- πρίν
- πρίν (Hom.+; ins, pap, LXX) lit. an adv. of time ‘before, formerly’, then a marker of a point of time prior to another point of time, beforeⓐ as temporal conjunction (the ms. tradition oft. varies betw. πρίν, which is predom. Attic, and πρὶν ἤ [s. ἤ 2d], which is Ionic [Schwyzer II 313], and predominates in the Koine [Schwyzer II 656]).α. w. the aor. subj. (Plut., Caes. 735 [58, 2]; Lucian, Ver. Hist. 2, 18) or opt. (B-D-F §383, 3; Rob. 977) πρὶν ἀκουσθῶσι τὰ ῥήματα Hs 5, 7, 3. Lk 2:26 is text-critically uncertain πρὶν ἢ ἂν ἴδῃ, but ἤ is omitted (cp. Cyr.-Ins. 123 πρὶν ἄν w. aor. subj.) as well as ἄν in some mss., and one v.l. has ἕως ἂν ἴδῃ. Likew. in 22:34 ἕως, ἕως οὗ, ἕως ὅτου are also attested instead of πρὶν ἤ; the corrector has been at work in all these passages, so that the original rdg. can no longer be determined w. certainty.—Only once w. the opt., in indirect discourse after a past tense (B-D-F §386, 4; Rob. 970) πρὶν ἢ ὁ κατηγορούμενος ἔχοι Ac 25:16 (cp. Jos., Ant. 20, 210).β. foll. by the acc. and the aor. inf. (B-D-F §395; Rob. 977.—Plut., Lysander 448 [27, 1] πρὶν ἐπανελθεῖν τὸν Ἀγησίλαον; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 20, 16 πρίν; Jos., Ant. 11, 1 πρὶν ἤ) Mt 1:18 (πρὶν ἤ); J 8:58; Ac 7:2 (πρὶν ἤ); 1 Cl 38:3: Dg 2:3 (πρὶν ἤ); 8:1; Hs 9, 16, 3. Also of future things (Arrian, Ind. 24, 6 πρὶν ταχθῆναι τὴν φάλαγγα=before the phalanx will have been drawn up) πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι before the cock will have crowed Mt 26:34, 75; Mk 14:30 (πρὶν ἤ), 72; Lk 22:61. Cp. J 4:49; Ac 2:20 (Jo 3:4); Hs 9, 26, 6.—Without the acc., which is understood fr. the context (Menand., Epitr. 264 S. [88 Kö.]; 508 S. [332 Kö.]; Diod S 13, 10, 1; 14, 52, 1; Chion, Ep. 4, 4; Ps.-Apollod. 3, 3, 2; Jos., Bell. 6, 213; Just., A I, 4, 4) J 14:29; Hv 3, 1, 3.ⓑ funct. as prep. w. gen. (since Pind., P. 4, 43, also Plut., Mor. 883b; Arrian, Anab. 3, 18, 6; PGM 7, 418; 420 πρὶν ἡλίου ἀνατολῆς; En 14:6; Jos., Ant. 4, 269 πρὶν ἡλίου δυσμῶν; Sus 35a LXX=42 Theod.; for contrast w. πρότερον cp. the epitath οὐ τὸ θανεῖν ἄλγεινόν, ἐπεὶ τό γε Μοῖρʼ ἐπέκλωσεν, | ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἡλικίας καὶ γονέων πρότερον EpigrAnat 13, ’89, 128f, no. 2=dying is not itself to be deplored, for Fate decrees it so, but when before one comes of age and then before one’s parents) πρὶν ἀλεκτοροφωνίας Mt 26:34 v.l.; πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ ἐγὼ εἰμί J 8:58 v.l.—Even πρίν w. the acc. occurs as v.l. πρὶν τὸ πάσχα J 11:55 D; πρὶν σάββατον Mk 15:42 D (cp. B-D-F §395 app.; JWackernagel, Syntax II2 1928, 215).—ATschuschke, De πρίν particulae apud scriptores aet. August. prosaicos usu, diss. Bresl. 1913.—DELG. M-M.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.
