Greek word · G4250

πρίν

prin

before

Prin + infinitive is the normal Greek way to say 'before (something happens)'. Apothnēskō is the ordinary verb 'to die'. Here it is in a form that pictures death as one completed event.

Appears 13 times in 13 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

πρίν

1. as adv. of time, before, formerly (cl.; 3Ma.5:28 3Mac 6:4 3Mac 6:31)

2. As conic. (cl.), before;

(a) after a positive sentence, with accusative and inf.: Matthew 26:34, 75, Mark 14:72, Luke 22:61, John 4:49 8:58 (where D. om. γενέσθαι and π. becomes prep. with genitive; see Bl., § 69, 7) John 14:29, Acts 2:20" (LXX), WH, txt.; πρὶν ἤ (not such good Attic in this construction; see Bl., l.with), Matthew 1:18 Mark 14:30, Acts 2:20, WH, mg., Acts 7:2;

(b) after a negative sentence, πρὶν ἤ: a. subjc. (before ἄν, M, Pr., 169), Luke 2:26; with optative, Acts 25:16.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 4:49

Range of meaning

Prin + infinitive is the normal Greek way to say 'before (something happens)'. Apothnēskō is the ordinary verb 'to die'. Here it is in a form that pictures death as one completed event.

Against the English

'Before my child dies' (most versions) and KJV 'ere my child die' are accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

The same construction appears in John 8:58 ('before Abraham was'), 14:29 ('before it happens'), and elsewhere. The phrase is plain, everyday Greek.

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

  1. Matthew 1:18 πρὶν before

    This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

    Here: 'Before.' It fixes the timing: the pregnancy was evident before the marriage was completed.

  2. Matthew 26:34 πρὶν before [the]

    “Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

    Here: 'Before', followed by a verb in the infinitive ('before a rooster to crow'). It sets a time limit. The denials will all happen before the night's first marker of dawn.

  3. Matthew 26:75 πρὶν Before [the]

    Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

    Here: 'Before' plus an infinitive. It sets the time limit: the three denials will happen before the rooster's call.

Mark · 2

  1. Mark 14:30 πρὶν before

    “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

  2. Mark 14:72 πρὶν Before

    And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 2:26 πρὶν before

    The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

    Here: Sets the time limit: death would not come before a particular event.

  2. Luke 22:61 πρὶν Before

    And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

    Here: 'Before'. It sets a short, fixed deadline for the prediction.

John · 3

  1. John 4:49 πρὶν before

    “Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

    Here: 'Before', followed by an infinitive ('before to die'). It sets a deadline. In the father's mind the time is running out.

  2. John 8:58 πρὶν before

    “Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

    Here: 'Before', followed by a verb form ('before Abraham came to be'). It marks a point in time and then places Jesus' 'I am' prior to it.

  3. John 14:29 πρὶν before

    And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.

    Here: 'Before' together with the infinitive that follows. It stresses that the telling comes first, which is the whole point.

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 2:20 πρὶν before

    The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.

    Here: 'Before'. The signs come before the Day: they are its warning signs, not the Day itself.

  2. Acts 7:2 πρὶν before

    And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

    Here: "Before". With ἤ and an infinitive it sets the time: the appearance came first, and the move to Haran came after it.

  3. Acts 25:16 πρὶν before

    I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.