Greek word · G4303
προμαρτύρομαι
promartyromai
to predict
To testify or bear witness beforehand; to call to witness in advance. It is built from 'before' plus martyromai, 'to testify, solemnly declare'.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
προ-μαρτύρομαι
to protest beforehand (cf. μαρτύρομαι, and V. Hort, in l): 1 Peter 1:11 (elsewhere only in Theod. Met., xiv/AD.).†
(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 1 Peter 1:11
- Range of meaning
To testify or bear witness beforehand; to call to witness in advance. It is built from 'before' plus martyromai, 'to testify, solemnly declare'.
- Against the English
BSB, WEB, NIV, ESV and NASB have 'predicted'; KJV and YLT have 'testified beforehand'. 'Predicted' is clear, but it loses the witness-in-court flavour that runs through 1 Peter (Peter calls himself a 'witness of the sufferings of Christ' in 5:1).
- How it drifted
Not a drift so much as a flattening: 'predict' suggests forecasting, while the Greek suggests sworn testimony given in advance.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Not found in the Septuagint and found only here in the NT. Before this letter the word is barely found in any Greek writing, so Peter may have coined it or picked up a rare form. The simple martyromai is common for solemn declaration (Acts 20:26; Gal 5:3).
Where it appears
1 Peter · 1
-
1 Peter 1:11 προμαρτυρόμενον testifying beforehand
trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
Here: 'Bearing witness in advance.' It is courtroom language: the Spirit gave sworn testimony ahead of the events. The word occurs only here in the New Testament and is barely found anywhere earlier.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.