Word Study for G4267 (προγινώσκω)

proginṓskō /prog-in-oce'-ko/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρό and γινώσκω

Meaningto know beforehand, i.e. foresee

KJV usageforeknow (ordain), know (before).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of proginṓskō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word proginṓskō, represented by G4267, means to know beforehand or to foresee. This term is derived from πρό (before) and γινώσκω (to know). It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible, carrying significant weight in both theological and common contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G4267 describes different types of prior knowledge. In a human context, Paul refers to how the Pharisees knew him from the beginning of his life Acts 26:5. Theologically, it is used to describe God's eternal knowledge. God has not cast away the people He foreknew Romans 11:2. This divine foreknowledge is also the foundation for salvation, as those God did foreknow, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son Romans 8:29. It is used for Christ, who was foreordained before the foundation of the world 1 Peter 1:20, and as a warning to believers who, seeing ye know these things before, should beware of error 2 Peter 3:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning and application of G4267:

G4309 proorízō (to limit in advance, i.e. (figuratively) predetermine): This word is directly linked to foreknowledge, showing that God's predetermination is based on His prior knowledge Romans 8:29.
G4832 sýmmorphos (jointly formed, i.e. (figuratively) similar): This reveals the purpose of God's foreknowledge and predestination for believers, which is to be conformed to the image of His Son Romans 8:29.
G683 apōthéomai (to push off, figuratively, to reject): This term is used to declare that God will not cast away His people whom He foreknew, linking His prior knowledge to His covenant faithfulness Romans 11:2.
G4740 stērigmós (stability (figuratively)): Believers who have prior knowledge of the dangers of false teaching are called to guard their stedfastness from the error of the wicked 2 Peter 3:17.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G4267 is profound, establishing key doctrines of the Christian faith.

Foundation of Predestination: Foreknowledge is presented as the basis for God's sovereign plan. Those He foreknew are then predestined, called, justified, and glorified, forming an unbreakable chain of salvation Romans 8:29.
Eternal Plan for Christ: The term establishes that Christ's role as the manifest savior was not an afterthought but was foreordained before the world began, highlighting His eternal nature and centrality to God's plan 1 Peter 1:20.
Assurance of God's Covenant: God's foreknowledge provides assurance of His faithfulness to His people. Because He foreknew them, He will not ultimately reject or cast them away Romans 11:2.
Call to Steadfastness: For believers, having prior knowledge through the scriptures comes with a responsibility to beware and avoid being led away by false teachings, thereby protecting their own steadfastness in the faith 2 Peter 3:17.

Summary

In summary, G4267 proginṓskō extends beyond a simple awareness of future events. While it can describe ordinary human knowledge of the past, its primary theological use defines God's intimate, purposeful, and relational knowledge that exists outside of time. This divine foreknowledge is the very starting point of God's redemptive work, securing the believer's salvation in Christ and guaranteeing God's unbreakable promises to His people. It serves as both a comfort and a call to remain vigilant.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 2×
Perfect Passive Participle Genitive Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Romans (2 verses); never once in the other 23.

Acts

Romans

1 Peter

2 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.