Bible Word Study
προτρέχω
protrechō · I outrun
προτρέχω
I outrun
Definition
The verb προτρέχω means to run ahead or outrun someone. It carries the literal sense of physically running in front of others, as seen when Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd to climb a tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:4). In John 20:4, it describes the disciple outrunning Peter to the tomb of Jesus. There is no significant metaphorical or extended meaning in its two New Testament uses; both instances depict a straightforward, physical action of running faster or arriving first.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both in narrative contexts describing a character's urgent physical movement. In Luke 19:4, Zacchaeus 'ran on ahead' (προτρέχω) to secure a vantage point. In John 20:4, during the race to the empty tomb, the beloved disciple 'outran' (προτρέχω) Peter and arrived first. The usage is consistent, emphasizing speed and precedence in a literal, situational context.
Etymology
Προτρέχω is a compound verb formed from the preposition πρό (pro), meaning 'before' or 'in front of,' and the common verb τρέχω (trechō, G5143), meaning 'to run.' Its construction is transparent, directly combining these elements to mean 'to run before.' It is a relatively rare word in the New Testament, with its meaning fully derived from its component parts.
Semantic Range
In the Greco-Roman world, running was a common feature of athletic games and military messengers. The action of 'running ahead' in the biblical narratives conveys urgency, eagerness, and physical effort. For Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, this public, undignified running demonstrated his intense desire to see Jesus, overriding social convention. In the tomb narrative, the detail of outrunning underscores the disciples' mix of confusion and desperate hope after the crucifixion. τρέχω (trechō, G5143) — The simple root verb meaning 'to run,' without the connotation of running ahead of another. προτρέπομαι (protrepomai, G4389) — A different verb meaning 'to urge' or 'exhort,' sharing the prefix πρό but with a distinct root and meaning related to persuasion, not motion.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]