Lexical Definition

‎πρό‎ pró (pro) before ^G:PREP
a primary preposition

above, ago, before, or ever.

• "fore", i.e. in front of, prior (figuratively, superior) to

Abbott-Smith

πρό, prep. c. gen., [in LXX chiefly for לִפְנֵי;]
before;
(a) of place: Ac 12:6, 14 14:13, Ja 5:9; π. προσώπου (= Heb. לִפְנֵי, De 3:18, Ma 3:1, al.; Bl., § 40, 9), Mt 11:10, Mk 1:2, Lk 1:76 7:27 9:52 10:1, Ac 14:13;
(b) of time: Mt 8:29 24:38, Lk 11:38 21:12, Jo 11:55 13:1 17:24, Ac 5:36 21:38, I Co 2:7 4:5, Eph 1:4, Col 1:17, II Ti 1:9 4:21, Tit 1:2, He 11:5, I Pe 1:20, Ju 25; π. ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων, fourteen years ago, II Co 12:2; π. προσώπου (v. supr.), Ac 13:24; c. gen. pers., Mt 5:12, Jo 5:7 10:8, Ro 16:7, Ga 1:17; c. gen. art. inf. (= πρίν; M, Pr., 100; Bl., § 69, 7), Mt 6:8, Lk 2:21 22:15, Jo 1:49 13:19 17:5, Ac 23:15, Ga 2:12 3:23; as in late writers (resembling a Latin idiom but independent of it; B1., § 40, 5; M, Pr., 100 f.; cf. Am 1:1, II Mac 15:36, and for other exx., Soph., Lex., s.v.), πρὸ ἓξ ἡμέρας τοῦ πασχα, on the sixth day bef. the Passover, Jo 12:1;
(c) of preference: π. πάντων, Ja 5:12, I Pe 4:8;
(d) in compos.,
α c. subst., of position before: προαύλιον, πρόδρομος; priority of rank or order, προπάτωρ; anticipation, πρόγνωσις, πρόνοια;
β c. adj., intensity, πρόδηλος;
γ c. verb., of place, προάγω, προβαίνω; of preference, προαιρέομαι.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

πρό,

before, forth:

__A PREP. WITH GENIT.:
__A.I of Place, before, in front of, ἠγερέθοντο π. ἄστεος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἔμπροσθε π. (variant) τῆς ἀκροπόλιος, ὄπισθε δὲ τῶν πυλέων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. δόμων, π. δωμάτων, in front of, i.e. outside the house, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν π. τοῦ Ἡραίου νῆσον before or off the Heraeum, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. χειρῶν at hand, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.I.2 with Vbs. of motion, π. δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ αὐτῶν κύνες ἤϊσαν [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__A.I.3 before, in front of, for the purpose of shielding or guarding, π. Τρώων ἑσταότ᾽ [Refs 8th c.BC+]: hence, in defence of, μάχεσθαι.. π. τε παίδων καὶ π. γυναικῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀλέσθαι π. πόληος, Latin pro patria mori, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; π. τοξευμάτων as a defence against arrows, [Refs]: hence also, for, on behalf of, instead of, ἀγρυπνῆσαι π. τινῶν[Refs]; of an advocate, π. τῶνδε φωνεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὄτι δέ κ᾽ αὐτὸς π. Ειαυτοῦ [ἀμάρτῃ] whatever offence he commits of his own volition, Kohler-Ziebarth Stadtrecht von Gortyn [Refs]
__A.I.4 π. ὁδοῦ ἐγένοντο further on the road, i.e. forwards, onward, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: also to denote distance, π. πολλοῦ τῆς πόλεως [Refs 1st c.BC+]at a distance of [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__A.I.5 π. ἠοῦς, π. ἑσπέρης τοῦ βωμοῦ, eastwards, westwards of.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__A.II of Time, before, π. γάμοιο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; π. ὃ τοῦ ἐνόησεν one before the other, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; more frequently in later writers, π. τῶν Τρωικῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τοῦ χρῆσθαι before one uses it, [Refs]; π. μοίρας τῆς ἐμῆς before my doom, [Refs 5th c.BC+], compare 124; π. πολλοῦ long before, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. μικροῦ, π. ὀλίγου, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τοῦ (sometimes written προτοῦ) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τοῦ ἤ, ={πρὶν ἤ}, [Refs]; οἱ π. ἡμῶν γενόμενοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.II.2 in later writers frequently with Numerals, π. τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν thirty days before, [LXX+1st c.AD+]; π. ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα, π. μιᾶς ἡμέρας τῶν γενεθλίων, [NT+1st c.AD+]
__A.II.2.b in rendering Roman dates, τῇ π. μιᾶς Νωνῶν Ὀκτωβρίων, = pridie Non. Oct., [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__A.III in other relations:
__A.III.1 of Preference, before, rather than, κέρδος αἰνῆσαι π. δίκας to praise sleight before right, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πᾶν δὴ βουλόμενοι σφίσι εἶναι π. τῆς παρεούσης λύπης anything before, rather than, their actual trouble, [Refs 5th c.BC+] (so, in order to avoid, π. τοῦ δεινοτάτου [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἑλέσθαι, αἱρεῖσθαι, or κρῖναί τι π. τινός to choose one before another, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. πολλοῦ ποιήσασθαι to esteem above much, i.e. very highly, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. ἄλλων more than others, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. πάντων θεῶν τῇ Ἑστίᾳ πρώτῃ προθύειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: after a comparative it is redundant, ἡ τυραννὶς π. ἐλευθερίης ἀσπαστότερον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; for ἤ after ἄλλος, οὐδεὶς ἄλλος π. σεῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.III.2 of Cause or Motive, for, from, π. φόβοιο for fear, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀθλεύων π. ἄνακτος toiling before the face of, i.e. in his service, [Refs]; π. τῶνδε there fore, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B POSITION: words may be put between π. and its case, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but it does not follow its case, except after Epic dialect forms in -θι, Ἰλιόθι πρό, οὐρανόθι πρό, ἠῶθι πρό (see. above).
__C πρό, absolutely as adverb.:
__C.I of Place, before, opposed to ἐπί (after), [Refs 8th c.BC+]; before, in front, [Refs]; forth, forward, ἐκ δ᾽ ἄγαγε π. φόωσδε [Refs]; χωρεῖν π. δόμων to come forth from, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; γῆν π. γῆς ἐλαύνομαι I am driven on from one land to another, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II of Time, before, πρό οἱ εἴπομεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; earlier, τά τ᾽ ἐσσόμενα π. τ᾽ ἐόντα [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__C.III when joined with other Preps., ἀποπρό, διαπρό, ἐπιπρό, περιπρό, προπρό, it strengthens the first preposition, or adds to it the notion of forward, forth.
__D πρό IN COMPOSITION (joined with other words),
__D.I with Substantives, to denote
__D.I.1 position before or in front, πρόδομος, προάστιον, πρόθυρον, προπύλαια, etc.
__D.I.2 priority of rank, πρόεδρος, προεδρία, etc.: also priority of order, προάγων, πρόλογος, προοίμιον, προπάτωρ, etc.
__D.I.3 standing in another's place, πρόμαντις, πρόξενος.
__D.II with adjectives, to denote
__D.II.1 proximity, πρόχειρο; and readiness, πρόθυμος, πρόφρων.
__D.II.2 away (compare 111.3 below), προθέλυμνος, πρόρριζος.
__D.II.3 prematureness, πρόμοιρος, πρόωρος.
__D.II.4 intensity, πρόπας, πρόπαρ, προπάροιθ; so also πρόκακος, πρόπαλαι.
__D.III with Verbs,
__D.III.1 of Place, before, forwards, προβαίνω, προβάλλω, προτίθημι, etc.: also, before, in defence, προκινδυνεύω, προμάχομαι, etc.
__D.III.2 forth, προέλκω, προφέρω.
__D.III.2.b publicly, προγράφω, προειπεῖν, πρόκειμαι.
__D.III.3 away, προδίδωμι, προϊάλλω, προϊάπτω, προΐημι, προλείπω, προρέω, προτέμνω, προτρέπομαι, προφεύγω, προχέω.
__D.III.4 in preference, προαιροῦμαι, προτιμάω, etc.
__D.III.5 before, beforehand, προαισθάνομαι, προγίγνομαι, προκαταλαμβάνω, etc.; of foresight, προνοέω, προοράω.
__E Etymology: cf. Latin προ?\~X-, Slavonic pro-, Sanskrit pra-, etc., in compounds.

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Amos.1.1 ☩ John.12.1}