Early

New Testament

Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words

Definition

A-1othrosNounG3722

denotes "daybreak, dawn" (cp. Lat. orior, "to rise"). Used with the adverb batheos, "deeply," in Luk 24:1, it means "at early dawn" (RV). In Joh 8:2 it is used in the genitive case, orthrou, "at dawn," i.e., "early in the morning." In Act 5:21, it is used with the article and preceded by the preposition hupo, "under, or about," lit., "about the dawn," "about daybreak," RV (for AV, "early in the morning.").

B-1orthrinosAdjectiveG3720

"early," akin to A., is a later form of orthrios. It is found, in the most authentic mss., in Luk 24:22, of the women at the sepulchre, lit., "early ones" (some texts have the form orthrios, "at daybreak").

B-2proimosAdjectiveG4406

or proimos, a longer and later form of prois, pertaining to the "morning," is formed from pro, "before" (cp. protos, "first"), and used in Jam 5:7, of the early rain.

C-1proiAdverbG4404

"early in the day, at morn," is derived from pro, "before" (see B, No. 2, above). In Mar 16:2, AV, it is translated "early in the morning;" in Mar 16:9, Joh 18:28, Joh 20:1, "early;" in Mat 16:3, Mat 20:1, Mat 21:18, Mar 1:35, Mar 11:20, Mar 13:35, Mar 15:1, "in the morning;" in Act 28:23, "(from) morning." See MORNING.

Note: In Mat 20:1, hama, "at once," is redered "early."