Brief Overview of προοράω (Strong’s G4308: prooraō)

Strong’s G4308: A compound verb combining “pro” (before) and “horaō” (to see), meaning to see beforehand or to keep before one’s eyes. In biblical context, it refers to both prophetic foresight and continual spiritual awareness, particularly regarding God’s presence and purpose.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προοράω embodies both prophetic vision and constant spiritual awareness. As a compound word, it combines anticipatory perception with clear sight. In the New Testament, it appears in significant contexts: David’s prophetic vision of Christ (Acts 2:25), God’s foreseeing of justification by faith (Galatians 3:8), and divine predestination (Acts 2:31). The early church understood this term as highlighting both prophetic insight and the constant awareness of God’s presence. Today, it continues to remind us of God’s foreknowledge and our need to maintain spiritual vision.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προοράω, prooraō, pro-hor-A-ō
• Pronunciation Guide: pro (as in “pro-fessional”) + hor (as in “horror”) + A (as in “ah”) + ō (as in “oh”)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• πρό (pro-) – prefix meaning “before”
• ὁράω (horaō) – root verb meaning “to see”
• -ω (-ō) – verbal suffix indicating first person singular present active

D – Defining Meanings

• To see beforehand
• To keep before one’s eyes
• To foresee

For compound words:
The prefix πρό (pro-) adds the temporal aspect of “beforehand,” while ὁράω (horaō) provides the sense of visual perception or understanding.

Translation Options:

• “to foresee” – emphasizes prophetic insight
• “to keep in view” – highlights constant awareness
• “to see in advance” – stresses anticipatory vision

E – Exploring Similar Words

• προβλέπω (problepō, pro-BLE-pō) – See G4265: emphasizes looking ahead
• προγινώσκω (proginōskō, pro-gi-NO-skō) – See G4267: focuses on foreknowledge
• θεωρέω (theōreō, the-ō-RE-ō) – See G2334: emphasizes contemplative observation

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, προοράω exhibits:

• Tense: Imperfect/Perfect/Present
• Voice: Active/Middle/Passive
• Mood: Indicative/Participle
• Person: First/Third
• Number: Singular
• Aspect: Progressive/Perfective

Examples of usage:

• Present: “I see before me”
• Perfect: “I have foreseen”
• Imperfect: “I was seeing before me”

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes both prophetic and continuous aspects. Thayer’s highlights its use in divine foreknowledge. LSJ notes its use in classical Greek for anticipatory vision. Vine’s connects it to spiritual perception. Strong’s emphasizes the compound nature suggesting anticipatory sight. Moulton and Milligan cite examples showing both physical and spiritual sight.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
Acts 2:25: “For David says concerning him, ‘I saw [προωρώμην] the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken.'”

Additional References:
Acts 2:31
Galatians 3:8

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προοράω beautifully captures both God’s prophetic vision and our need for constant spiritual awareness. This word proclaims the good news by showing how God foresaw and prepared His plan of salvation, while also calling us to keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Him. It reminds us that true vision comes from seeing everything in light of God’s presence and purpose.

D – Did You Know?

• Προοράω appears in key passages about Messianic prophecy
• The word encompasses both physical and spiritual sight
• It was used by early church fathers to discuss divine foreknowledge

Strong’s G4308: A compound verb meaning to see beforehand or keep before one’s eyes, used in contexts of both prophetic foresight and constant spiritual awareness. Emphasizes both divine foreknowledge and the importance of maintaining spiritual vision.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: vision, prophecy, foreknowledge, awareness, presence, acts, galatians, spiritual-sight, divine-purpose, messianic-prophecy, david, salvation-history​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​