard translations may obscure the anticipatory or precedential aspect of the Greek. Usage outside the New Testament reflects similar meaning: to anticipate someone's needs, to respond before being requested, or to do something ahead of others. The compound strengthens the idea of precedence beyond ordinary φθάνω. The word does not imply negative interference or hindering, as the modern English 'prevent' might suggest.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from πρό and φθάνω; to get an earlier start of, i.e. anticipate:--prevent.
Root Family
προφθάν- (prophthánō) — to precede, to anticipate, to come before
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4399-01 |
προέφθασεν | proephthasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
anticipated | was preceding | anticipated | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4399-01 |
Matthew 17:25 | προέφθασεν | proephthasen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
anticipated | was preceding | anticipated |