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Matthew 24:25 — Word Study

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N1904ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

BSABeholdhoraō I have foretold [it]prolegō to you.su

Word
Listen & take awayMatthew 24
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 is in this chapter.
Greek ↓ Download MP3 Nestle 1904 — the very text on this page — read by Andy Martin in Erasmian pronunciation.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (su) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Matthew 24:25quick helps
In a sentenceJesus warns His followers that false prophets will come, and He has already informed them about it.
Who is speakingJesus is speaking directly to His disciples.
Where we areIn a discourse on the signs of the end times, specifically addressing the dangers of deception.
The hard wordἰδοὺ
Take awayJesus emphasizes the importance of His warnings.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbιδου The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — , the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Matthew 24:25

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Warnings About Deceptiongenerated

24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
25See, I have told you in advance.
26So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:25 is part of Jesus' teaching on the end times, where He cautions His disciples about the rise of false prophets and the need for vigilance. He assures them that He has already forewarned them about these events, emphasizing the importance of being prepared and discerning in the face of deception.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 44:7–8Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place.
2Isaiah 46:10–11I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
3Isaiah 48:5–6Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’
4Luke 21:13This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses.
5John 16:1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word ἰδοὺ, horaōgenerated

The word ἰδοὺ is a second aorist middle imperative of horaō, meaning 'to see' or 'behold'. It serves as an imperative call to attention, urging the listener to notice what follows.

In this context, it draws the audience's focus to the seriousness of Jesus' warning, indicating that what He is about to say is crucial and should not be overlooked.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase reads, See, I have told you in advance. The KJV and ASV use Behold, I have told you before, while YLT translates it as Lo, I did tell you beforehand. The WEB echoes the BSB closely.

All translations agree on the essential meaning, emphasizing that Jesus has provided prior warnings about future events.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse contains two main verbs: ἰδοὺ, behold, which serves as an imperative, and προείρηκα, I have foretold, which is a perfect active indicative. The indirect object ὑμῖν, to you, clarifies to whom the warning is directed.

This structure highlights the imperative nature of Jesus' message and the direct communication to His disciples, reinforcing the urgency of His warning.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In Matthew 24:25, the word ἰδοὺ (horaō), meaning 'Behold,' corresponds to the Hebrew words הִנֵּה (hinneh) and הֵן (hen), which both convey a sense of attention or emphasis. This choice highlights the importance of the message being conveyed, urging the audience to recognize the significance of the warning.

The word ὑμῖν (su), meaning 'to you,' is a direct translation of the Hebrew אַתָּ֫ה (attah), which is a second-person pronoun. This reinforces the personal nature of the statement, indicating that the warning is specifically directed at the listeners.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Matthew 24:25 shows Jesus telling His disciples that He has already warned them about the coming false prophets and the importance of being aware of these deceptions. This is part of His broader teaching on the signs of the end times.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Jesus mean by 'I have told you in advance'?

Jesus is indicating that He has previously warned His disciples about the dangers of false prophets and the signs of the end times.

Why is it important for Jesus to say 'Behold'?

The term 'Behold' serves to grab the attention of His listeners, emphasizing the significance of the warning He is about to give.

How can we apply this warning in our lives today?

We should remain vigilant and discerning, being cautious of teachings or leaders that deviate from the truth of the Gospel.

What other scriptures support the warnings about false prophets?

Other verses, such as Isaiah 44:7-8 and Luke 21:13, also address the presence of false prophets and the need for discernment.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some signs of false teachings that I should be aware of?
  2. How can I ensure that I am grounded in the truth of the Gospel?
  3. In what ways can I help others recognize deception in teachings?
  4. What steps can I take to be more vigilant in my spiritual life?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early church fathers comment on this passage, highlighting Jesus' warnings about false prophets and the importance of vigilance.

JeromeVerses 25, 26. c. 347–420
So if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out; 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.
Early Church Fathers on Matthew 24 →
Theophylact of Ohrid c. 1055–1107
Since the disciples had brought two questions to Him, one concerning the captivity of Jerusalem, and the other, the Lord’s second coming, having already spoken of the captivity of Jerusalem, here He begins to speak of His own coming,
Early Church Fathers on Matthew 24 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Matthew 24:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Behold, I have told you before. Meaning not before in this discourse, though he had in Matthew 24:5 signified also, that false Christs, and false prophets should arise, but before these things came

Read John Gill on Matthew 24 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Read Robert Jamieson on Matthew 24 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

25 Behold, I have told you before. Ver. 25. Behold, I have told you before] See, therefore, that ye stand alway upon your watch; for, for this end have I warned you: prevision is the best means of prevention. Leo cassibus irretitus ait si praescivissem. To sin after warning is to fall with open eyes, which deserves no pity. Not to be warned, is both a just presage and desert of a downfall.

Read John Trapp on Matthew 24 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 25. Behold, I have told you before.] That is, I have forewarned you.

Read AdamClarke on Matthew 24 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23–31. The Second Coming of Christ Mark 13:21-27; Luke 21:24-28 The following scheme, intended to shew a parallelism between the two Predictions, is borrowed from an interesting monograph by the Rev. W. Sherlock, who argues for the division of the prophecy at Matthew 24:22 : the fall of jerusalem (Matthew 24:5-22).the second advent (Matthew 24:23-31).. False Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:11).1. False Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:23-24).. Persecution and apostasy (Matthew 24:9-10; Matthew 24:12).2. Dangers even to the elect (Matthew 24:24).. Wars, famine, pestilence (Matthew 24:6-7).3. Distress of nations (Matthew 24:29).. Great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).4.…

Read Cambridge on Matthew 24 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Behold, I have told you before - Mark adds Mark 13:23, “take ye heed.” The reason why he told them before was that they might be on their guard, and be prepared for those calamities.

Read Albert Barnes on Matthew 24 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

25. Behold, I have told you before — And therefore it shall be impossible to deceive you, my elect.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Matthew 24 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

See, I have told you in advance.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

See, I have told you in advance.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Remember, I have told you ahead of time.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Behold, I have told you before.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Behold, I have told you beforehand.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Behold, I have told you beforehand.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Behold, I have told you before.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Beholde, I haue tolde you before.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Behold, I have told you beforehand.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Lo, I did tell you beforehand.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Behold, I told you beforehand.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

See, I have told you ahead of time.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Notice that I've told you this before it even happens.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

See, I have made it clear to you before it comes about.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseclauseverbἰδοὺBeholdclauseverbπροείρηκαI have foretold [it]indirect objectὑμῖνto you

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac

Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.

Latin VulgateAD 382–405

Ecce prædixi vobis.

Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.

Syriac Peshittaby AD 400

ܗܐ ܩܕܡܬ ܐܡܪܬ ܠܟܘܢ

The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.

Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.


The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say

Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.

Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

ἰδοὺ προείρηκα ὑμῖν.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse all agree
Critical editions
Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993SBL Greek New Testament2010Westcott–Hort1881Tregelles1857–1879Tyndale House Greek NT2017
Byzantine / Majority
Byzantine majority text2018
Received Text
Textus Receptus1550/1894

A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.

Word by word, across the editions

Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Matthew 24:25ιδουBeholdBeholdιδουπροειρηκαI have foreI have foretoldπροειρηκασύto you.to you.σύπρόPrep. befoPrep. beforeπρόοἶδαv. I know,v. I know, remeοἶδαἀμήνHebr. veriHebr. verily, tἀμήν
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Matthew 24:25

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

Behold I have foretold [it] to you.
ἰδοὺhoraō Behold G2400 Verb · second aorist · middle · imperative · second person · singular
605× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
In plain English
Tyndale gloss
to see: see
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἰδού,

[in LXX chiefly for הִנֵּה,]

prop. imperat. 2 aor. mid. of ὁράω, used as a demonstrative particle, with frequency much greater in LXX and NT than in cl. (v. M, Pr., 11),

lo, behold, see: Mt 10:16 11:8 13:3, Mk 3:32, Lk 2:48, I Co 15:51, Ja 5:9, Ju 14, Re 1:7, al.; after gen. absol., Mt 1:20 2:1, 13 12:46, al.; καὶ ἰδού, Mt 2:9 (and freq.), Lk 1:20 10:25, Ac 12:7, al.; in elliptical…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἰδού, a demonstrative particle, [in Grk. writ. fr. Soph. down], found in the N. T. esp. in the Gospels of Matthew and of Luke, used very often in imitation of the Hebr. nan, and giving a peculiar vivacity to the style by bidding the reader or hearer to attend to what is said: behold! see! lo! It is inserted in the discourse after a gen. absol., Mt. i. 20; ii. 1, 13; ix. 18; xii. 46; xvii. 5; Xxvi.47; xxviii. 11. καὶ ἰδού is used, when at the close of a narrative something new is introduced, Mt. ii. 9; ili. 16; iv. 11; viii. 2, 24, 29,32, 34; ix. 2 54. 20; xii. 10; KV 224 ΧΥΙ- Ss) KIX. 10... eva. 91; ΧΧΥΪ. 51: ΧΧΥΤΙ ὦ, 7; Lk. i. 20, 31, 36; ii. 9[R GL Tr br. ], 25; ix. 30, 38 sq.; x. 25; xiv. 2; xxiv.13; Acts xii.7; xvi.1; when a thing is specified which is unexpected yet sure, 2 Co. vi. 9 (καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν, and nevertheless we live), cf. Mt. vii. 4; when a thing is specified which seems…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἰδού. Moulton (Pro/eg. p. 11) has shown that the frequency with which ἰδού (originally the imper. of εἰδόμην and accented ἰδοῦ) is used by certain NT writers is due to the fact that they were accustomed to the constant use of an equivalent interjection in their own tongue: cf. Wellhausen £ini.* p. 22. As showing, however, that the interjection was used in the Kou where no Hebraistic influence is predicable, we may cite P Oxy VII. 10665 (iii/A.p.) εἰδ[ο]ὺ οὖν ἀπέστιλά σοι αὐτήν, with reference to the return of a file, 76. 10691 (very illiterate—iii/a.p.) εἰδοὺ γὰρ kal τὸ πορφύρειν μετὰ τῶν συ[ν]έργων κεῖντε, “see, the purple is put with the tools” (cf. 1.5), 74. X. 12917 (A.D. 30) οὐδ[εί]ς μοι ἤνεγκεν ἐπιστολήν περὶ ἄρτων, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθέως, ἡ (-- εἰ) ἔπεμψας διὰ ἸΚολλούθου ἐπιστολήν, εἰδοὺ ἀρτάβηι σοι γίνεται, ‘“‘no one has brought me a letter about the bread, but if you send a letter by…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἰδού (idou) — look!.

ἰδοῦ

(ἴδου Hdn.Gr. cited in [Refs 4th c.AD+]aorist 2 imperative middle of ὁρά; but,

II. ἰδού (on the accent see Hdn.Gr.[Refs] adverb, lo! behold! (even with words of hearing, ἰδοὺ δοῦπον αὖ κλύω τινά [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.1. with Nouns and Prons., ἰ. χελιδών Klein [Refs 6th c.BC+], etc.; ἰ. ἐγώ here am I, [LXX+NT]; οὐκ ἰ. Ἀαρώ; [LXX]

II.2. with Verbs,

II.2. a in the imperative, ἰ. θεᾶσθε [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially in offering a thing, take it! ἰ. δέχου παῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. b in indicative of all tenses, ἰ. πείθομαι [NT+5th c.BC+] with past tenses, [LXX+NT]; in the middle of a sentence, [NT]

II.3. with questions, ἰ., τί ἔστι; [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἰδού

idou

second person singular imperative middle voice of 1492; used as

imperative lo!; --behold, lo, see.

see GREEK for 1492

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἰδού

v.

See! Lo! Behold! Look!

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἰδού idou 200x

aorist middle imperative of εἶδον used as an interjection, Look! See! Lo! Mt. 1:23; Lk. 1:38; Acts 8:36

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἰδού 2nd sg mid imperat of εἰδόμην, as adv. lo! behold! see there! Soph.; ἰδού, δέχου there! take it! Lat. en tibi! id. Soph., etc.:— well, as you please! Ar.

in repeating another's words quizzingly, ἰδού γ᾽ ἄκρατον oh yes, wine, id. Ar.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2AMM-2S — Verb · second aorist · middle · imperative · second person · singular
second aorist middle imperative — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2AMM-2S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Middle Mood: iMperative Person: second Number: Singular

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
100%behold
behold100% · 207×other renderings0% · 1×

208 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 603 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Behold I have foretold [it] to you.
προείρηκαprolegō I have foretold [it] G4280 Verb · perfect · active · indicative · first person · singular
13× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
In plain English
Tyndale gloss
to foretell
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

προ-ερέω, -ῶ, v.s. προεῖπον.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

προ-λέγω ; impf. προέλεγον ; to say beforehand, to predict, (so fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down) : 2 Co. xiii. 2; Gal. ν. 21; 1 Th. iii. 4; [some (see R. V. mrg.) would give mpo- the sense of plainly in all these exx.; cf. L. and S. s. v. II. 2, and see πρό, ἃ. a. fin.].

Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

προλέγω. The force of προ-- in composition is raised again by this word, as e.g. in the marriage contract BGU IV. τοσοῦ (time of Augustus): the contract is to be deposited ἐν ἡμέραις χρηματιζούσαις πέντε ad’ ἧς ἂν ἀλλήλοις προείπω-

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

προερέω (proereō) — to predict.

προερέω,

Attic dialect contraction προερῶ, serving as future to προεῖπον(which see): also perfect προείρηκα, passive -ημαι: aorist passive προερρήθην, contraction προὐρρήθην:— say beforehand, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων [Refs]; τὰ προρρηθέντα[Refs]be said by way of preface, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. order beforehand or publicly, συλλέγεσθαι ἐς Σάρδις [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, προὐρρήθη ὅπως.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔχοντες τὸ προειρημένον the prescribed implement, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δεῖπνον.. ἐκ πολλοῦ χρόνου π. ordered beforehand, [Refs]; πόλεμος προερρήθη was declared, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

προλέγω

proereo

from 4253 and 2046; used as alternate of 4277; to say already,

predict:--foretell, say (speak, tell) before.

see GREEK for 4253

see GREEK for 2046

see GREEK for 4277

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

προερέω

v.

I say already, predict

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

προλέγω prolegō 15x

to tell beforehand, to foretell, Mt. 24:25; Acts 1:16; Rom. 9:29; 2 Cor. 13:2; Gal. 5:21; 1 Thess. 3:4

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

προερέω attic contr. -ερῶ serving as fut. to προεῖπον perf. προείρηκα pass. -ημαι aor1 pass. προερρήθην contr. προὐρρήθην to say beforehand, Plat.:—Pass., ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων id. Plat.; τὰ προρρηθέντα id. Plat.; ταῦτά μοι προειρήσθω be said by way of preface, Isocr.

to order one to do a thing beforehand or publicly, τινί c. inf., Hdt.; also, πρ. τινί ὡς . . id. Hdt.:—Pass. impers., προείρητο αὐτοῖς μὴ ἐπιχειρεῖν orders had been given them not to attack, Thuc.; τὸ προειρημένον the prescribed implement, Hdt.; δεῖπνον πρ. ordered beforehand, id. Hdt.; πόλεμος προερρήθη, Lat. indictus est, Xen.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-RAI-1S — Verb · perfect · active · indicative · first person · singular
perfect active indicative — a past action whose result still stands.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-RAI-1S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: peRfect Voice: Active Mood: Indicative Person: first Number: Singular

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
22%spoken beforehand
spoken beforehand22% · 2×i have foretold22% · 2×has foretold11% · 1×i have before said11% · 1×i have warned11% · 1×we have said before11% · 1×it has been predicted11% · 1×

9 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 7 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

Behold I have foretold [it] to you.
ὑμῖν.su to you. G4771 Personal pronoun · second person · dative · plural
2,892× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Matthew as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This Greek word means 'you' and is used to address someone directly, like in John 1:30 and Matthew 26:64. It's a way to emphasize or contrast the person being spoken to. The KJV Bible translates it as 'thou'.
Tyndale gloss
you
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

σύ is the second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you' in Greek. It has various forms: genitive σοῦ, dative σοί, and accusative σέ. The word can be used for emphasis or contrast, particularly in the New Testament, as seen in verses like Matthew 26:64. It also appears in various dialects and has enclitic forms.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

σύ,

pron. of 2nd pers.,

thou, you, gen., σοῦ, dat., σοί, acc., σέ, pl., ὑμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς (enclitic in oblique cases sing., except after prep. (BL, §48, 3), though πρὸς σέ occurs in Mt 25:39). Nom. for emphasis or contrast: Jo 1:30, 42 4:10 5:33, 39, 44, Ac 4:7, Eph 5:32; so also perhaps σὺ εἶπας, Mt 26:64, al. (M, Pr., 86); before voc., Mt 2:6, Lk 1:76, Jo 17:5, al.; sometimes without emphasis (M, Pr., 85f.), as also

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

σύ, pron. of the second pers. (Dor. and Aeol. τύ, Boeot. Tov), gen. σοῦ, dat. σοί, ace. σέ (which oblique cases are enclitic, unless a preposition precede; yet πρός σε is written [uniformly in Ree. (exe. Mt. xxvi. 18), in Grsb. (exe. Jn. xxi. 22, 23), in Treg. (exc. Mt. xxvi. 18; Acts xxiii. 30), in Lchm. (exe. Mt. xxvi.18; Jn. xvii. 11, 13; xxi. 22, 23; Acts xxiii. 30), in Tdf. (exe. Mt. xxvi. 18; Lk. i. 19; Jn. xvii. 11, 13; Jn. xxi. 22; Acts xxiii. 18, 30; 1 Tim. iii. 14; Tit. iii. 12); also by WH in Mt. xxv. 39], see ἐγώ, 2; Lipsius, Grammat. Untersuch. p. 62 sq. [W. §6, 3; B. 31 (27)]); plur. ὑμεῖς, εἴς. : Lat. tu, ete., vos, ete.; thou, ete., ye,ete. The nominatives ov and ὑμεῖς are expressed for emphasis — before a vocative, as σὺ Βηθλεέμ, Mt. ii. 6; σὺ παιδίον (Leian. dial. deor. 2, 1), Lk. i. 76; add, Jn. xvii. 5; Acts i. 24; 1 Tim. vi. 11, etc.; ὑμεῖς of Φαρισαῖοι, Lk. xi. 39…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

σύ (su) — you.

σύ [ῠ],

thou: pronoun of the second person:—Epic dialect nominative τύνη [ῡ] [Refs 8th c.BC+] (Laconian dialect τούνη [Refs 5th c.AD+]; Aeolic dialect σύ [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Doric dialect τύ [ῠ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect τού [short syllable] [Refs 6th c.BC+] (also τούν [Refs]σύ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]—Gen. σοῦ, [Refs], elsewhere only Attic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; enclitic σου, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (also in Lyric poetry, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (which also occurs in Lyric poetry, [Refs 7th c.BC+], and as enclitic σευ, [Refs 8th c.BC+], σεο (enclitic) [Refs] σευ (enclitic) [Refs]:—Doric dialect τεῦ, τευ, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; rarely τέο, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect τεῦς [Refs 6th c.BC+]; Doric dialect τεοῦς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοι variant in [Refs]; enclitic τεος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; other Doric dialect forms are τίω, τίως, both [Refs 3rd c.BC+]—Dat. σοί, [Refs 8th c.BC+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

σύ

su

the person pronoun of the second person singular; thou:-- thou. See

also 4571, 4671, 4675; and for the plural 5209, 5210, 5213, 5216.

see GREEK for 4675

see GREEK for 4571

see GREEK for 4671

see GREEK for 5209

see GREEK for 5210

see GREEK for 5213

see GREEK for 5216

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

σύ, σοῦ, σοί, σέ

Pers.pr.

you

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

σύ sy 2x

you, gen., σοῦ, dat., σοί, acc., σέ, Mt. 1:20; 2:6

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron-2DP — Personal pronoun · second person · dative · plural
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked plural.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

P-2DP Part of Speech: Personal pronoun Person: second Case: Dative Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
78%you
you78% · 2412×you yourselves7% · 221×you yourself5% · 168×your3% · 87×other renderings3% · 96×other renderings3% · 89×

3,073 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 37 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject28%object24%adverbial23%indirect object20%predicate5%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 2,892 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
λέγωI say, speak
ἀμήνHebrδέbut, on the otheἐγώ
καίand, even, also, nam
ἐγώοὕτωthus, so, in thiμήNeg
ἐν
Article theεἰμίI am, existγίνομαιI come into bein
πρός
ἔρχομαιI come, goἐγώπέμπωI send
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakπαρακαλέωI summon, entreaθέλωI will, wish, de
σύto you.2892×
what comes after →
Article the
θεόςGod, a godἐνἁμαρτίαa sin
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theεἰρήνηpeace, peace of οὐNeg
ὅτιthat, since, because
Article theπᾶςall, the whole, οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐν
ἐν
Article theποῖοςIrgΧριστόςanointed, the Me

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceσύ · 2,892× in the New Testament
Matthew Luke John Acts Mark 2 Corinthians 1 Corinthians Romans 1 Thessalonians Revelation Hebrews Colossians

16 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 450 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 1.48c. AD 40

„οὐ φυτεύσεις σεαυτῷ ἄλσος, πᾶν ξύλον παρὰ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ“ (Deuter.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.101c. AD 75–95

παύσομαι δὲ τοῦ λοιποῦ μετὰ τοσαύτης ὀργῆς τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀδικήμασιν εἰσπραττόμενος καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον σοῦ παρακαλοῦντος.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.2c. AD 100

Μεγάλων μὲν ὄντων καὶ πλουσίων τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιωμάτων εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπέρ τι καὶ καθ̓ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερευφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρίοις καὶ ἐνδόξοις ὑμῶν πνεύμασιν: οὕτως ἔμφυτον τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν εἰλήφατε.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD 4th c. AD 3rd c. BC
P.Grenf. 1 35Ptolemais - Akko (Syrien)103 BC

τοῦ ἀποδοθῆι τὸν ἐπεσταλμένον ἡμῖν κατὰ μῆνα πυρὸν τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῶν. διʼ ἄλλων γεγράφαμεν ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν βουλόμεθα μηδεμιᾶς προσφωνήσεως προσπεπτωκυίας. ἑαυτῶν δὲ ἐπιμελόμενοι ἵνʼ ὑγιαίνητε, — ἔσμεν ἐν

P.Grenf. 1 32Pelusion103 BC

η Φατρήους καὶ … χαίρειν καὶ ἐρρωμένοις διευτυχεῖν. ἐρρώμεθα δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρίστην μνείαν ποιούμενοι παρὰ τοῖς ἐν Πηλουσίωι θεοῖς. καλῶς ποιήσεις διαλύσας Ἁρκοννῆσιν καὶ

P.Grenf. 1 41Thebais3 BC

παρὰ Πετεύριος διεθέντος μου ὑπάρξει σοι εἰς στέφανον χαλκοῦ τάλαντα δεκάπεντε, τάλαντα ιε. εὐτύχει .

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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