πρός, a preposition, equivalent to the epic
προτί, from
πρό and the adverbial suffix
τί (cf. the German
vor... bin (
Curtius, § 381)); it is joined
I. with the accusative,
to, toward, Latin
ad, denoting direction toward a thing, or position and state looking toward a thing (
Winer's Grammar, § 49 h., p. 404 (378)); it is used
1. of the goal or limit toward which a movement is directed:
πρός τινα or
τί,
a. properly, after verbs of going, departing, running, coming, etc.:
ἄγω,
John 11:15;
ἀναβαίνω,
Mark 6:51;
John 20:17;
Acts 15:2;
ἀνακάμπτω,
Matthew 2:12;
Acts 18:21;
ἀνέρχομαι,
Galatians 1:17 (
L Tr marginal reading
ἀπῆλθον);
ἀπέρχομαι,
Matthew 14:25 (
Rec.);
Mark 3:13, etc.;
πρός ἑαυτόν, to his house,
Luke 24:12 (
T omits;
L Tr brackets;
WH reject the verse;
Tr reads
πρός αὐτοῦ; some connect the phrase with
θαυμάζων (see 2 b. below));
John 20:10 (
T Tr αὐτούς,
WH αὑτούς (cf. under the word
αὑτοῦ, at the end));
γίνεσθαι πρός τινα, to come to one,
1 Corinthians 2:3;
1 Corinthians 16:10;
διαπεράω,
Luke 16:26;
ἐγγίζω,
Mark 11:1;
Luke 19:29;
εἰσέρχομαι,
Mark 6:25;
Luke 1:28;
Acts 10:3; (
πρός τήν Λυδίαν,
into the house of Lydia,
Acts 16:40 (
Rec. εἰς)); etc.;
Revelation 3:20;
εἰσπορεύομαι,
Acts 28:30;
ἐκπορεύομαι,
Matthew 3:5;
Mark 1:5;
ἐξέρχομαι,
John 18:29,
38;
2 Corinthians 8:17;
Hebrews 13:13;
ἐπιστρέφω, to turn (oneself),
Acts 9:40;
2 Corinthians 3:16;
1 Thessalonians 1:9;
ἐπισυνάγεσθαι,
Mark 1:33;
ἔρχομαι,
Matthew 3:14;
Matthew 7:15, and often;
ἥκω,
John 6:37;
Acts 28:23 (
Rec.);
καταβαίνω,
Acts 10:21;
Acts 14:11;
Revelation 12:12;
μεταβαίνω,
John 13:1;
ὀρθρίζω,
Luke 21:38;
παραγίνομαι,
Matthew 3:13;
Luke 7:4,
20;
Luke 8:19;
Luke 11:6; (
Luke 22:52 Tdf.);
πορεύομαι,
Matthew 10:6;
Luke 11:5;
John 14:12, etc.;
συνάγεσθαι,
Matthew 13:2;
Matthew 27:62;
Mark 4:1;
Mark 6:30;
Mark 7:1;
συντρέχειν,
Acts 3:11;
ὑπάγω,
Matthew 26:18;
Mark 5:19;
John 7:33;
John 13:3;
John 16:5,
10,
16 (
T Tr WH omit;
L brackets the clause),
John 16:17;
κατευθύνειν τήν ὁδόν,
1 Thessalonians 3:11; also after (kindred) nouns:
εἴσοδος,
1 Thessalonians 1:9;
1 Thessalonians 2:1;
προσαγωγή,
Ephesians 2:18. after verbs of moving, leading, sending, drawing, bringing, directing:
ἄγω,
Mark 11:7 (
R L);
Luke 18:40;
John 1:42 (43); (
John 18:13 L T Tr WH);
Acts 9:27, etc.;
ἀπάγω,
Matthew 26:57 (
R. V. to the house of C. (cf.
Acts 16:40 above));
Mark 14:53;
John 18:13 (
R G);
Acts 23:17;
1 Corinthians 12:2; (
ἐξάγω ἕως πρός (see
ἕως, II. 2 c.),
Luke 24:50 L text
T Tr WH);
κατασύρω,
Luke 12:58;
ἁρπάζω,
Revelation 12:5;
ἑλκύω,
John 12:32;
παραλαμβάνω,
John 14:3;
φέρω,
Mark 1:32;
Mark 9:17,
19,
20; (
Mark 11:7 T Tr WH);
πέμπω,
Luke 7:(not
T WH),19;
Acts 25:21 (
L T Tr WH ἀναπέμψω), etc. (see
πέμπω);
ἀναπέμπω,
Luke 23:7,
15;
ἀποστέλλω,
Matthew 23:34, etc. (see
ἀποστέλλω, 1b. and d.);
στρέφομαι,
Luke 7:44;
Luke 23:28. after verbs of falling:
πίπτειν πρός τούς πόδας τίνος,
Mark 5:22;
Mark 7:25; (
Acts 5:10 L T Tr WH);
Revelation 1:17. after other verbs and substantives with which the idea of direction is connected: as
ἐπιστολή πρός τινα,
Acts 9:2;
Acts 22:5;
2 Corinthians 3:1;
ἐντολή,
Acts 17:15;
ἀνάδειξις,
Luke 1:80;
κάμπτω τά γόνατα,
Ephesians 3:14;
ἐκπετάννυμι τάς χεῖρας,
Romans 10:21 (from
Isaiah 65:2);
πρόσωπον πρός πρόσωπον, face (turned) to face, i. e. in immediate presence,
1 Corinthians 13:12 (after the Hebrew,
Genesis 32:30;
Judges 6:22);
στόμα πρός στόμα, mouth (turned) to mouth, i. e. in each other's presence,
2 John 1:12;
3 John 1:14 (see
στόμα, 1);
λαλεῖν πρός τό οὖς, the mouth being put to the ear,
Luke 12:3. after verbs of adding, joining to:
προστιθεναι τινα πρός τούς πατέρας,
to lay one unto, i. e. bury him by the side of,
his fathers, Acts 13:36 (after the Hebrew,
2 Kings 22:20;
Judges 2:10);
θάπτειν τινα πρός τινα,
Acts 5:10. after verbs of saying (because speech is directed toward someone), invoking, swearing, testifying, making known: with an accusative of the person,
ἀνοίγω τό στόμα,
2 Corinthians 6:11;
Luke 1:13, and very often by Luke;
John 4:48;
John 7:3, etc.;
Hebrews 1:13;
λαλέω,
Luke 1:19,
55;
Luke 2:18, etc.;
1 Thessalonians 2:2;
Hebrews 5:5;
Hebrews 11:18;
λέγω,
Luke 5:36, etc.;
John 2:3;
John 4:15, etc.;
Hebrews 7:21;
φημί,
Luke 22:70;
Acts 2:38 (
R G);
Acts 10:28, etc.;
διαλέγομαι,
Acts 24:12;
ἀποκρίνομαι,
Luke 4:4;
Acts 3:12;
δέομαι,
Acts 8:24;
βοάω,
Luke 18:7 (
R G L);
αἴρειν φωνήν,
Acts 4:24;
εὔχομαι,
2 Corinthians 13:7;
ὄμνυμι,
Luke 1:73;
μάρτυς εἰμί,
Acts 13:31;
Acts 22:15;
δημηγορέω,
Acts 12:21;
κατηγορέω,
to accuse to, bring, as it were, to the judge by accusation,
John 5:45;
ἐμφανίζω,
Acts 23:22;
γνωρίζεται, be made known
unto, Philippians 4:6. also after (kindred) substantives (and phrases):
ἀπολογία, addressed unto one,
Acts 22:1;
λόγος,
2 Corinthians 1:18;
λόγος παρακλήσεως,
Acts 13:15;
ὁ λόγος γίνεται πρός τινα,
John 10:35 (
Genesis 15:1,
4;
Jeremiah 1:2,
11;
Jeremiah 13:8;
Ezekiel 6:1;
Hosea 1:1);
γίνεται φωνή,
Acts 7:31 Rec.;
Acts 10:13,
15;
γίνεται ἐπαγγελία,
Acts 13:32 and
Rec. in
Acts 26:6 (where
L T Tr WH εἰς);
προσευχή,
Romans 15:30;
δέησις,
Romans 10:1;
προσφέρειν δεήσεις,
Hebrews 5:7.
πρός ἀλλήλους after
ἀντιβάλλειν λόγους,
Luke 24:17;
Luke 8taXaXe(p,
Luke 6:11;
διαλέγεσθαι,
Mark 9:34;
διαλογίζεσθαι,
Mark 8:16;
εἰπεῖν,
Luke 2:15 ((
L marginal reading
T WH λαλεῖν));
Luke 24:32;
John 16:17;
John 19:24;
λέγειν,
Mark 4:41;
Luke 8:25;
John 4:33;
Acts 28:4;
ὁμιλεῖν,
Luke 24:14;
συλλαλεῖν,
Luke 4:36.
πρός ἑαυτούς equivalent to
πρός ἀλλήλους: after
συζητεῖν,
Mark 1:27 (
T WH text read simply
αὐτούς (as subjunctive));
Mark 9:16;
Luke 22:23;
εἰπεῖν,
Mark 12:7;
John 12:19;
λέγειν,
Mark 16:3;
ἀγανακτεῖν (
R. V. had indignation among themselves. saying),
Mark 14:4 T WH (cf.
Tr); see 2 b. below.
b. of a time drawing toward a given time (cf. f. below):
πρός ἑσπέραν ἐστιν, toward evening,
Luke 24:29 (
Genesis 8:11;
Zechariah 14:7;
Plato, de rep. 1, p. 328a.;
Josephus, Antiquities 5, 4, 3;
πρός ἡμέραν,
Xenophon, ahab. 4, 5, 21;
Plato, conviv., p. 223 c.); (
πρός σάββατον,
Mark 15:42 LTr text).
c. metaphorically, of mental direction, with words denoting desires and emotions of the mind,
to, toward:
ἐνδεικνύειν πραΰτητα,
Titus 3:2;
μακροθύμειν,
1 Thessalonians 5:14;
ἤπιος,
2 Timothy 2:24;
ἔχθρα,
Luke 23:12;
πεποίθησιν ἔχειν,
2 Corinthians 3:4; (
ἐλπίδα ἔχων,
Acts 24:15 Tdf.);
πίστις,
1 Thessalonians 1:8;
παρρησία,
2 Corinthians 7:4;
1 John 3:21;
1 John 5:14; with verbs signifying the mode of bearing oneself toward a person,
ἐργάζεσθαι τό ἀγαθόν,
Galatians 6:10;
τά αὐτά,
Ephesians 6:9 (
Xenophon, mem. 1, 1, 6). of a hostile direction,
against; so after
ἀνταγωνιζεσθα,
Hebrews 12:4;
στῆναι,
Ephesians 6:11;
λακτίζειν,
Acts 9:5 Rec.;
Acts 26:14 (see
κέντρον, 2);
πάλη,
Ephesians 6:12;
μάχεσθαι,
John 6:52;
διακρίνομαι,
Acts 11:2;
γογγυσμός,
Acts 6:1;
βλασφημία,
Revelation 13:6;
πικραίνεσθαι,
Colossians 3:19; (
ἔχειν τί,
Acts 24:19;
ἔχειν ζήτημα,
Acts 25:19;
μομφήν,
Colossians 3:13;
πρᾶγμα,
1 Corinthians 6:1;
λόγον (see
λόγος, I. 6),
Acts 19:38;
πρός τινα,
to have something to bring against one (
R. V. wherewith to answer),
2 Corinthians 5:12;
τά (which
Tr text
WH omit)
πρός τινα, the things to be said against one,
Acts 23:30 (
R G Tr WH; here may be added
πρός πλησμονήν σαρκός,
against (i. e. to check)
the indulgence of the flesh, Colossians 2:23 (see
πλησμονή)).
d. of the issue or end to which anything tends or leads:
ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἐστι πρός θάνατον,
John 11:4;
ἁμαρτάνειν,
ἁμαρτία πρός θάνατον,
1 John 5:16f;
ἅ στρεβλουσι πρός τήν ἰδίαν αὐτῶν ἀπώλειαν,
2 Peter 3:16;
τά πρός τήν εἰρήνην namely,
ὄντα — now, the things which tend to the restoration of
peace (
A. V. conditions of peace),
Luke 14:32; now, which tend to the attainment of
safety (
A. V. which belong unto peace),
Luke 19:42;
τά πρός ζωήν,
καί εὐσέβειαν (
A. V. that pertain unto),
2 Peter 1:3;
πρός δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ,
2 Corinthians 1:20;
τοῦ κυρίου,
2 Corinthians 8:19.
e. of an intended end or purpose:
πρός νουθεσίαν τίνος,
1 Corinthians 10:11; as other examples add,
Matthew 26:12;
Romans 3:26;
Romans 15:2;
1 Corinthians 6:5;
1 Corinthians 7:35;
1 Corinthians 12:7;
1 Corinthians 14:12,
26;
1 Corinthians 15:34;
2 Corinthians 4:6;
2 Corinthians 7:3;
2 Corinthians 11:8;
Ephesians 4:12;
1 Timothy 1:16;
Hebrews 6:11;
Hebrews 9:13;
πρός τί, to what end, for what intent,
John 13:28;
πρός τήν ἐλεημοσύνην, for the purpose of asking alms,
Acts 3:10;
πρός τό with an infinitive
in order to, etc.:
Matthew 5:28;
Matthew 6:1;
Matthew 13:30;
Matthew 23:5;
Matthew 26:12;
Mark 13:22;
2 Corinthians 3:13;
Ephesians 6:11;
1 Thessalonians 2:9;
2 Thessalonians 3:8, also
R G in
James 3:3.
f. of the time for which a thing has been, as it were, appointed, i. e. during which it will last; where we use our
for (German
für or
auf) (cf. b. above):
πρός καιρόν (Latin
ad tempus,
Cicero, de off. 1, 8, 27; de amicitia 15, 53;
Livy 21, 25, 14), i. e. for a season, for a while,
Luke 8:13;
1 Corinthians 7:5;
πρός καιρόν ὥρας (
R. V. for a short season),
1 Thessalonians 2:17;
πρός ὥραν, for a short time, for an hour,
John 5:35;
2 Corinthians 7:8;
Galatians 2:5;
Philemon 1:15;
πρός ὀλίγας ἡμέρας,
Hebrews 12:10 πρός τό παρόν, for the present, ibid. 11 (
Thucydides 2, 22;
Plato, legg. 5, p. 736 a.;
Josephus, Antiquities 6, 5, 1;
Herodian, 1, 3, 13 (5 edition, Bekker);
Dio Cassius, 41, 15);
πρός ὀλίγον, for a little time,
James 4:4 (
Lucian, dial. deor. 18, 1;
Aelian v. h. 12, 63).
2. it is used of close proximity — the idea of direction, though not entirely lost, being more or less weakened;
a. answering to our
at or
by (German
an); after verbs of fastening, adhering, moving (to):
δεδέσθαι πρός τήν θύραν,
Mark 11:4;
προσκολλᾶσθαι,
Mark 10:7 R G Tr (in marginal reading brackets);
Ephesians 5:31 R G WH text;
προσκόπτειν,
Matthew 4:6;
Luke 4:11;
κεῖσθαι, equivalent to to be brought near to,
Matthew 3:10;
Luke 3:9 ((cf. 2 Macc. 4:33));
τιθέναι,
Acts 3:2; (
Acts 4:37 Tdf. (others
παρά)); add,
βεβλησθαι,
Luke 16:20;
τά πρός τήν θύραν, the forecourt (see
θύρα, a.),
Mark 2:2;
εἶναι πρός τήν θάλασσαν (properly, toward the sea (
A. V. by the sea)),
Mark 4:1;
θερμαίνεσθαι πρός τό φῶς, turned to the light (
R. V. in the light),
Mark 14:54;
καθῆσθαι πρός τό φῶς,
Luke 22:56;
πρός τό μνημεῖον,
John 20:11 Rec.; cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 201f
b. equivalent to (Latin
apud)
with, with the accusative of a person, after verbs of remaining, dwelling, tarrying, etc. (which require one to be conceived of as always turned toward one), cf. Fritzsche as above: after
εἶναι,
Matthew 13:56;
Mark 6:3;
Mark 9:19;
Mark 14:49;
Luke 9:41;
John 1:1;
1 John 1:2;
1 Thessalonians 3:4;
2 Thessalonians 2:5;
2 Thessalonians 3:10;
παρεῖναι,
Acts 12:20;
2 Corinthians 11:9 (8);
Galatians 4:18,
20;
παρουσία,
Philippians 1:26;
διαμενεῖν,
Galatians 2:5;
παραμένειν,
1 Corinthians 16:6;
ἐπιμένειν,
1 Corinthians 16:7;
Galatians 1:18;
καθέζεσθαι,
Matthew 26:55 (
R G L Tr brackets);
ἐνδήμειν,
2 Corinthians 5:8;
κατέχειν τινα πρός ἑαυτόν,
Philemon 1:13.
πρός ἐμαυτόν, etc. (apud animum meum),
with myself, etc. (2 Macc. 11:13; examples from Greek writings are given in
Passow, under the word, I. 2, p. 1157a; (Liddell and Scott, under the word C. I. 5)),
συλλογίζομαι,
Luke 20:5;
προσεύχομαι,
Luke 18:11 (
Tdf. omits
πρός ἑαυτόν, Griesbach connects it with
σταθείς);
ἀγανακτεῖν,
Mark 14:4 ((cf. 1 a. at the end);
θαυμάζειν,
Luke 24:12 (according to some; see above, 1 a. at the beginning)). Further,
ποιεῖν τί πρός τινα,
Matthew 26:18;
ἔχω χάριν πρός τινα,
Acts 2:47;
ἔχει καύχημα...
πρός Θεόν to have whereof to glory with one (properly, turned 'toward' one),
Romans 4:2;
παράκλητον πρός τινα,
1 John 2:1.
3. of relation or reference to any person or thing; thus
a. of fitness: joined to adjectives,
ἀγαθός,
Ephesians 4:29;
ἕτοιμος,
Titus 3:1;
1 Peter 3:15;
ἱκανός,
2 Corinthians 2:16;
δυνατός,
2 Corinthians 10:4;
ἐξηρτισμένος,
2 Timothy 3:17;
ὠφέλιμος,
1 Timothy 4:8;
2 Timothy 3:16;
ἀδόκιμος,
Titus 1:16;
ἀνεύθετος,
Acts 27:12;
λευκός,
white and so ready
for, John 4:35;
τά πρός τήν χρείαν namely,
ἀναγκαῖά (
R. V. such things as we needed,),
Acts 28:10.
b. of the relation or close connection entered (or to be entered) into by one person with another:
περιπατεῖν πρός (German
im Verkehr mit (in contact with (
A. V. toward)); cf.
Bernhardy (1829), p. 265;
Passow, under the word, I. 2, p. 1157a; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, C. I. 5))
τινα,
Colossians 4:5;
1 Thessalonians 4:12;
ἀναστρέφεσθαι,
2 Corinthians 1:12; of ethical relationship (where we use
with),
ἀσύμφωνος πρός ἀλλήλους,
Acts 28:25;
κονωνια,
συμφώνησις πρός τινα or
τί,
2 Corinthians 6:15f;
εἰρήνην ἔχειν (see
εἰρήνη, 5),
Romans 5:1;
συνείδησιν ἔχειν πρός τόν Θεόν,
Acts 24:16;
διαθήκην ἐντέλλομαι πρός τινα,
Hebrews 9:20 (see
ἐντέλλω, at the end);
διαθήκην διατίθημι,
Acts 2:25 (in Greek writings
συνθήκας,
σπονδάς,
συμμαχίαν ποιεῖσθαι πρός τινα, and similar expressions; cf.
Passow (or Liddell and Scott) as above);
μή ταπεινώσῃ...
πρός ὑμᾶς, in my relation to you (
R. V. before),
2 Corinthians 12:21;
πρός ὅν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος (see
λόγος, II. 5),
Hebrews 4:13. Here belongs also
2 Corinthians 4:2 (
A. V. to every man's conscience).
c. with regard to (any person or thing),
with respect to, as to; after verbs of saying:
πρός τινα,
Mark 12:12;
Luke 12:41;
Luke 18:9;
Luke 19:9;
Luke 20:19;
Romans 10:21;
Hebrews 1:7f;
πρός τό δεῖν προσεύχεσθαι,
Luke 18:1;
ἐπιτρέπειν,
γράφειν τί πρός τί,
Matthew 19:8;
Mark 10:5;
ἀποκριθῆναι τί πρός τί,
Matthew 27:14;
ἀνταποκριθῆναι,
Luke 14:6'
τί ἐροῦμεν πρός ταῦτα,
Romans 8:31 (
Xenophon, mem. 3, 9, 12; anab. 2, 1, 20).
d. pertaining to:
τά πρός τόν Θεόν (see
Θεός, 3
γ.),
Romans 15:17;
Hebrews 2:17;
Hebrews 5:1;
τί πρός ἡμᾶς; namely,
ἐστιν, what is that to us? i. e. it is none of our business to care for that,
Matthew 27:4; also
τί πρός σε;
John 21:22,
23 (here
Tdf. omits).
e. in comparison (like Latin
ad) equivalent to
in comparison with: so after
ἄξιος (which see in a.),
Romans 8:18 (
οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρός αὐτόν, Baruch 3:36 (35); cf. Viger. edition, Herm., p. 666; (
Buttmann, § 147, 28)).
f. agreeably to, according to:
πρός ἅ (i. e.
πρός ταῦτα ἅ)
ἔπραξε,
2 Corinthians 5:10;
ποιεῖν πρός τό θέλημα τίνος,
Luke 12:47;
ὀρθοπόδειν πρός τήν ἀλήθειαν,
Galatians 2:14. Here belong
Ephesians 3:4;
Ephesians 4:14.
g. akin to this is the use of
πρός joined to nouns denoting desires, emotions, virtues, etc., to form a periphrasis of the adverbs (cf.
Winer's Grammar, § 51, 2 h.):
πρός φθόνον, enviously,
James 4:5 ((on this passage see
φθόνος);
πρός ὀργήν equivalent to
ὀργίλως,
Sophocles El. 369;
πρός βίαν equivalent to
βιαίως,
Aeschylus (Prom. 208, 353, etc.) Eum. 5; others;
πρός ἡδονήν καί πρός χάριν, pleasantly and graciously,
Josephus, Antiquities 12, 10, 3; (other examples in Liddell and Scott, under C. III. 7)).
II. with the dative,
at, near, hard by, denoting close local proximity (
Winers Grammar, 395 (369f)); so six times in the N. T. (much more frequent in the
Sept. and in the O. T. Apocrypha):
Mark 5:11 G L T Tr WH (
R. V. on the mountain side);
Luke 19:37;
John 18:16;
John 20:11 (where
Rec. has
πρός τό μν,.);
John 20:12;
Revelation 1:13.
III. with the genitive,
a. properly, used of that from which something proceeds;
b. (Latin
a parte i. e.)
on the side of; hence, tropically
πρός τίνος εἶναι or
ὑπάρχειν,
to pertain to one, lie in one's interests, be to one's advantage: so once in the N. T.
τοῦτο πρός τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας ὑπάρχει, conduces to (
A. V. is for) your safety,
Acts 27:34. (
Κροισος ἐλπισας πρός ἑωυτοῦ τόν χρησμον εἶναι,
Herodotus 1, 75;
οὐ πρός τῆς ὑμετέρας δόξης, it will not redound to your credit,
Thucydides 3, 59; add,
Plato, Gorgias, p. 459 c.;
Lucian, dial. deor. 20, 3;
Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 10, 30;
Arrian exp. Alex. 1, 19, 6; cf. Viger. edition, Herm., p. 659f;
Matthiae, p. 1385f; (Liddell and Scott, under the word A. IV.);
Winer's Grammar, 374 (350).)
IV. in Composition
πρός signifies
1. direction or motion to a goal:
προσάγω,
προσεγγίζω,
προσέρχομαι,
προστρέχω.
2. addition, accession,
besides:
προσανατίθημι,
προσαπειλέω,
προσοφείλω.
3. vicinity:
προσεδρεύω,
προσμένω.
4. our
on, at, as in
προσκόπτω; and then of things which adhere to or are fastened to others, as
προσηλόω,
προσπήγνυμι.
5. to or
for, of a thing adjusted to some standard:
πρόσκαιρος. Cf. Zeune ad Viger. edition, Herm., p. 666.
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's