Brief Overview of προγίνομαι (Strong’s G4266: proginomai)

Strong’s G4266: A compound verb meaning “to happen before” or “to be done previously,” combining πρό (before) with γίνομαι (to happen/become). In its New Testament context, it refers specifically to sins committed in past times, emphasizing God’s forbearance in redemptive history.

U- Unveiling the Word

προγίνομαι represents temporal precedence in the context of sin and divine forbearance. In its sole New Testament appearance in Romans 3:25, it describes sins committed before Christ’s redemptive work, highlighting God’s patience in redemptive history. Early church writers developed this concept to discuss both divine patience and the comprehensive nature of Christ’s atonement. Today, this word continues to illuminate our understanding of God’s historical forbearance and Christ’s complete redemptive work.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προγίνομαι, proginomai, pro-GIN-o-my
• Detailed Pronunciation: pro (as in ‘protein’) + GIN (as in ‘begin’) + o + my (as in ‘me’)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• Prefix: πρό- (pro-) meaning “before”
• Root: γίνομαι (ginomai) meaning “to become/happen”
• The combination creates “to happen before”

D – Defining Meanings

• To happen previously
• To occur before
• To be done in the past
• To precede in time

For compound words:
πρό- adds temporal priority to γίνομαι’s sense of occurrence, emphasizing events that happened in previous times.

Translation Options:

1. Previously committed – Best fits Romans context
2. Done beforehand – More literal translation
3. Having occurred before – Emphasizes temporal aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• προυπάρχω (prouparchō) [pro-oo-PAR-kho] – to exist before
• προγενής (progenēs) [pro-gen-ACE] – born before
• See G4266

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, προγίνομαι shows:

• Tense: Perfect
• Voice: Active
• Mood: Participle
• Gender: Neuter
• Number: Plural
• Aspect: Completed action with continuing results

Examples:

• Perfect Participle: προγεγονότα (having happened before)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its theological significance in Romans. Thayer’s notes its connection to divine forbearance. LSJ documents its temporal usage. Vine’s highlights its role in Paul’s argument about sin. Moulton and Milligan show its use in legal contexts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over [προγίνομαι] sins previously committed.” Romans 3:25

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

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

προγίνομαι reveals the scope of God’s redemptive plan across history. It proclaims the good news that King Jesus’s sacrifice covers all sin – past, present, and future. This word assures us that God’s patience and purpose in redemption spans all of human history, culminating in Christ’s perfect work.

D – Did You Know?

1. Ancient legal documents used this term for prior offenses.
2. Early Christian writers used it to discuss the universal scope of atonement.
3. The word influenced theological discussions about God’s patience through history.

Strong’s G4266: A compound verb meaning “to happen before” or “to be done previously,” combining πρό (before) with γίνομαι (to happen/become). In its New Testament context, it refers specifically to sins committed in past times, emphasizing God’s forbearance in redemptive history.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: past events, divine forbearance, redemptive history, sin, atonement, God’s patience, Romans, Paul’s theology, temporal sequence, salvation history, biblical keywords​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​