Biblangbeta

conjunction

Greekπρίν (prin)
Biblang

prin

Strong’sG4250

formerly, before

stem prin-13 times in the New Testamentin 5 of 27 booksnever changes form

What it means

A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.

AI Summary

Before, formerly — πρίν marks a point or stretch of time that comes earlier than something else. It functions both as an adverb, meaning "before" or "formerly" 1234, and as a conjunction joining two clauses, meaning "before" 13. Strong's notes the related sense "prior, sooner," and "ere" 2.

In the sentences where it links clauses, πρίν most often takes an infinitive after a positive statement (as in "before the cock crows" or "before Abraham was") 1; after a negative statement it can instead take a subjunctive or optative verb, giving something closer to "until" 13.

Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.

The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:

Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full

πρίν,

1. as adv. of time, before, formerly (cl.; III Mac 5:28 6:4, 31).
2. As conjc. (cl.), before;
(a) after a positive sentence, c. acc. et inf.: Mt 26:34, 75, Mk 14:72, Lk 22:61, Jo 4:49 8:58 (where D. om. γενέσθαι and π. becomes prep. c. gen.; v. Bl., § 69, 7) 14:29, Ac 2:20(LXX), WH, txt.; πρὶν ἤ (not such good Attic in this construction; v. Bl., § 69, 7), Mt 1:18, Mk 14:30, Ac 2:20, WH, mg., 7:2;
(b) after a negative sentence, πρὶν ἤ: a. subjc. (seq. ἄν, M, Pr., 169), Lk 2:26; c. optat., Ac 25:16.†

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G4250 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidprin

prior, sooner

Fromadverb from G4253;

King Jamesbefore (that), ere.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
πρίν,
adverb and conjunction, before, until. [πρῐν 19 Refs 8th c.BC+; πρῑν in Refs 8th c.BC+; once written πρείν, Refs, but πρίν Refs; Trag. and Comedy texts always πρῐν (πρίν γ᾽ must be read in Refs 5th c.BC+
A adverb of Time, before, either in the sense of sooner or in that of formerly, erst (implying duration up to a certain time):
I of future time, with future Indic., πρίν μιν καὶ γῆρας ἔπεισιν Refs 8th c.BC+: with Subj. = future, πρὶν καὶ κακὸν ἄλλο πάθῃσθα Refs 8th c.BC+: with Opt. and κεν, πρίν κεν ἀνιηθεὶς σὴν πατρίδα γαῖαν ἵκοιο Refs 8th c.BC+
II of past time,
II.1 formerly, once, πρὶν μέν μοι ὑπέσχετο.., νῦν δὲ.. Refs 8th c.BC+
II.2 formerly (up to a certain point), before, in this sense frequently with Article, τὸ πρίν γ᾽ ἐκέκαστο Refs 8th c.BC+participle γενόμενος, τὰ π. πελώρια (i.e. γενόμενα) the giants of old, Refs 4th c.BC+; τοῦ π. Αἰγέως Aegeus gone before, Refs 5th c.BC+: with participle expressed, τὸ π. γενόμενον τέρας Refs 5th c.BC+
II.3 hitherto, π. μέν.. Refs 5th c.BC+; until that time, and so meanwhile, Refs
II.4 sometimes followed by genitive, π. ὥρας LXX+5th c.BC+; π. τοῦ βλέψαι, π. τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν, LXX+2nd c.AD+; also πρὶν οὗ with infinitive, Refs 2nd c.BC+; with indicative, Test. cited in Refs 4th c.BC+
B conjunction before, ere: frequently following an antecedent clause with adverbial π. (chiefly in Epic dialect), or its equivalents πρότερον, πρόσθεν, πάρος (poetry), especially with negative, οὐδὲ π..., π... Refs 8th c.BC+; preceded by φθάνω,Refs 8th c.BC+; uncertain and perhaps always corrupt in Attic dialect and Refs 5th c.BC+, but frequently in later Greek, LXX
B.I with infinitive, the prevailing construction in Refs 8th c.BC+
B.I regularly aorist,
B.I.a after a positive clause, ναῖε δὲ Πήδαιον, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν Refs 8th c.BC+; after negative questions which expect a positive answer, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.I.b after a negative clause, οὐδ᾽ ὅ γε πρὶν Δαναοῖσιν ἀεικέα λοιγὸν ἀπώσει, πρίν γ᾽ ἀπὸ πατρὶ φίλῳ δόμεναι ἑλικώπιδα κούρην Refs 8th c.BC+; but Inf. is found where π. precedes, π. ἰδεῖν δ᾽, οὐδεὶς μάντις Refs 5th c.BC+; also after Verbs of fearing (the positive being the thing dreaded), ὅταν.. δεδίωσι μὴ πρότερόν τι μάθῃς, π. τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς πραττομένοις Refs 5th c.BC+; in unfulfilled conditions and wishes, οὔθ᾽ ὁ Πλούτωνος κύων οὔθ᾽ οὑπὶ κώπῃ ψυχοπομπὸς ἂν Χάρων ἔσχον π. εἰς φῶς σὸν καταστῆσαι βίον Refs 5th c.BC+; otherwise not common, ὤφθην οὐδεπώποτε π. ταύτην τὴν συμφορὰν γενέσθαι Refs 5th c.BC+
B.I.2 also present, to convey a special sense of continuance, effort, or the like, 'before undertaking to', 'before proceeding to', π. ἐξοπλίζειν Ἄρη Refs 5th c.BC+
B.I.3 also perfect, after a future, π. τόδ᾽ ἐξηντληκέναι Refs 5th c.BC+; after present or imperfect, Refs 5th c.BC+; with ἥκειν in perfect sense, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II with a finite Verb:
B.II.1 with Ind., chiefly aorist: not in Refs 8th c.BC+ after both positive and negative clauses, ἠλώμην.., πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε.. ἤγαγες Refs 8th c.BC+imperfect, οὐδ᾽ ὧς τοῦ θυμὸν.. ἔπειθον, πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε δὴ θάλαμος πύκ᾽ ἐβάλλετο (began to be hit) Refs 8th c.BC+aorist,
B.II.1.a after negative clauses: of a fact in the past, οὐκ ἦν ἀλέξημ᾽ οὐδὲν.., πρίν γ᾽ ἐγώ σφισιν ἔδειξα Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ὣς.. ἠξίωσαν νεώτερόν τι ποιεῖν ἐς αὐτο᾽ν.., πρίν γε δὴ αὐτοῖς.. μηνυτὴς γίγνεται (historical present = aorist) Refs 5th c.BC+; as part of an unfulfilled condition, οὐκ ἂν κατέσχε δῆμον οὐδ᾽ ἐπαύσατο π. ἀνταράξας πῖαρ ἐξεῖλεν γάλα Refs 6th c.BC+; after verbs implying a negative, ἀμφιγνοεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+; also with imperfect, οὔπω ᾔδει.. π. ἐν τῷ κακῷ ἦν Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.1.b after positive clauses (both combined, Refs 5th c.BC+, with the sense until, ἠγόμην δ᾽ ἀνὴρ ἀστῶν μέγιστος.., πρίν μοι τύχη τοιάδ᾽ ἐπέστη Refs 5th c.BC+; σπουδαὶ δὲ λόγων ἦσαν ἴσαι πως, πρὶν.. πείθει (historical present) Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ περὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας κατελύθη (negative idea) ὑπὸ ξυμφορῶν, πρὶν δὴ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τότε τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐποίησαν Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.2 with Subj. only after negatives or equivalent of negative, ={ἕως} or ἢν μή (in Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐ καταδυσόμεθ᾽, ἀχνύμενοί περ.., πρὶν μόρσιμον ἦμαρ ἐπέλθῃ Refs 8th c.BC+
B.II.2.a generally with aorist, to express an action preceding the action of the antecedent clause, the Verb in which is future (or some equivalent of the future) or imperative, οὐ γαμέεται παρθένος οὐδεμία, πρὶν ἂν τῶν πολεμίων ἄνδρα ἀποκτείνῃ Refs 5th c.BC+; νῦν δ᾽ οὐδέν ἐστι τέρμα μοι προκείμενον μόχθων (the sense here is future), πρὶν ἂν Ζεὺς ἐκπέσῃ τυραννίδος Refs 4th c.BC+; οὐ γάρ ποτ᾽ ἔξει τῆσδε τῆς χώρας, πρὶν ἂν.. στήσῃς ἄγων Refs 5th c.BC+; μηδέν᾽ ὀλβίζειν π. ἀ᾽ν τέρμα τοῦ βίου περάσῃ Refs 5th c.BC+; πρὶν ἀνάγκην τινὰ θεὸς ἐπιπέμψῃ Refs 5th c.BC+ in the next sentence,Refs 4th c.BC+
B.II.2.b less frequently (never in Refs 8th c.BC+present subjunctive: μήπω π. ἂν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀΐῃς (the Verb has no aorist) μύθων Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.3 πρίν with Opt.:
B.II.3.a representing subjunctive after historical tenses, οὐκ ἔθελεν φεύγειν π. πειρήσαιτ᾽ Ἀχιλῆος Refs 8th c.BC+; πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε, as with subjunctive,Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.3.b by assimilation, ὄλοιο μήπω π. μάθοιμι Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰδείης (potential optative).. π. πειρηθείης Refs 6th c.BC+
B.II.4 π. ἄν with optative is doubtful, and (if not corrupt) due to the change required by indirect speech, ἀπαγορευόντων τῶν φίλων τῶν ἐμῶν μὴ ἀποκτείνειν τὸν ἄνδρα, πρὶν ἄν ἐγὼ ἔλθοιμι Refs 5th c.BC+
B.II.5 without a Verb, πρὶν ὥρη (i.e. γένηται) Refs 8th c.BC+

H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.

Translated as

Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.

before13×

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.

Where it appears

Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.

13 occurrences, every one of them listed

prin10×

Matthew 1:18… tau mētērau autou Mariau to Iōsēf, prin ē sunerchara autoin heuriskita en gastra …… pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found …

Matthew 26:34… si hoti en houta ta nukta prin alektōron fōnara tris aparnesi min.… you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny …

John 14:29kai nun legamē vi prin genera, hina hotan geneteia pisteuaveia.And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it …

Mark 14:30… hoti sis sēmeron houta ta nukta prin ē dis alektōron fōnara tris min …… you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will …

Luke 2:26… pneumeu teu hagieu mē horara thanaton prin ē an horateia ton christon kuriou.… that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

John 4:49… pros auton tos basilikos; Kurior, katabainasar prin apothnēskara tem paidiem mu.“Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

John 8:58… autoi Iēsus; Amēn amēn legamō vi, prin Abraam genera mis amō.… truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Acts 2:20… skotem kai tas selēnas eis haimem prin ē erchara hēmeran kuriou tan megan …… darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and …

Acts 7:2… nu Abraam arōnto en ta Mesopotamia prin ē katoikara auton en Charran,… while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

Acts 25:16… atō ethem Rōmaioi charizorō tinon anthrōpon prin ē tos katēgororōntos kata prosōpem echatoiō …… custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to …

Prin3×

Matthew 26:75… Petros teu rēmeu Iēsu legarēntou hoti Prin alektōron fōnara tris aparnesi min, kai …… the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny …

Mark 14:72… hōs legata auto tos Iēsus hoti Prin alektōron fōnara dis tris min aparnesi, …… that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will …

Luke 22:61… tou kuriou hōs legata auto hoti Prin alektōron fōnara sēmeron aparnesi min tris.… the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will …