πρόδρομος

From the study of Hebrews 6:20

Range of meaning

Literally 'running ahead.' As a noun it means (1) a scout or advance party sent ahead of a main body, especially in military use; (2) a runner who goes before someone; (3) of fruit, the first-ripe grapes or figs that arrive before the full harvest; (4) in weather writing, winds that blow before the main seasonal winds. In every sense the point is the same: the prodromos is first, and others of the same kind come after.

Against the English

'Forerunner' is a good match in older English. In modern English, though, 'forerunner' often means a predecessor that gets replaced ('the telegraph was a forerunner of the phone') or a herald who is less than the one who follows. Here neither holds. Jesus is not replaced, and he is not lesser. He is the first of many to arrive where he is.

How it drifted

Modern English has drifted towards 'precursor' or 'prototype.' Church use of 'forerunner' for John the Baptist (who goes before a greater one) also pulls the word towards a lesser herald.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Numbers 13:20 (the 'first-ripe' grapes the spies brought back); LXX Isaiah 28:4 (an early fig); Wisdom 12:8 (wasps sent as 'forerunners' of God's army ahead of Israel). Classical Greek uses it for advance scouts and light troops. BDAG and LSJ list scout, runner ahead and early fruit. They give no nautical 'harbor boat' sense.