adjective
prōtos
Strong’sG4413
first, before
stem prōt-154 times in the New Testamentin 20 of 27 books3 of 26 forms occur
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
Πρῶτος means first, whether in a sequence of time, place, or order 124. It can stand alone as a noun ("the first one") or describe a day, watch, or position as first in a series, and is sometimes used where English would say "before" or "formerly" 124. As a neuter form it also functions as an adverb, "first" or "at first," marking the first step in either a time sequence or a list of points 1.
Πρῶτος can also mean chief, principal, or foremost in rank or dignity, describing a person's or place's standing rather than mere sequence — for example the "first" or leading person in a group, or a city of chief importance 12.
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
B. Superl., πρῶτος, -η, -ον,
[in LXX chiefly for רִאשׁוֹן, also for אֶחַד, etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4413 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpro'-tos
foremost (in time, place, order or importance)
Fromcontracted superlative of G4253;
King Jamesbefore, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former.
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
see at {πρότερος} Refs 5th 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.
3 rarer renderings are not shown; every occurrence below carries the English it was given there.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | prōtos1×πρῶτος | prōtas | prōtem57×πρῶτον | prōtois | prōtais | prōteim |
| object accusative | prōton1×πρῶτον | prōtan | prōtoin | prōtain | ||
| direct address vocative | prōtor | prōtar | prōtoir | prōtair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | prōtou | prōtau | prōteu | prōtoiu | prōtaiu | prōteiu |
| to, for dative | prōto | prōta | prōte | prōtoi | prōtai | prōtei |
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
prōt 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
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
154 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
prōtos“first”subjectnominative singular1×
Matthew 21:31… tem thelēmem tou patrou? legalō; Tos prōtos. legatō autoi tos Iēsus; Amēn legamō …… the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them …
prōton“first”objectaccusative singular1×
Matthew 17:27… thalassan balasar ankistrem kai ton anabainaranton prōton ichthon airasar, kai anoigarantos tem stomem …… cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open …
prōtem“first”subject or objectdirect singular57×, 16 shown
Matthew 5:24… su emprosthen teu thusiastērieu kai hupagasōr prōtem diallaxisar to adelfo su, kai tote …… your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your …
Matthew 6:33zētavōr de prōtem tan basileian kai tan dikaiosunan autou, …But seek first the kingdom of God and His …
Matthew 7:5hupokritor, ekbalasar prōtem ek tou ofthalmou su tan dokan, …You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your …
Matthew 8:21… mathētoiu legata auto; Kurior, epitrepasar mi prōtem aperchara kai thaptara ton patron mu.Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my …
Matthew 12:29… teim skeveim autou harpazara, ean mē prōtem dateia ton ischuron? kai tote tan …… and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then …
Matthew 13:30… tou therismou legami toi theristoi; Sullegavar prōtem teim zizanieim kai davar auteim eis …… time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them …
Matthew 17:10… grammatevois legalō hoti Ēliaon datō erchara prōtem?… scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Matthew 23:26Farisaior tuflor, katharizasar prōtem tem entos teu potērieu kai tau …Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup …
Mark 3:27… teim skeveim autou diarpazara ean mē prōtem ton ischuron dateia, kai tote tan …… to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then …
Mark 4:28automatas tas gēas karpoforatō, prōtem chorton, eita stachuon, eita plēron siton …… itself the earth produces a crop— first the stalk, then the head, then …
Mark 7:27kai legate auta; Afiēkasar prōtem chortazira teim tekneim, ouk gar kalem …“First let the children have their fill …
Mark 9:11… tois grammatevois hoti Ēliaon datō erchara prōtem?… scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Mark 9:12… de fēate autoi; Ēliaos men ercharantos prōtem apokatastēatō panteim, kai pōs grafotē epi …He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why …
Mark 13:10kai eis panteim teim ethneim prōtem datō kērussira tem euangeliem.And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.
Mark 16:9Anastēarantos de prōi prōta sabbateu fanita prōtem Maria ta Magdalēna, para hau ekbalatelē …… after Jesus had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He …
1 Corinthians 15:46alla ouk prōtem tem pneumatikem alla tem psuchikem, epeita …The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the …
prōtos15×
Matthew 10:2… dōdeka apostoloiu teim onomeim atō houteim; prōtos Simōnos tos legorōntos Petros kai Andreos …… the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother …
Matthew 20:27… hos an thelateiō en vi arō prōtos eti vu doulos;and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave —
Matthew 22:25… para ni hepta adelfois; kai tos prōtos gamarantos teleutata, kai mē echarōntos spermem …… were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having …
Mark 9:35… kai legatō autoi; Ei tinos thelatō prōtos arō eti pantoiu eschatos kai pantoiu …… said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of …
Mark 10:44… hos an thelateiō en vi arō prōtos, eti pantoiu doulos;and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.
Mark 12:20hepta adelfois ale; kai tos prōtos labata gunaikan, kai apothnēskarōntos ouk afiēkata …Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no …
Luke 14:18… archela apo henau pantois paraitorō. tos prōtos legata auto; Agron agorazama kai echamō …… all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a …
Luke 19:16parageneta de tos prōtos legarōntos; Kurior, tas mnas su deka …The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master …
Luke 20:29hepta oun adelfois ale; kai tos prōtos labarantos gunaikan apothnēskata ateknos;Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died …
John 1:15… mu erchorōntos emprosthen mu genatē, hoti prōtos mu ate;… has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
John 1:30… andros hos emprosthen mu genatē, hoti prōtos mu ate;… has surpassed me because He was before me.’
John 20:4… protrechata tachiem tou Petrou kai erchata prōtos eis tem mnēmeiem,… outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
John 20:8… kai tos allosos mathētos tos ercharantos prōtos eis tem mnēmeiem, kai horata kai …… disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. And he saw …
Acts 26:23ei pathētos tos christos, ei prōtos ek anastasiau nekroiu fōtem mellatō katangelarō …… Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would …
Romans 10:19alla legamō, mē Israēl ouk gnōskata? prōtos Mōusos legatō; Mis parazēlami vin epi …… ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you …
prōtas12×
Matthew 22:38houtas atō tas megas kai prōtas entolas.This is the first and greatest commandment.
Mark 12:28… autoi, eperōtata auton; Poias atō entolas prōtas panteiu?… asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
Luke 2:2houtas apografas prōtas geneta hēgemoneuarōntou tau Suriau Kurēniou;This was the first census to take place while Quirinius …
Acts 16:12“a prominent”kakeithen eis Filippoin, hotinas atō prōtas tau meridau Makedoniau polas, kolōnias. ane …… we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we …
Ephesians 6:2… kai tan mētēran, hotinas atō entolas prōtas en epangelia,… father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise),
Hebrews 8:7Ei gar tas prōtas ekeinas ate amemptas, ouk an deuterau …For if that first covenant had been without fault, no …
Hebrews 9:1Echate men oun tas prōtas dikaiōmeim latreiau tem tē hagiem kosmikem.Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and …
Hebrews 9:2skēnas gar kataskeuazita tas prōtas en ha tas tē luchnas kai …A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table …
Hebrews 9:18hothen oude tas prōtas chōris haimeu enkainizotē;That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect …
Revelation 4:1“first”… to ourano, kai tas fōnas tas prōtas han akouama hōs salpingau lalarōntau meta …… open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying …
Revelation 20:5… chilioi eteim. houtas tas anastasias tas prōtas.… years were complete. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 21:1“first”… tos gar prōtos ouranos kai tas prōtas gēas aperchala, kai tas thalassas ouk …… new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
prōtois11×
Matthew 19:30pollois de eli prōtois eschatois kai eschatois prōtois.But many who are first will be last, and the last …
Matthew 19:30… de eli prōtois eschatois kai eschatois prōtois.… last, and the last will be first.[’’]
Matthew 20:10“first”kai ercharantois tois prōtois nomizala hoti polloterem labeli; kai labala …So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.
Matthew 20:16houtōs eli tois eschatois prōtois kai tois prōtois eschatois.… last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Matthew 20:16… eli tois eschatois prōtois kai tois prōtois eschatois.So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Mark 10:31pollois de eli prōtois eschatois kai tois eschatois prōtois.But many who are first will be last, and the last …
Mark 10:31… eli prōtois eschatois kai tois eschatois prōtois.… last, and the last will be first.”
Luke 13:30kai idou alō eschatois hois eli prōtois, kai alō prōtois hois eli eschatois.… some who are last will be first, and some who are first will …
Luke 13:30… eschatois hois eli prōtois, kai alō prōtois hois eli eschatois.… be first, and some who are first will be last.”
Luke 19:47… grammatevois zētale auton apolara kai tois prōtois tou laou,… but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on …
Acts 25:2… tē auto tois archierevois kai tois prōtois toiu Ioudaioiu kata tou Paulou, kai …where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They …
prōta6×
Matthew 26:17Ta de prōta teiu azumeiu proserchala tois mathētois to …On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened …
Mark 14:12Kai ta prōta hēmera teiu azumeiu, hote tem pascha …On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened …
Mark 16:9Anastēarantos de prōi prōta sabbateu fanita prōtem Maria ta Magdalēna, …Early on the first day of the week, after Jesus …
2 Timothy 4:16En ta prōta mu apologia oudenos mi parageneta, alla …At my first defense, no one stood with me …
Hebrews 9:15… generantou eis apolutrōsian taiu epi ta prōta diathēka parabasiaiu tan epangelian labaleia tois …… from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
Revelation 20:6… echarōntos merem en ta anastasia ta prōta; epi houtoiu tos deuteros thanatos ouk …… are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no …
prōtan6×
Luke 15:22… douloin autou; Tachuem ekferavar stolan tan prōtan kai enduavar auton, kai dōavar daktulion …… to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him …
Acts 12:10diercharantois de prōtan fulakan kai deuteran erchala epi tan …They passed the first and second guards and came to …
1 Timothy 5:12echarōntais krimem hoti tan prōtan pistian athetala;… because they are setting aside their first faith.
Hebrews 8:13en te legarō Kainan palaiatē tan prōtan, tem de palaiorōntem kai gēraskarōntem engus …… new covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete …
Hebrews 9:6… de houtōs kataskeuazorēnteiu, eis men tan prōtan skēnan dia pantou eiseialō tois hierevois …… the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties.
Revelation 2:4… su hoti tan agapan su tan prōtan afiēkasa.… against you: You have abandoned your first love.
prōtem6×
John 10:40“earlier”… ton topon hopou ate Iōannos tem prōtem baptizarōntos, kai menata ekei.… Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.
John 12:16… ouk gnōskala autou tois mathētois tem prōtem, alla hote doxazita Iēsus tote mimnēskila …At first His disciples did not understand these …
John 19:39“at first”… tos ercharantos pros auton nuktau tem prōtem, ferarōntos migmem smurnau kai aloau hōs …… had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
Hebrews 10:9… poiara tem thelēmem su; anairatō tem prōtem hina tem deuterem stēateia.… Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.
Revelation 13:12… katoikarōntoin hina proskunali tem thērem tem prōtem, heu therapeuita tas plēgas tou thanatou …… dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been …
Revelation 4:7kai tem zōem tem prōtem homoiem leonto, kai tem deuterem zōem …The first living creature was like a lion …
prōteiu4×
Matthew 12:45… eschateim tou anthrōpou ekeinou cheirōneim teiu prōteiu. houtōs eti kai ta genea houta …… that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this …
Luke 11:26… eschateim tou anthrōpou ekeinou cheirōneim teiu prōteiu.… that man is worse than the first.”
2 Peter 2:20… genatē autoi teim eschateim cheirōneim teiu prōteiu.… is worse than it was at first.
Revelation 2:19… ergeim su teim eschateim pollotereim teiu prōteiu.… latest deeds are greater than your first.
prōtau4×
Matthew 27:64… eti tas eschatas planas cheirōnas tau prōtau.… deception would be worse than the first.”
Acts 20:18… auton legata autoi; Vis epistovō apo prōtau hēmerau apo hau epibainama eis tan …… I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province …
Philippians 1:5… vu eis tem euangeliem apo tau prōtau hēmerau achri tou nun,… partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
Hebrews 9:8… tan teiu hagieiu hodan ēti tau prōtau skēnau echarōntau stasian,… been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.
prōto3×
Luke 16:5… chreofeiletoiu tou kuriou heautou legate to prōto; Posem ofeilasō to kurio mu?… owe my master?’ he asked the first.
Acts 28:7“leading”… ton topon ekeinon huparchate chōrieim to prōto tau nēsau onome Poplio, hos anadecherantos …… belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and …
1 Timothy 1:16“foremost”… dia houtem elēima, hina en mi prōto endeiketeia Christos Iēsus tan hapantan makrothumian, …But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an …
prōtoin3×
Acts 13:50… seborōntain gunaikain tain euschēmōnain kai toin prōtoin tau polau kai epegerala diōgmon epi …… religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred …
Acts 27:43… keleuata tē toin dunorōntoin kolumbarō aporiptarantoin prōtoin epi tan gēan exeiarō,… who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
Acts 28:17… sunkalera auton toin arōntoin toiu Ioudaioiu prōtoin; sunercharantoiu de autoiu legate pros autoin; …… three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had …
prōtoiu2×
Matthew 20:8… archerantos apo toiu eschatoiu heōs toiu prōtoiu.… hired and moving on to the first.’
Matthew 21:36palin apostelata allosoin douloin polloteroin toiu prōtoiu, kai poiala autoi hōsautōs.… sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the …
prōteim2×
Revelation 2:5… pothen piptasē, kai metanoasar kai teim prōteim ergeim poiasar; ei de mē, erchomō …… perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent …
Revelation 21:4… oute ponos ouk eti ēti. teim prōteim aperchala.… or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
prōte1×
Matthew 21:28… anthrōpos echate tekneim duo. prosercharantos te prōte legata; Teknem, hupagasōr sēmeron ergazosōr en …… two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and …
Prōtas1×
Mark 12:29apokrinita tos Iēsus hoti Prōtas atō; Akouasōr, Israēl, kurios tos theos …Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our …
prōtoi1×
Mark 6:21… autou kai toi chiliarchoi kai toi prōtoi tau Galilaiau,… nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
prōtou1×
John 19:32… oun tois stratiōtois, kai tou men prōtou kateagala teim skeleim kai tou allosou …… and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with …
prōton1×
Acts 1:1Ton men prōton logon poiema peri panteiu, ō Theofilor, …In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about …
prōtaiu1×
Acts 17:4… Hellēnoiu plēthem pollem gunaikaiu tē taiu prōtaiu ouk oligais.… God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
prōtei1×
1 Corinthians 15:3Paradōama gar vi en prōtei, hem kai paralabama, hoti Christos apothnēskata …… passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins …
prōteu1×
Revelation 13:12kai tan exousian teu prōteu thēreu pantan poiatō enōpion auteu. kai …… exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and …