Lexical Summary
prokeimai: To be set before, to be present, to be appointed
Original Word: προκεῖμαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: prokeimai
Pronunciation: pro-KAY-mai
Phonetic Spelling: (prok'-i-mahee)
KJV: be first, set before (forth)
NASB: set before, exhibited, present
Word Origin: [from G4253 (πρό - before) and G2749 (κεῖμαι - laid)]
1. to lie before the view
2. (figuratively) to be present (to the mind), to stand forth (as an example or reward)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
set forth.
From pro and keimai; to lie before the view, i.e. (figuratively) to be present (to the mind), to stand forth (as an example or reward) -- be first, set before (forth).
see GREEK pro
see GREEK keimai
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
pro and
keimaiDefinitionto be set before, to be set forth
NASB Translationexhibited (1), present (1), set before (3).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4295: πρόκειμαιπρόκειμαι; (
πρό (which see d.
α.) and
κεῖμαι): from
Homer down;
1. properly, to lie or be placed before (a person or thing), or in front (often so in Greek writings).
2. to be set before, i. e., a. to be placed before the eyes, to lie in sight; to stand forth: with a predicate nominative, δεῖγμα, as an example, Jude 1:7 (καλόν ὑπόδειγμα σοι πρόκειται, Josephus, b. j. 6, 2, 1).
b. equivalent to to be appointed, destined: προκειμενη ἐλπίςt';, the hope open to us, offered, given, Hebrews 6:18; used of those things which by any appointment are destined to be done, borne, or attained by anyone; so προκειμενος ἀγών, Hebrews 12:1; προκειμενος χαρά, the destined joy (see ἀντί, 2 b.), ibid. 2 (the phrase τά ἆθλα προκεῖσθαι occurs often in secular writings from Herodotus down; cf. Bleek, Br. an die Hebrews 2:2, p. 268ff).
c. to be there, be present, be at hand (so that it can become actual or available): 2 Corinthians 8:12.
Topical Lexicon
ConceptThe verb conveys the idea of something being laid out in plain view—public, unmistakable, and purpose-directed. Whether a promise, a task, a joy, or a warning, what is “set before” people becomes the dominant horizon toward which they move.
Occurrences in the New Testament
• 2 Corinthians 8:12
• Hebrews 6:18
• Hebrews 12:1
• Hebrews 12:2
• Jude 1:7
Exegetical Insights
Hebrews 6:18
“So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.”
The hope of eternal life is portrayed as a clearly displayed refuge. Assurance is grounded not in the believer’s resolve but in God’s sworn promise and oath.
Hebrews 12:1
“Let us run with endurance the race set before us.”
The Christian life is likened to a long-distance race whose course is already marked out. Believers are not left to chart their own path; endurance consists in staying on the track God has laid down.
Hebrews 12:2
“Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Christ embodies the pattern: present suffering interpreted through the lens of an unveiled future joy. His exaltation validates the wisdom of embracing hardship for glory that is certain.
Jude 1:7
“Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns… serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”
Judgment is also set forth publicly. A historic destruction becomes an ongoing visual aid warning against immoral rebellion. Divine mercy and justice are both underscored: the lesson is accessible to all who will heed it.
2 Corinthians 8:12
“For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”
Here the term describes readiness of heart. Before any amount is counted, God looks at the disposition already lying open before Him. The verse affirms proportional, voluntary generosity rather than coercion.
Theological Themes
Promise and Hope
What God places in view is never illusory. The “hope set before us” anchors the soul because it rests on God’s immutable character (Hebrews 6:18).
Perseverance and Joy
The path and the prize are simultaneous realities. Endurance derives strength from a future that is certain and presently visible through faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Public Testimony
Both salvation and judgment are exhibited. God’s dealings in history—whether the destruction of Sodom or the exaltation of Christ—stand as open demonstrations of His ways (Jude 1:7).
Willing Stewardship
Generosity flows from a readiness already displayed before the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:12). Motivation, not magnitude, measures acceptability.
Ministry Applications
• Preaching: Set Christ’s joy and the believer’s hope conspicuously before the congregation. Motivation deepens when the goal is vivid.
• Discipleship: Encourage believers to view life’s hardships through the same lens Jesus used—the promised joy that awaits.
• Counseling: Direct the suffering to the “refuge set before” them; God’s sworn oath secures their future.
• Stewardship: Teach giving that springs from an eager heart rather than external pressure.
• Warning: Use biblical historical judgments as visible reminders of the seriousness of sin and the certainty of divine justice.
Historical Reflection
Greco-Roman athletics prized courses clearly marked out in advance; runners deviating from the lane were disqualified. The writer of Hebrews leverages that cultural image to stress fidelity to God’s revealed path. Early church fathers cited Jude 1:7 to urge holiness, understanding the past judgment as a present signpost. Throughout church history the verb’s sense of public display has fueled both missionary proclamation (setting Christ before the nations) and liturgical confession (placing the gospel before worshipers).
Summary
Strong’s Greek 4295 portrays divine realities—promise, task, joy, warning—placed squarely in the believer’s field of vision. Scripture uses the term to anchor assurance, inspire endurance, awaken generosity, and reinforce moral seriousness. What God sets before His people is meant to govern their present choices and guarantee their ultimate destiny.
Forms and Transliterations
προκείμενα προκείμεναι προκειμένην προκειμενης προκειμένης προκειμενον προκείμενον προκεινται πρόκεινται προκειται πρόκειται prokeimenes prokeimenēs prokeiménes prokeiménēs prokeimenon prokeímenon prokeintai prókeintai prokeitai prókeitai
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