# G4314 - pros

<!-- type: lexicon | created: 2026-04-26 | updated: 2026-04-26 -->

**Strong's:** [G4314](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4314/) · BLB lookup
**Pronunciation:** pros
**Part of speech:** preposition (governs accusative, dative, or genitive, meaning shifts by case)
**Root:** strengthened form of *G4253 - pro* (πρό, "before")

## Semantic range (Thayer / BDAG)

The force depends on the case of the noun it governs:

1. **Directional / motion toward** (with accusative, most common), "to," "toward," expressing motion or facing-orientation.
2. **Proximity, at, near, by** (with dative), local closeness.
3. **Relation, with reference to**, concerning, in relation to, as regards.
4. **Purpose / intended end**, "for the sake of," "with a view to."
5. **Hostile direction**, "against" (e.g. [Ephesians 6:12](/codex/ephesians-6-12/)).
6. **Duration**, temporal "for" a designated period (rare).

## Theological force

In [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) *πρὸς τὸν θεόν* (with accusative), the preposition expresses orientation *toward*, a face-to-face, relational presence, distinct from μετά ("alongside") or σύν ("together with"). It implies an active, perpetual orientation of the Word toward the Father, grounding personal distinction within a single divine essence. This grammatical detail is the foundation of the doctrine that the Son and Father are not numerically identical (against modalism) but share one nature (against Arianism).

## Notable verses

- **[John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/)**, *ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν*, relational orientation
- **[John 1.1-3](/codex/john-1-1-3/)**, same construction, eternal pattern
- **[1 John 1:2](/codex/1-john-1-2/)**, "the eternal life, which was *pros* the Father"
- **[1 Corinthians 13:12](/codex/1-corinthians-13-12/)**, *πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον*, "face to face" (the most explicit relational sense)
- **[John 14:6](/codex/john-14-6/)**, "no one comes *pros* the Father except through Me" (directional)
- **[Romans 5:1](/codex/romans-5-1/)**, "we have peace *pros* God" (relational orientation, post-justification)
- **[Hebrews 4:13](/codex/hebrews-4-13/)**, "with whom we have to do" (Greek: *πρὸς ὃν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος*), accountability sense
- **[Ephesians 6:12](/codex/ephesians-6-12/)**, "our struggle is not *pros* flesh and blood, but *pros* the rulers" (hostile/adversative sense, repeated)
- **[Matthew 13:56](/codex/matthew-13-56/)**, "his sisters, are they not all *pros* us?" (proximity/community sense)
- **[2 Corinthians 5:8](/codex/2-corinthians-5-8/)**, "absent from the body, *pros* the Lord" (relational presence after death)

## Note on grammar

In [John 1:1](/codex/john-1-1/), the preposition's force depends critically on translation choice:
- "with God" (most English), softens to mere accompaniment
- "toward God" (more literal), preserves the relational-facing nuance
- "in the presence of God", captures the perpetual orientation

Greek grammarians (Daniel Wallace, *Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics*) note that *pros* + accusative regularly carries this face-to-face/oriented sense in personal contexts; the same construction in [1 John 1:2](/codex/1-john-1-2/) reinforces the reading.

## Verses in this codex

_See Obsidian's backlinks pane for every verse page linking here._

## See also

- [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/)
- [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/)
- *G4253 - pro* (pending, the simpler form)