προγινώσκω (Proginosko)

MEANINGTo know beforehand. Strong's G4267: 'to know beforehand, i.e. foresee'. The plain sense is 'knew in advance'; Scripture never explains its mechanics.

GRAMMARG4267, pro (before) + ginosko (to know). Romans 8:29 has the aorist proegno, 'whom he did foreknow'.

SIGNIFICANCEForeknowledge is stated and never dissected. The Calvinist reads proginosko as 'fore-loved' or 'chose beforehand' to make election unconditional. Either way Paul grounds predestination in foreknowledge, 'whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate', not the other way around, and what the foreknown are predestined to is not who is saved but the shape of it: 'conformed to the image of his Son' (Rom 8:29).

KEY VERSE / SCRIPTURESRomans 8:29 (whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate; conformed to the image of his Son).

CROSS-REFERENCESπροορίζω proorizo (G4309) · Knowing Isn't Writing · /answers/proginosko