Lexical Definition

‎πρόσωπον‎ prósōpon (pros'-o-pon) face ^G:N-N
from ‎πρός‎ and (the visage, from ‎ὀπτάνομαι‎)

(outward) appearance, X before, countenance, face, fashion, (men's) person, presence.

• the front (as being towards view), i.e. the countenance, aspect, appearance, surface
• by implication, presence, person

Abbott-Smith

πρόσωπον, -ου, τό (< πρός, ὤψ), [in LXX chiefly and very freq. for פָּנִים;]
1. prop., of persons (so always in cl.);
(a) the face, countenance: Mt 6:16, 17, Mk 14:65, Lk 9:29, II Co 3:7, Re 4:7, al.; τὸ π. τῆς γενέσεως (EV, natural face), Ja 1:23; πίπτειν ἐπὶ (τὰ) π., Mt 17:6, Lk 5:12, Re 7:11, al.; ἀγνοούμενος τῷ π., Ga 1:22; π., οὐ καρδίᾳ, I Th 2:17; κατὰ πρόσωπον (in front, facing: Thuc., Xen., al.), when present, face to face, Ac 25:16, II Co 10:1, 7, Ga 2:11; id. c. gen., as compound prep., in the presence of (not cl.; v. Bl., § 40, 9; M, Pr., 99 f.; Thackeray, Gr., 43 f.), Lk 2:31, Ac 3:13; similarly ἀπὸ π. (Heb. מִלִּפְּנֵי; v. Dalman, Words, 29), from the presence of, Ac 3:19 5:41 7:45, II Th 1:9, Re 12:14 20:11; πρὸ π. (Heb. לִפְנֵי), before, Mt 11:10, Mk 1:2, Lk 7:27(LXX), al.; in other phrases resembling Heb. idiom (Thackeray, Gr., 42), βλέπειν (ὁρᾶν, θεωρεῖν, ἰδεῖν) τὸ π., to see one's face, i.e. see him in person, Mt 18:10, Ac 20:25, 38, I Th 3:10, Re 22:4; ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ π. τοῦ θεοῦ, He 9:24; ἐν π. Χριστοῦ, II Co 2:10 4:6; μετὰ τοῦ π. σου, with thy presence, Ac 2:28(LXX); εἰς π. τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, II Co 8:24; στηρίζειν τὸ π. (Heb. שׂוּם פָּנִים: Je 21:10, al.; v. Dalman, Words, 30), c. inf., to set one's face towards, Lk 9:51; similarly, τὸ π. αὐτοῦ ἦν πορευόμενον (op. cit., 31), Lk 9:53; τὸ π. τοῦ κυρίου ἐπί, I Pe 3:12(LXX);
(b) form, person: καυχᾶσθαι ἐν π. καὶ μὴ ἐν καρδίᾳ, II Co 5:12 (cf. I Ki 16:7); metaph., as in Heb. idiom, of judgment according to appearance, external condition or circumstances (נשָׂאָ פָּנִים; v. Dalman, Words, 30; Thackeray, Gr., 43 f.): λαμβάνειν π., Lk 20:21, Ga 2:6; βλέπειν εἰς π., Mt 22:16, Mk 12:14; θαυμάζειν πρόσωπα, Ju 16.
2. Of things (cf. Dalman, Words, 30);
(a) face, appearance (Ps 103 (104):30*): Mt 16:3 (WH, R, mg., om.), Lk 12:56, Ja 1:11;
(b) surface (Ge 2:6): Lk 21:35, Ac 17:26.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

πρόσωπον, τό:

plural πρόσωπα, Epic dialect (Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] προσώπατα [Refs 8th c.BC+]:— face, countenance (compare μέτωπον), [Refs 8th c.BC+] always in plural, even of a single person, [Refs 8th c.BC+], and usually in later writers; π. κλιθὲν προσώπῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐς π. τινὸς ἀφικέσθαι come before him,[LXX+2nd c.BC+]; κατὰ πρόσωπον in front, facing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ π. Αἰγύπτου facing, fronting Egypt, [LXX]; opposed to κατὰ νώτου, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; κατὰ π. ἄγειν, opposed to κατὰ κέρας ὑπεραίρειν, [Refs]; κατὰ π. in person, ἡ κατὰ π. ἔντευξις [Refs 1st c.AD+]; κατὰ π. παραμυθήσασθαι, opposed to διὰ τοῦ ψαφίσματος, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; also πρὸς τὸ π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ προσώπου Ἰεριχώ in front of Jericho, [LXX+3rd c.BC+]; βλέπειν εἰς π. τινός regard his countenance, [LXX+NT]: of the ibis, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of dogs, ἀπὸ τῶν π. φαιδραί [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of horses, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of deer,[Refs]; of fish, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; face of the moon, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__2 front, façade, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ π. τοῦ ἱεροῦ, τῆς νεώς, [πρόσωπον 2nd-1st c.BC: Asclepiades Myrleanus Historicus cited in 2nd c.AD: Athenaeus Epigrammaticus 11.501d. ">Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__II one's look, countenance, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐ τὸ σὸν δείσας π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 Astrology texts, decan considered as the domain of a planet, ἐν ἰδίοις π. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III ={προσωπεῖον}, mask, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὀθόνινον π. probably in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the Roman imagines, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; bust or portrait, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__III.2 dramatic part, character, [Refs 1st c.BC+]; κωφὸν π. [Refs 1st c.BC+]; character in a book, τὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ὄνομα καὶ π. [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τὸ τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως π. [Refs 1st c.BC+]; also ἀστοχεῖν τοῦ π., of an author,[Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__IV person, [πρόσωπον 1st c.AD(?): Pseudo-Phocylidea 10 ">Refs 1st c.BC+]; προσώπῳ, οὐ καρδίᾳ in person, in bodily presence, [NT]; ποιεῖν or πληροῦν τὸ π. τινός to represent a person, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; λαμβάνειν π. τινός admit a person to one's presence, εἰ προσδέξεταί σε, εἰ λήψεται πρόσωπόν σου [LXX]; hence, ={προσωποληπτεῖν}, [NT]; μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ π. μου, i.e. do not reject my prayer, [LXX]; θαυμάσαι π. ἀσεβοῦς[LXX]; ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας.., ὅστις οὐ θαυμάζει π. οὐδὲ οὐ μὴ λάβῃ δῶρον[LXX]
__IV.2 legal personality, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__IV.3 Grammars, person, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; γυναικεῖα π. [Refs 6th c.AD+]
__IV.4 π. πόλεως a feature of the city, of a person, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__IV.5 falsa lectio in [Refs 4th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: LXX.Gen.43.3 ☩ LXX.Gen.25.18 ☩ LXX.Deut.34.1 ☩ LXX.Amos.9.8 ☩ Matt.22.16 ☩ LXX.1Kgs.2.11 ☩ 1Thess.2.17 ☩ 2Cor.5.12 ☩ LXX.Mal.1.8 ☩ Luke.20.21 ☩ Gal.2.6 ☩ LXX.Prov.18.5 ☩ LXX.Deut.10.17}