Word Study for G4317 (προσάγω)

proságō /pros-ag'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρός and ἄγω

Meaningto lead towards, i.e. (transitively) to conduct near (summon, present), or (intransitively) to approach

KJV usagebring, draw near.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of proságō — 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 proságō, represented by G4317, means to lead towards, bring, or draw near. It is formed from the words πρός (towards) and ἄγω (to lead). According to usage statistics, it appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning ranges from a transitive sense of conducting or presenting someone to an intransitive sense of simply approaching.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G4317 appears in a variety of contexts. It is used for a direct command when Jesus, frustrated with a "faithless and perverse generation," says, "Bring thy son hither" Luke 9:41. It describes a formal presentation, as when Paul and Silas were brought to the magistrates in Philippi Acts 16:20. The word also functions in a navigational sense, where sailors on a ship in a storm "deemed that they drew near to some country" Acts 27:27. Most significantly, it carries a profound theological weight in 1 Peter, which states that Christ suffered so "that he might bring us to God" 1 Peter 3:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the actions associated with G4317:

G2289 thanatóō (to kill): This word describes the condition Christ endured, being "put to death in the flesh," which was necessary for him to bring us to God 1 Peter 3:18.
G2227 zōopoiéō (quicken): Contrasting his death, Christ was quickened, or made alive, by the Spirit, demonstrating the power that accomplished this act of bringing humanity near to God 1 Peter 3:18.
G430 anéchomai (suffer): This term captures the context of Jesus's command in Luke, where he asks how long he must suffer the people's faithlessness before ordering the boy to be brought to him Luke 9:41.

Theological Significance

The theological importance of G4317 is centered on the access to God that it describes.

Mediatorial Access: The word's most critical use defines Christ's work. He is the one who acts to bring believers into the presence of God, bridging the gap caused by sin 1 Peter 3:18.
Atonement as the Prerequisite: This act of bringing us to God was made possible through Christ's substitutionary sacrifice. The text specifies he was "the just for the unjust" and was "put to death" to achieve this reconciliation 1 Peter 3:18.
Resurrection Power: The ability for Christ to bring us to God is affirmed by his own victory over death, as he was "quickened by the Spirit," ensuring the effectiveness of his work 1 Peter 3:18.

Summary

In summary, G4317 is a word of movement and access. While it can describe literal actions like presenting a person to authorities or a ship approaching land, its ultimate significance lies in its theological application. It powerfully conveys the purpose of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection: to personally conduct and bring believers from a state of separation into a direct relationship with God.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
2nd Aorist Active Subjunctive 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Infinitive 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
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.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
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 4 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (2 verses); never once in the other 24.

Luke

Acts

1 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.