What does προσκόπτω (proskóptō) mean in the Bible?
G4350 describes stumbling or striking against something. In John 11 Jesus uses it inside His daylight-and-night saying as He prepares to return toward Judea despite danger.
Greek · G4350
προσκόπτω
To strike
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προσκόπτω G4350
Pronunciation proskóptō
What does προσκόπτω (proskóptō) mean in the Bible?
G4350 describes stumbling or striking against something. In John 11 Jesus uses it inside His daylight-and-night saying as He prepares to return toward Judea despite danger.
Reader summary
Full entry for προσκόπτω (G4350) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4350?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include beat against (1), he will not stumble (1), he will stumble (1), so that You will not strike (1), strike (1).
Where does προσκόπτω (proskóptō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 4:6. Its strongest book concentrations include John (2), Matthew (2), Romans (2), 1 Peter (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G4350 describes stumbling or striking against something. In John 11 Jesus uses it inside His daylight-and-night saying as He prepares to return toward Judea despite danger. Walking in the day means one does not stumble because he sees the light of this world; walking at night means stumbling because light is absent. The word helps teachers read the scene as more than travel advice.
Jesus frames His movement by the light given for obedient action, even as the disciples fear the threat. The word should not be separated from the passage's context of Jesus' timing, Lazarus's death, and the coming sign. It supports a passage-governed call to walk by the light Christ gives.
How the Bible Uses It
G4350 is the stumbling word in Jesus' daylight-and-night saying in John 11. It serves His answer to fearful disciples as He moves toward Lazarus and toward danger.
- John.11.9
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.
Jesus says the one who walks in the daytime does not stumble because he sees by the light of this world. The word belongs to His answer about returning toward danger.
- John.11.10
But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
Jesus contrasts walking at night, where stumbling happens because light is absent. The saying frames action by light rather than fear.
Passage 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 beat against 1× Matthew 7:27
he will not stumble 1× John 11:9
he will stumble 1× John 11:10
so that You will not strike 1× Matthew 4:6
strike 1× Luke 4:11
stumble [because] 1× 1 Peter 2:8
They stumbled 1× Romans 9:32
to stumble 1× Romans 14:21
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 4:6 προσκόψῃς to so that You will not strike Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 7:27 προσέκοψαν to beat against Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Luke 4:11 προσκόψῃς to strike Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular John 11:9 προσκόπτει to he will not stumble Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular John 11:10 προσκόπτει to he will stumble Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Romans 9:32 προσέκοψαν to They stumbled Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Romans 14:21 προσκόπτει to to stumble Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1 Peter 2:8 προσκόπτουσιν to stumble [because] Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 4:6
Aligned rows 8
Books represented 5
Matthew 2 Luke 1 John 2 Romans 2 1 Peter 1
Source forms
προσκόπτει 3x proskoptei John 11:9, John 11:10, Romans 14:21
προσέκοψαν 2x prosekopsan Matthew 7:27, Romans 9:32
προσκόψῃς 2x proskopsēs Matthew 4:6, Luke 4:11
προσκόπτουσιν 1x proskoptousin 1 Peter 2:8
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 3x John 11:9, John 11:10, Romans 14:21
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 2x Matthew 7:27, Romans 9:32
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular 2x Matthew 4:6, Luke 4:11
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x 1 Peter 2:8
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Keep the stumbling saying connected to John 11's danger, timing, and sign.
- Use the word to support Christ-directed obedience, not self-confident risk taking.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not turn G4350 into a general promise that believers will avoid every hardship when they act sincerely.
- Do not detach the light-and-darkness language from Jesus' words and mission in John 11.
Pastoral applicationPassage context
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To stumble literally or figuratively; metaphorically, to take offense or be scandalized by something.
Strong's G4350
Lexical occurrences 8 verses Greek text appearances 8 times Word forms 2 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to strike
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 4:6 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
προσκόψῃς proskoyhv
I stumble
Read verse Matthew 7:27 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
προσέκοψαν prosekoyan
I stumble
Read verse Luke 4:11 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Subjunctive
προσκόψῃς proskoyhv
I stumble
Read verse John 11:9 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
προσκόπτει, proskoptei
I stumble
Read verse John 11:10 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
προσκόπτει, proskoptei
I stumble
Read verse Romans 9:32 Verb Third Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
προσέκοψαν prosekoyan
I stumble
Read verse Romans 14:21 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
προσκόπτει proskoptei
I stumble
Read verse 1 Peter 2:8 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
προσκόπτουσι proskoptousin
I stumble
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 mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 8 Tenses Present, Aorist Voices Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 6×
Present Active John 11:9 · John 11:10 · Rom 14:21 · 1 Pet 2:8 4×
Aorist Active Matt 7:27 · Rom 9:32 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Aorist Active Matt 4:6 · Luke 4:11 2×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 8 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 4 aorist 4
Voice
active 8
Mood
indicative 6 subjunctive 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 4:6 προσκόψῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 7:27 προσέκοψαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 4:11 προσκόψῃς aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 11:10 προσκόπτει present active indicative ongoing John 11:9 προσκόπτει present active indicative ongoing Romans 9:32 προσέκοψαν aorist active indicative completed Romans 14:21 προσκόπτει present active indicative ongoing 1 Peter 2:8 προσκόπτουσιν present active indicative ongoing
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
προσκόπτω is built from these roots:
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
G4350 appears in John 11 as Jesus answers concern about returning to Judea. The disciples remember the danger, but Jesus speaks about daylight, night, and stumbling. The word therefore belongs to a passage about timing, light, risk, and obedience, not a detached proverb about personal planning. Jesus will go to Lazarus, and the sign will display the glory of God.
Teachers should let that immediate context control the application. Walking in the light means responding to what Jesus gives and reveals, not inventing confidence apart from Him. The word supports courage that remains tied to Christ's timing.
Anchor passage
John.11.9
Doctrinal connections
- John.11.9 - Jesus says the one who walks in the daytime does not stumble because he sees by the light of this world. The word belongs to His answer about returning toward danger.
- John.11.10 - Jesus contrasts walking at night, where stumbling happens because light is absent. The saying frames action by light rather than fear.
To stumble, strike against, or trip is a reviewed display gloss for G4350. In this John-focused companion, the local discourse foregrounding data shows 2 John use(s), with tense patterns summarized as Present 2. Use these grammar signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
From Old to New Testament
The broader Scripture connection should remain modest: walking in light and Jesus' timing is visible in the cited passages, while the full theological claim must come from each passage's context rather than from the word alone.
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