← G4249 G4251 →

πρίν

prín

G4250 subordinating conjunction

SILEX Entry

Root πρῐν- before, prior to, sooner than

Definition

An adverb denoting temporal precedence; primarily means 'before (a certain time or event)', used to introduce a limitation or sequence where one action or circumstance is completed prior to another. Can also imply 'sooner than,' 'prior to,' or 'earlier in time,' and often used in conjunction with verbs in various moods to indicate something that takes place prior to a specified moment or action.

Semantic Range

before (in time), sooner, prior to (with infinitive or finite verbs), until (following a negative and with subjunctive), earlier than

Root / Etymology

Adverbial form, related to πρό ('before, in front of'); the precise path of development into its specific adverbial and conjunctional sense is uncertain but likely arises from a combination of the preposition with an enclitic particle or old case form. Ultimately PIE root *per- ('forward, through').

Historical & Contextual Notes

πρίν appears already in classical Greek as an adverb and sometimes as a conjunction, meaning 'before' in a temporal sense; it is used to mark that something occurs earlier than another action, sentence, or condition. In Koine Greek (including the New Testament and the Septuagint), πρίν often governs verbs in the infinitive (sometimes the subjunctive or indicative), introducing subordinate time clauses. The grammatical construction is similar to English 'before' or 'prior to,' but πρίν does not specify a precise temporal point, only relative sequence. In later Greek, the form is sometimes replaced or supplemented by ἕως or ἔως ἄν, though πρίν remains common in literary and biblical styles. Standard English translations render πρίν with 'before,' 'until,' or occasionally 'ere,' but may obscure its neutral temporal aspect, occasionally conflating it with stronger conjunctions or ignoring its adverbial usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

adverb from πρό; prior, sooner:--before (that), ere.

Root Family

πρίν (prin) — before, prior to, sooner than

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G4250-01 πρὶν prin ADV before before 13

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G4250-01 Matthew 1:18 πρὶν prin ADV before before
G4250-01 Matthew 26:34 πρὶν prin ADV before
G4250-01 Matthew 26:75 πρὶν prin ADV before
G4250-01 Mark 14:30 πρὶν prin CONJ.S before before
G4250-01 Mark 14:72 πρὶν prin ADV before before
G4250-01 Luke 2:26 πρὶν prin CONJ.S before before
G4250-01 Luke 22:61 πρὶν prin ADV Before before
G4250-01 John 4:49 πρὶν prin CONJ.S before before
G4250-01 John 8:58 πρὶν prin CONJ.S before before
G4250-01 John 14:29 πρὶν prin ADV before before
← G4249 Greek Lexicon G4251 →