Lexical Definition

‎ἔμπροσθεν‎ émprosthen (em'-pros-then) before ^G:PREP
from ‎ἐν‎ and ‎πρός‎

against, at, before, (in presence, sight) of.

• in front of (in place (literally or figuratively) or time)

Abbott-Smith

ἔμ-προσθεν adv.
of place (in cl. also of time), [in LXX chiefly for עֳנִי ;]
1. adverbially, before, in front: Lk 19:28; εἰς τὸ ἔ., Lk 19:4; opp. to ὄπισθεν, Re 4:6; opp. to τὰ ὀπίσω, τὰ ἔ., Phl 3:13.
2. As prep., before;
(a) in front of: Mt 5:24 6:2 7:6 11:10 27:29, Lk 5:19 7:27 14:2, Jo 3:28 10:4, Re 19:10 22:8;
(b) in the presence of: Mt 27:11, Ga 2:14, I Th 1:3 2:19 3:9 3:13; ὁμολουεῖν, ἀρνεῖσθαι (Dalman, Words, 210), Mt 10:32, 33 26:70, Lk 12:8; in forensic sense, Mt 25:32 27:11, Lk 21:36, Ac 18:17, II Co 5:10, I Th 2:19, I Jn 3:19; εὐδοκία (θέλημά) ἐστι ἔ. θεοῦ (a targumic formula; Dalman, Words, 211), Mt 11:26 18:14, Lk 10:21;
(c) in the sight of: Mt 5:16 6:1 17:2 23:14, Mk 2:12 9:2, Lk 19:27, Jo 12:37, Ac 10:4;
(d) of rank and dignity (Dem., Plat., al.; LXX, Ge 48:20): Jo 1:15, 30.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἔμπροσθεν-εν,

sometimes also ἔμπροσθενε [Refs 8th c.BC+].

__I adverb,
__I.1 of Place, before, in front, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ and τὰ ἔ. the front, the foreside, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰς τὸ ἔ. forwards, [Refs]; στὰς ἐκ τοῦ ἔ. in front, opposite, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.2 of Time, before, of old, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ ἔ. [Refs]; οἱ ἔ. our ancestors, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__II as preposition with genitive, before, in front of,
__II.1 of Place, ἐ. αὐτῆς (i.e. τῆς νηός) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 of Time, ἔ. ταύτης (i.e. τῆς γνώμης) [Refs]; ἔ. εἶναι τῶν πραγμάτων to be beforehand with events, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.3 of Degree, ἔ. τοῦ δικαίου preferred before justice, [Refs]