What does πρόθεσις (próthesis) mean in the Bible?
Πρόθεσις can name something set before others and, by extension, a purpose or deliberate plan. Paul uses it with particular theological weight when he speaks of God's saving purpose.
Greek · G4286
πρόθεσις
Purpose
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
πρόθεσις G4286
Pronunciation próthesis
What does πρόθεσις (próthesis) mean in the Bible?
Πρόθεσις can name something set before others and, by extension, a purpose or deliberate plan. Paul uses it with particular theological weight when he speaks of God's saving purpose.
Reader summary
Full entry for πρόθεσις (G4286) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4286?
The BSB source-word alignment has 12 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (3), purpose (3), [His] purpose (1), [the] plan (1), all their (1).
Where does πρόθεσις (próthesis) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 12:4. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Timothy (2), Acts (2), Ephesians (2), Romans (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Πρόθεσις can name something set before others and, by extension, a purpose or deliberate plan. Paul uses it with particular theological weight when he speaks of God's saving purpose. In 2 Timothy 1:9, salvation and holy calling arise from God's own purpose and grace, not from human works. Ephesians 1:11 places the believer's inheritance within the will of the God who works all things according to His counsel.
Romans 8:28 describes believers as called according to that purpose amid suffering and hope. The noun directs attention to God's intentional, gracious action, but it must be read inside each argument. It does not invite speculation about every hidden detail of providence, nor does it erase the commands, sufferings, prayers, and means through which God's will is carried forward.
How the Bible Uses It
Paul most significantly uses πρόθεσις for God's gracious and effective saving purpose. The term anchors assurance in God's intention while the surrounding passages define the people, promise, and goal in view.
- 2Tim.1.9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
God's purpose precedes and grounds the believer's calling in grace, excluding works as the cause of salvation while directing the saved toward a holy calling.
- Eph.1.11
In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
The purpose language belongs to the praise of God's grace in Christ and to the inheritance of those united to Him; it is not an abstract theory detached from the gospel.
- Rom.8.28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8 joins purpose to God's preserving work for a people who love Him and are being conformed to the image of His Son amid present suffering.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It . . . 3× Matthew 12:4, Mark 2:26, Luke 6:4
purpose 3× Ephesians 3:11, 2 Timothy 1:9, 2 Timothy 3:10
[His] purpose 1× Romans 8:28
[the] plan 1× Ephesians 1:11
all their 1× Acts 11:23
consecrated 1× Hebrews 9:2
opportunity 1× Acts 27:13
plan 1× Romans 9:11
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 12:4 προθέσεως to . . . Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Mark 2:26 προθέσεως to . . . Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Luke 6:4 προθέσεως to . . . Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Acts 11:23 προθέσει to all their Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Acts 27:13 προθέσεως to opportunity Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Romans 8:28 πρόθεσιν to [His] purpose Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Romans 9:11 πρόθεσις to plan Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Ephesians 1:11 πρόθεσιν to [the] plan Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Ephesians 3:11 πρόθεσιν to purpose Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 2 Timothy 1:9 πρόθεσιν to purpose Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 12:4
Aligned rows 12
Books represented 8
Matthew 1 Mark 1 Luke 1 Acts 2 Romans 2 Ephesians 2 2 Timothy 2 Hebrews 1
Source forms
προθέσεως 4x protheseōs Matthew 12:4, Mark 2:26, Luke 6:4, Acts 27:13
πρόθεσιν 4x prothesin Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:11, 2 Timothy 1:9
προθέσει 2x prothesei Acts 11:23, 2 Timothy 3:10
πρόθεσις 2x prothesis Romans 9:11, Hebrews 9:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 4x Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:11, 2 Timothy 1:9
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 4x Matthew 12:4, Mark 2:26, Luke 6:4, Acts 27:13
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 2x Acts 11:23, 2 Timothy 3:10
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 2x Romans 9:11, Hebrews 9:2
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Define the good of Romans 8:28 from verse 29 and the chapter's suffering context rather than from personal ease.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that πρόθεσις reveals God's secret reason for every event; the term affirms His intention where Scripture discloses it.
- Do not use divine purpose to make human choices, prayer, obedience, grief, or pastoral care irrelevant.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Deliberate purpose or intention set forth beforehand, often God's predetermined plan in NT theological use.
Strong's G4286
Lexical occurrences 12 verses Greek text appearances 12 times Word forms 4 forms 12 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
purpose
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
12 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 12:4 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
προθέσεως proqesewv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Mark 2:26 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
προθέσεως proqesewv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Luke 6:4 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
προθέσεως proqesewv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Acts 11:23 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
προθέσει proqesei
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Acts 27:13 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
προθέσεως proqesewv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Romans 8:28 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσιν proqesin
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Romans 9:11 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσις proqesiv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Ephesians 1:11 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσιν proqesin
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Ephesians 3:11 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσιν proqesin
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse 2 Timothy 1:9 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσιν proqesin
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse 2 Timothy 3:10 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
προθέσει, proqesei
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verse Hebrews 9:2 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
πρόθεσις proqesiv
the show-bread, predetermination
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 4 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 4 Aligned forms 12 Case pattern Accusative (4) Number pattern Singular (12)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Rom 9:11 · Heb 9:2 2×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Matt 12:4 · Mark 2:26 · Luke 6:4 · Acts 27:13 4×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Acts 11:23 · 2 Tim 3:10 2×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Rom 8:28 · Eph 1:11 · Eph 3:11 · 2 Tim 1:9 4×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Mark 2:23–28 προθέσεως próthesis
of the presentation, set before
Showing 1 selected witness from 12 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
πρόθεσις is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Paul's purpose language is pastoral because it moves assurance away from unstable human merit and places it in God's gracious intention in Christ. Second Timothy 1 refuses to make works the source of salvation. Ephesians 1 locates God's plan within union with Christ, inheritance, and praise. Romans 8 speaks to suffering believers whose final good is defined by conformity to the Son, not by uninterrupted comfort.
Teachers should therefore proclaim purpose as the wise, holy, and effective intention of God disclosed in the gospel. They should also resist using the noun to explain every providential mystery or to silence grief. The passages offer sturdy confidence in who God is and where He is bringing His people, even when they do not reveal why each painful circumstance occurs.
Anchor passage
2Tim.1.9
Doctrinal connections
- Romans 8:18-39, suffering, calling, conformity to Christ, and inseparable love
- Ephesians 1:3-14, election, redemption, inheritance, and praise in Christ
- 2 Timothy 1:8-12, grace given in Christ and courage in suffering
- Genesis 50:20, God's good intention working through human evil without excusing it
- Isaiah 46:9-10, the Lord whose counsel stands and whose purpose is accomplished
- G5485 χάρις, grace as God's unearned favor in the saving purpose
Πρόθεσις is built from the idea of setting something before. Context determines whether the reference is a displayed setting, such as the bread of the Presence, or an intention and purpose. In the selected Pauline texts, the surrounding verbs of calling, willing, and working make the intentional sense clear.
From Old to New Testament
The Old Testament presents the Lord as the One whose counsel stands, who turns even intended evil toward His saving good, and who keeps covenant promises. Paul identifies the center and goal of that purpose in Christ: a called, redeemed, and glorified people conformed to the Son and gathered to God's praise.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain