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πρός

prós

G4314 preposition

SILEX Entry

Root πρό- toward, near, with respect to, in reference to

Definition

A preposition indicating direction toward, movement to, or relation with respect to something or someone. πρός primarily marks orientation or movement in the direction of an object or person (usually with the accusative), association or presence with (less frequently with the dative), and, rarely, concern or reference (with the genitive). In different contexts, it can express motion toward, contact, proximity (place or time), reference, purpose, relation, or opposition.

Semantic Range

toward (direction or movement), to or unto (destination), with (association or relationship), near or at (location or time), against (in opposition), for (purpose or reference), in the presence of, regarding, with respect to, for the sake of (goal or intent)

Root / Etymology

From the Greek root πρό (pro, meaning 'before, in front of') with an additional -ς ending; functions as a strengthened or extended form of πρό. Directly inherited from early Greek without foreign derivation. Cognate with Latin 'pro'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πρός is a versatile preposition in Greek, found from Homeric to Koine and beyond. In classical Greek, it most commonly governs the accusative to indicate motion toward a person, place, or thing (e.g., πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, 'toward the city'). With the dative (rare in NT), it implies proximity ('at, by, near'). With the genitive (also rare in later Greek), it denotes relation or connection ('of, pertaining to'). In the Septuagint and especially the New Testament, πρός overwhelmingly takes the accusative, describing both physical and metaphorical direction, e.g., movement toward a place ('toward the house'), a person (marking speech or relationship, as in 'speaking to'), or figurative goals ('for the purpose of'). In many New Testament contexts, πρός is used idiomatically as a marker of relationship ('with,' 'in the presence of'), especially in formulas such as πρὸς τὸν θεόν ('with God'). Standard English translations often render πρός with various prepositions—'to,' 'toward,' 'with,' 'for,' 'against,' 'at,'—depending on context; each only captures part of the Greek semantic range. Notably distinct from other Greek prepositions of direction (πρό, ἐπί, παρά, εἰς) in its frequent idiomatic and relational uses. Its frequency and variety in usage require careful contextual attention.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a strengthened form of πρό; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.

Root Family

πρός (pros) — toward, near, with respect to, in reference to

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G4314-01 πρὸς pros PREP ACC to toward 697

Occurrences in Scripture

697 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G4314-01 Matthew 2:12 πρὸς pros PREP ACC to toward
G4314-01 Matthew 3:5 πρὸς pros PREP ACC to toward
G4314-01 Matthew 3:10 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 3:13 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 3:14 πρός pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 3:15 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 4:6 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 5:28 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 6:1 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
G4314-01 Matthew 7:15 πρὸς pros PREP ACC toward
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