προσποιέομαι (G4364) — Greek Lexicon

προσποιέομαι

prospoiéomai

G4364 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To pretend, to feign, to make a show of (something that is not real), primarily indicating an intentional assumption of a role, behavior, or attitude that is not genuinely held. The term refers to the act of putting on a false appearance or pretense, especially for the purpose of misleading others.

Semantic Range

to pretend, to feign, to make a show of, to act as if, to simulate, to present oneself as (something or someone one is not)

Root / Etymology

From πρός ('toward,' 'in addition to') and ποιέω ('to make, to do'), in the middle voice, indicating an action done for oneself or one's own interests. The compounded structure literally suggests 'to make or do (something) toward oneself,' hence 'to pretend' or 'to feign.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, προσποιέομαι appears as early as the 4th century BCE (e.g., Demosthenes), always carrying the sense of deliberate pretense or simulation for personal advantage. In Koine (including New Testament, e.g., Luke 24:28; Acts 8:40), it consistently references making as if to do something without genuine intention, such as feigning an action or a state of mind. The usage is distinct from ὑποκρίνομαι ('to play the part', 'to act'), though they may overlap. In the Septuagint the term is rare or absent; its NT uses imply feigned behavior within interpersonal interactions, not religious hypocrisy per se. English translations often render it 'pretend', 'make as though', or 'feign', but these may obscure the strength of the term's connotation of conscious, performative deception.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

middle voice from πρός and ποιέω; to do forward for oneself, i.e. pretend (as if about to do a thing):--make as though.

Root Family

προσποιέομαι (prospoiéomai) — to do, to make, to bring about; to pretend, to feign, to simulate

Root ποιέ- to do, to make, to bring about (in the sense of creating external actions or performance)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4364-01`	προσεποιήσατο	prosepoiesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	made as though	he pretended	he pretended	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4364-01`	Luke 24:28	προσεποιήσατο	prosepoiesato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	made as though	he pretended	he pretended

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