Word Study for G4308 (προοράω)

prooráō /pro-or-ah'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρό and ὁράω

Meaningto behold in advance, i.e. (actively) to notice (another) previously, or (middle voice) to keep in (one's own) view

KJV usageforesee, see before.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of prooráō — 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 prooráō, represented by G4308, means to behold in advance or foresee. It appears 2 times in 2 unique verses in the Bible. The term is formed from πρό ("before") and ὁράω ("to see"), giving it a distinct meaning of seeing something ahead of time. It can be used actively, to notice someone previously, or in the middle voice to describe keeping something in one's own view.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G4308 is used in two distinct ways. In a prophetic context, David is quoted as saying, "I foresaw the Lord always before my face," indicating a constant, forward-looking spiritual vision Acts 2:25. This usage implies keeping the Lord perpetually in view as a guide and protector. The second usage is more literal, describing a prior observation. In Acts, some individuals had seen before Trophimus with Paul in the city, which led them to make an incorrect assumption about Paul bringing him into the temple Acts 21:29.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context in which G4308 is used:

G1799 enṓpion (in the face of): This word is used alongside "foresaw" to specify where the Lord was seen, emphasizing a direct and constant presence "before my face" Acts 2:25.
G3543 nomízō (to deem or regard): This word highlights the consequence of a prior observation. After having "seen before" Trophimus with Paul, the people supposed he had been brought into the temple, showing how seeing can lead to an assumption Acts 21:29.
G1521 eiságō (to introduce): This term is linked to the incorrect assumption made in Acts 21:29, where the people thought Paul had brought a Gentile into the temple, an action they inferred from what they had previously seen.

Theological Significance

The theological and practical implications of G4308 are drawn from its contrasting uses:

Prophetic Vision: The word is used to describe David's prophetic insight. In saying "I foresaw the Lord always before my face," it signifies a spiritual discipline of keeping God constantly in view, which provides stability and prevents one from being "moved" Acts 2:25.
Human Misperception: In its second use, the word illustrates the fallibility of human observation. Those who had "seen before" Paul with Trophimus made a critical error in judgment, leading to false accusations Acts 21:29. This contrasts the certainty of divine foresight with the potential for error in simple human sight.

Summary

In summary, G4308 prooráō is a term with a significant dual application. It can describe the profound, faith-sustaining act of keeping the Lord constantly in one's spiritual sight, as well as the more mundane act of having previously seen something. These two uses create a powerful contrast between divine foresight that leads to steadfastness and flawed human observation that can lead to incorrect and dangerous assumptions.

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 4 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Imperfect Middle Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Perfect Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
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.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
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

2 verses, all in Acts — and none of the other 26 New Testament books.

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.