πρίν ((according to Curtius, § 380 comparitive προιον, προιν, πρίν)), as in Greek writings from Homer down: 1. an adverb previously,formerly (cf. πάλαι, 1): 3Ma_5:28 3Ma_6:4; 3Ma_6:31; but never so in the N. T. 2. with the force of a conjunction, before, before that: with an accusative and aorist infinitive of things past (cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 6 at the end; Buttmann, § 142, 3); πρίν Ἀβραάμ γενέσθαι, before Abraham existed, came into being, Joh_8:58; also πρίν ἤ (cf. Meyer on Mat_1:18), Mat_1:18; (Act_7:2); with an aorist infinitive haying the force of the Latin future perfect, of things future (cf. Winer's Grammar, 332 (311)): πρίν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι, before the cock shall have crowed, Mat_26:34; Mat_26:75; Mar_14:72; Luk_22:61; add, Joh_4:49; Joh_14:29; also πρίν ἤ, Mar_14:30; Act_2:20 (where L T Tr WH text omit ἤ); πρίν ἤ, preceded by a negative sentence (Buttmann, § 139, 35), with the aorist subjunctive having the force of a future perfect in Latin (Buttmann, 231 (199)), Luk_2:26 (R G L T Tr marginal reading, but WH brackets ἤ), and R G in Luk_22:34; πρίν ἤ, followed by the optative of a thing as entertained in thought, Act_25:16 (Winers Grammar, 297 (279); Buttmann, 230 (198)). Cf. Matthiae, § 522, 2, p. 1201f; Alexander Buttmann (1873) Gram. § 139, 41; Klotz ad Devar. ii. 2, p. 720ff; Winers Grammar (and Buttmann), as above.

πρίν prin 13x can function as a temporal conj. and an improper prep., before, of time, Mat_26:34 ; Mat_26:75 ; Mar_14:72 ; πρὶν ἤ , sooner than, before, Mat_1:18 ; Luk_2:26

πρίν , 1. as adv. of time, before, formerly ( cl .; 3Ma_5:28 ; 3Ma_6:4 ; 3Ma_6:31 ) 2. As conic. ( cl .), before; (a) after a positive sentence, c . acc et inf .: Mat_26:34 ; Mat_26:75 , Mar_14:72 , Luk_22:61 , Joh_4:49 ; Joh_8:58 (where D. om . γενέσθαι and Papyri becomes prep . c . gen .; v. Bl., § 69, 7) Joh_14:29 , Act_2:20 ( LXX ), WH , txt .; πρὶν ἤ (not such good Attic in this construction; v. Bl., l.c .), Mat_1:18 Mar_14:30 , Act_2:20 , WH , mg ., Act_7:2 ; (b) after a negative sentence, πρὶν ἤ : a. subjc . ( seq . ἄν , M , Pr., 169), Luk_2:26 ; c . optat ., Act_25:16 .†

πρίν [page 536] 1. adverb of time = before, formerly (cf. 3Ma_5:28 ; 3Ma_6:4 ; 3Ma_6:31 ) : P Oxy X. 1292 .6 ( c. A.D. 30) ὡς σὲ καὶ πρὶν ἠρώτησα , as I asked you before, ib . XII. 1452 .21 (A.D 127 8) δηλῶ . . . Σαραπίωνα τετελ (ευτηκέναι ) τὸ π (ρὶν ) ὄντα (δωδεκάδραχμον ), I declare that Serapion died some time ago being rated at 12 drachmae (Edd.), ib. I. 71 ii. 10 (A.D. 303) προσελαβόμην ἐμαυτ́ῇ εἰς βοήθειαν . . τὸ πρὶν μὲν Σεκοῦνδόν τινα , ἔπιτα δὲ καὶ Τύραννον , I engaged as my assistant first one Secundus, and subsequently Tyrannus besides (Edd.), and ib. XIV. 1752 .3 (A.D. 378) an order of payment of wine to two sawyers for repairing a boat παρασχοῦ Πτολεμα̣ίῳ καὶ τῷ κοινωνῷ πρίσταις εἰς λόγον δαπάνης ἀνανεώσεως τοῦ πλοίου τὸ πρὶν ὑπὸ Ἀπφοῦν οἴνου κνίδιον διπλοῦν ἕν . 2. conjunction = before : (a) c. inf. with ἤ (cf. Mat_1:18 ) P Oxy XII. 1473 .12 (A.D. 201) πρὶν ἢ πληρωθῆναι τὸν Ὡρείωνα τοῖς προκειμένοις αὐτοῦ ταλάντοις δυσί , before Horion recovers the aforesaid 2 talents (Edd.), P Strass I. 35 .11 (iv/v A.D.) πρὶν ἢ ἐξελθῖν αὐτόν . (b) c. inf. without ἤ (cf. Mat_26:34 ) P Oxy VI. 928 .8 (ii/iii A.D.) πρὶν προλημφθῆναι , before she is entrapped, P Flor II. 242 .13 (A.D. 254) πρίν σε τὰ κτήνη ἐκεῖ πέμψαι , and the articular inf. in P Giss I. 103 .34 iv/A.D.) πρὶν το̣ῦ ἐ̣μ̣ὲ̣ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ὄασιν . The construction with ἄν and the subj., which in the NT is confined to Luk_2:26 , is seen in P Oxy XII. 1413 .35 (A.D. 270 5) πρὶν ἂ̣ν̣ τ̣ο̣̣ πᾶν ἀνάλωμα δ̣ο̣θ [ῇ , and without ἄν in ib. I. 34 ii. 8 (A.D. 127) πρὶν αὐτῷ ἐπιστέλλη [τ ]αι , P Fay 124 .8 (ii/A.D.) πρὶν ἤ τι περαιότερ [ο ]ν ἐνχιρήσω πο [ι ]εῖν , before taking further steps (Edd.), and P Lond 121 .621 (iii/A.D.) (= I. p. 104) πρωῒ ἀνάστα πρὶν λαλῇς . For πρίν as a preposition c. gen. cf. P Lond 121 .418 (iii/A.D.) (= I. p. 97) πρὶν ἡλίου ἀν [α ]τολῆς : it is construed c. acc. in Joh_11:55 D πρὶν τὸ πάσχα .

πρίν formed with a "comparative" force from πρό: adv. of Time, "before", of future time, "before that time, sooner", with fut. Ind. or Subj. = fut., Hom. : with Opt. and κεν, Od. of past time, "aforetime, formerly, once, erst", Hom. ; so with the Art., τὸ πρίν γε . . , νῦν δὲ . . ; νῦν δὲ . . τὸ πρίν γε Il. :—with the Art. the Part. ὤν is omitted, τὰ πρὶν πελώρια (sc. ὄντα) the giants "of old", Aesch. ; ἐν τῷ πρὶν χρόνῳ Soph. ; ἐν τοῖς πρὶν λόγοις Thuc. πρὶν ἤ, as Conjunction, "before that, before, ere, priusquam", Hom. ; but ἤ is often omitted, so that πρίν becomes a Conjunction: the antecedent clause also has πρίν (or πρότερον, πρόσθεν, πάρος), so that πρίν the Conjunction is relat. to πρίν the adv., especially after a negat.:—it is constructed with Inf., ναῖε δὲ Πήδαιον, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν υἷας Ἀχαιῶν Il. ; οὐδὲ παύσεται χόλου, πρὶν κατασκῆψαί τινα Eur. with a finite Verb: with Ind., in which case Hom. uses πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε, πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε δή, "until", μάχη τέτατο, πρίν γ᾽ ὅτε δὴ Ζεὺς κῦδος Ἕκτορι δῶκε Il. ; so, οὐκ ἦν ἀλέξημ᾽ οὐδέν, πρίν γ᾽ ἐγὼ σφίσιν ἔδειξα Aesch. with Subj. only after negatives or equiv. of neg., οὐ καταδυσόμεθ᾽, πρὶν μόρσιμον ἦμαρ ἐπέλθῃ we will not go down, "till" the day of death come on, Od. ;—in attic πρὶν ἄν is regular, οὐδέν ἐστι τέρμα μοι μόχθων, πρὶν ἂν Ζεὺς ἐκπέσῃ τυραννίδος Aesch. ; but ἄν is sometimes omitted, μὴ στέναζε, πρὶν μάθῃς Soph. ; as always with πρὶν ἤ, πρὶν ἢ ἀνορθώσωσι Hdt. with Opt., after historical tenses, οὐκ ἔθελεν φεύγειν πρὶν πειρήσαιτ᾽ Ἀχιλῆος Il. ; ἔδοξέ μοι μὴ ποιεῖσθαι, πρὶν φράσαιμί σοι Soph.

πρίν __1. as adv. of time, before, formerly (cl.; 3Ma.5:28 3Mac 6:4 3Mac 6:31) __2. As conic. (cl.), before; __(a) after a positive sentence, with accusative and inf.: Mat.26:34, 75, Mrk.14:72, Luk.22:61, Jhn.4:49 8:58 (where D. om. γενέσθαι and π. becomes prep. with genitive; see Bl., § 69, 7) Jhn.14:29, Act.2:20" (LXX), WH, txt.; πρὶν ἤ (not such good Attic in this construction; see Bl., l.with), Mat.1:18 Mrk.14:30, Act.2:20, WH, mg., Act.7:2; __(b) after a negative sentence, πρὶν ἤ: a. subjc. (before ἄν, M, Pr., 169), Luk.2:26; with optative, Act.25:16.† (AS)