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φθάνω

phthánō

G5348 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To arrive at, to reach; to come before or precede someone or something in time or sequence. In some contexts, it conveys the sense of arriving earlier than another, or anticipating by preceding action or presence. The primary sense is of reaching a particular point or state, often with the nuance of doing so ahead of others.

Semantic Range

to arrive at, reach, come before, precede, anticipate, attain, already (be present or have attained); to do something before another, to outstrip

Root / Etymology

Rooted in the Greek stem φθα-, possibly related to φθι-, carrying the core idea of reaching, coming before, or anticipating. The verb is independent of direct cognates but is related by formation to other Greek words expressing precedence or overtaking.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, φθάνω is commonly used to indicate the act of outstripping or reaching a destination, sometimes with a competitive nuance ('to get there before someone else'). By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, including the New Testament, the sense of simple arrival or attainment becomes more prominent, often losing much of the competitive or anticipatory sense present in earlier texts. The word is frequently followed by another verb in the aorist participle, forming a construction that highlights the rapidity or immediacy of an action (e.g., 'I arrived and [already] had done this'). In the Septuagint and New Testament, the meaning often shades toward simply 'to attain' or 'to arrive at', rather than 'to prevent' (in the older sense of 'to go before,' not in the sense of stopping). English translation tradition often renders it as 'prevent' in early modern English, which can be misleading in contemporary English. Modern lexicography clarifies that the sense of 'to prevent' is simply 'to precede' or 'arrive before' rather than 'to hinder.'

Translation Consistency

primary "arrive" 5 occurrences

"Arrive" naturally covers the primary senses in SILEX—reaching or coming to a place or state and doing so before another (arriving earlier/preceding). It is idiomatic for physical arrival, attainment, and the sense of having already come, making it a clear, consistent base verb for all forms of G5348.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"attained" (1x) "precede" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary verb; to be beforehand, i.e. anticipate or precede; by extension, to have arrived at:--(already) attain, come, prevent.

Root Family

φθάνω (phthanō) — to come before, to arrive, to anticipate

Root φθα- to come before, to arrive, to anticipate

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G5348-02 ἔφθασεν ephthasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG attain came before arrived before 4
G5348-01 ἐφθάσαμεν ephthasamen V AOR ACT IND 1P PL we have attained we came before we arrived before 2
G5348-03 φθάσωμεν phthasomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL precede let us precede shall precede 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G5348-02 Matthew 12:28 ἔφθασεν ephthasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG has come upon came before arrived before
G5348-02 Luke 11:20 ἔφθασεν ephthasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG has come came before arrived before
G5348-02 Romans 9:31 ἔφθασεν ephthasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG attain came before attained
G5348-01 2 Corinthians 10:14 ἐφθάσαμεν ephthasamen V AOR ACT IND 1P PL we have come we came before we arrived before
G5348-01 Philippians 3:16 ἐφθάσαμεν ephthasamen V AOR ACT IND 1P PL we have attained we came before we arrived before
G5348-02 1 Thessalonians 2:16 ἔφθασεν ephthasen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG is come came before arrived before
G5348-03 1 Thessalonians 4:15 φθάσωμεν phthasomen V AOR ACT SUBJ 1P PL precede let us precede shall precede
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