Word Study for G4390 (προτρέχω)

protréchō /prot-rekh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom πρό and τρέχω (including its alternate)

Meaningto run forward, i.e. outstrip, precede

KJV usageoutrun, run before.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of protréchō — 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 protréchō, represented by G4390, means to run forward, outstrip, or precede. It is derived from πρό and τρέχω and appears 2 times in 2 unique verses in the Bible. This term captures a sense of urgent, forward motion, surpassing others to reach a destination first.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, G4390 describes moments of great anticipation and haste. In the story of Zacchaeus, he ran before the crowd and climbed a tree in his eagerness to see Jesus pass by Luke 19:4. The word is also used to describe the scene at the empty tomb, where the "other disciple" did outrun Peter, arriving at the sepulchre first after hearing the news of the resurrection John 20:4. Both instances highlight a physical act of running driven by a compelling purpose.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help build the concept of movement and position:

G5143 tréchō: The root verb meaning to run or walk hastily. It is used not only for physical running but also metaphorically for the Christian life, as in running a race to obtain a prize 1 Corinthians 9:24.
G1715 émprosthen: This term means in front of or before. It provides the directional aspect to G4390, seen in contexts like reaching for "those things which are before" Philippians 3:13 or standing before the Son of man Luke 21:36.
G2064 érchomai: Meaning to come or go, this word often describes the arrival at a destination. After the other disciple outran Peter, he came first to the sepulchre John 20:4, connecting the act of running with its conclusion.

Theological Significance

The conceptual significance of G4390 is tied to the urgency and zeal of faith.

Eagerness for Christ: The word embodies an earnest desire to encounter Jesus, as shown by Zacchaeus, who ran before the crowd to overcome his physical limitations and see the Lord Luke 19:4.
Urgency in Response: The race to the tomb between the disciples illustrates a swift and immediate response to the monumental news of the resurrection, with one disciple outrunning the other in his haste John 20:4.
The Christian Race: Through its root G5143, the idea of running is expanded into a metaphor for the entire Christian life, a race to be run with patience and purpose toward a heavenly prize Hebrews 12:1.

Summary

In summary, G4390 is a specific verb that, while used only twice, captures a powerful idea of moving forward with haste and purpose. Its literal use in the gospels to outrun or run before points to a deeper spiritual reality. It illustrates a heart of anticipation for Christ and an urgent response to God's work, a theme expanded by its root verb, which frames the life of faith as a race to be won.

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 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
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 2 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke and John (1 verse each); never once in the other 25.

Luke

John

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.