adjective

proteras

Greekπρότερος (proteros)

Strong’sG4386

former, before

stem proter-11 times in the New Testamentin 7 of 27 books0 of 26 forms occur

Translated as

before3×first3×former3×formerly2×

What it means

A. Compar., πρότερος, -α, -ον,

[in LXX for לִפָנִים, רִאשׁוֹן, etc.;]

before, of time, place, rank, etc.; in NT always of Time, before, former: Eph 4:22. Adverbially, πρότερον, before, aforetime, formerly: Jo 7:50, II Co 1:15, He 4:6; opp. to ἔπειτα, He 7:27; τὸ π., Jo 6:62 9:8, Ga 4:13, I Ti 1:13; αἱ π. ἡμέραι, He 10:32; αἱ π. ἐπιθυμίαι, I Pe 1:14.†

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

Strong’s G4386 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidprot'-er-on

previously

Fromneuter of G4387 as adverb (with or without the article);

King Jamesbefore, (at the) first, former.

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

Every form

Job in the sentence case	masculine singular	feminine singular	neuter singular	masculine plural	feminine plural	neuter plural
subject nominative	proteros	proteras	proterem	proterois	proterais	protereim
object accusative	proteron	proteran		proteroin	proterain
direct address vocative	proteror	proterar		proteroir	proterair
of, belonging to genitive	proterou	proterau	protereu	proteroiu	proteraiu	protereiu
to, for dative	protero	protera	protere	proteroi	proterai	proterei

Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.

Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them

proterstem+oaegender+smnru—its job in the sentence case+—ione · more than one number

proter is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.

same in every form varies — every value shown

Where it appears

11 occurrences, every one of them listed

proterem10×

John 6:62“before”ean oun theōraveiō ton huion tou anthrōpou anabainarōton hopou ate tem proterem?Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?

John 7:50“before”legatō Nikodēmos pros autoin, tos ercharatos pros auton proterem, henos arōtos ek autoiu;Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked,

John 9:8“before”tois oun geitōnois kai tois theōrarōtois auton tem proterem hoti prosaitos ate legale; Ouk houtos atō tos katherōtos kai prosaitarōtos?At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”

2 Corinthians 1:15“first”Kai houta ta pepoithēsia bouleme proterem pros vin erchara, hina deuteran charian echaveia,Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.

Galatians 4:13“first”oidavē de hoti dia asthenian tau sarxau euangelizema vi tem proterem,You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

1 Timothy 1:13“formerly”tem proterem arōton blasfēmon kai diōkton kai hubriston; alla elēima, hoti agnoarōtos poiama en apistia,I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

Hebrews 4:6“formerly”epei oun apoleipitō tinoin eiserchara eis autan, kai tois proterem euangeliziratois ouk eiserchala dia apeitheian,Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,

Hebrews 7:27“first”hos ouk echatō kata hēmeran anankan, hōsper tois archierevois, proterem huper taiu idiaiu hamartaiu thusiain anaferarō, epeita taiu tou laou houtem gar poiata efapax heauton anaferaratos;Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 10:32“former”Anamimnēskivōr de tain proterem hēmerain, en hai fōtiziratois pollan athlēsian hupomenava pathēmeiu,Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.

1 Peter 1:14“former”hōs tekneim hupakoau, mē suschēmatizerōtois tai proterem en ta agnoia vu epithumiai,As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.

proteran1×

Ephesians 4:22“former”apotithera vin kata tan proteran anastrofan ton palaion anthrōpon ton ftheirirōton kata tain epithumiain tau apatau,to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;