Brief Overview of προευαγγελίζομαι (Strong’s G4283: proeuangelizomai)

I’m Strong’s G4283: From pro (before) and euangelizomai (to announce good news), προευαγγελίζομαι means to announce good news in advance or preach the gospel beforehand. In biblical usage, it specifically refers to God’s pre-announcement of the gospel through Old Testament promises.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προευαγγελίζομαι represents the profound concept of the gospel being proclaimed before its full revelation in Christ. As a compound word combining προ (before) with εὐαγγελίζομαι (to proclaim good news), it emphasizes the continuity of God’s redemptive plan. In Galatians 3:8, Paul uses this term to show how the gospel was preached to Abraham, demonstrating that salvation by faith was always God’s plan. Early church fathers employed this term to show the unity of God’s revelation across both testaments. Today, it continues to highlight how the entire Bible tells one unified story of redemption in Christ.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προευαγγελίζομαι, proeuangelizomai, /pro-eu-an-ge-li’zo-mai/
• Detailed pronunciation: pro (as in “professional”) + eu (as in “euphoria”) + an (as in “on”) + ge (as in “get”) + li (as in “lee”) + zo (as in “zone”) + mai (as in “my”)
• Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent)

Etymology:

• προ- (pro-): prefix meaning “before”
• εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai): compound verb meaning “to announce good news”
• -μαι (-mai): middle/passive voice ending

D – Defining Meanings

• To preach the gospel beforehand
• To announce good news in advance
• To proclaim glad tidings beforehand
• To evangelize before the event

For compound words:
The prefix προ- adds the temporal aspect of “before” to εὐαγγελίζομαι (to evangelize), creating the concept of gospel proclamation occurring before its full revelation in Christ.

Translation Options:

• “to pre-evangelize” – emphasizes the proclamatory aspect
• “to announce good news beforehand” – most literal translation
• “to proclaim the gospel in advance” – highlights the temporal element

E – Exploring Similar Words

• εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai) /eu-an-ge-li’zo-mai/ – to proclaim good news, without the element of prior announcement
• προκηρύσσω (prokērussō) /pro-kē-rus’sō/ – to proclaim beforehand, more general
• προκαταγγέλλω (prokatangellō) /pro-kat-an-gel’lō/ – to announce beforehand, more formal

See G4283

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a deponent verb, προευαγγελίζομαι shows these patterns:

• Tense: Present, Aorist, Perfect
• Voice: Middle/Passive form with active meaning
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Optative, Imperative
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (Present), Perfective (Aorist), Stative (Perfect)

Examples in English:

• I preach beforehand
• You preach beforehand
• He/She/It preaches beforehand
• We preach beforehand
• You (plural) preach beforehand
• They preach beforehand

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its unique usage in Galatians regarding the pre-Christian proclamation of the gospel. Thayer’s notes its significance in showing the unity of God’s redemptive plan. LSJ provides limited classical examples due to its specifically Christian usage. Vine’s connects it to the prophetic anticipation of Christ. Strong’s highlights its compound nature. LEH discusses its absence in the Septuagint. Moulton and Milligan note its rare occurrence outside biblical literature.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, [προευαγγελίζομαι] preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8

Additional References:
This is the only occurrence in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προευαγγελίζομαι beautifully captures the unity of God’s redemptive plan throughout Scripture. It proclaims the good news that the gospel wasn’t an afterthought but God’s eternal plan, revealed progressively through history. This word reminds us that from Abraham to Christ, God has been telling one story of salvation by faith, culminating in Jesus as the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

D – Did You Know?

1. This is a hapax legomenon, appearing only once in the New Testament.
2. Early Christian apologists used this term to defend Christianity’s connection to Old Testament prophecy.
3. The word became important in early church debates about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.

Strong’s G4283: From pro (before) and euangelizomai (to announce good news), προευαγγελίζομαι means to announce good news in advance or preach the gospel beforehand. In biblical usage, it specifically refers to God’s pre-announcement of the gospel through Old Testament promises.

Part of speech: Verb (Deponent)

Tags: gospel, prophecy, advance proclamation, promise, Abraham, salvation history, compound verb, deponent verb, Old Testament, faith​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​