Original Word: προλαμβάνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: prolambanó
Pronunciation: pro-lam-BAN-o
Phonetic Spelling: (prol-am-ban'-o)
KJV: come aforehand, overtake, take before
NASB: beforehand, caught, takes first
Word Origin: [from G4253 (πρό - before) and G2983 (λαμβάνω - receive)]

1. to take in advance
2. (literally) eat before others have an opportunity
3. (figuratively) to anticipate, surprise

take beforehand, overtake.

From pro and lambano; to take in advance, i.e. (literally) eat before others have an opportunity; (figuratively) to anticipate, surprise -- come aforehand, overtake, take before.

see GREEK pro

see GREEK lambano

Word Origin
from pro and lambanó
Definition
to take beforehand
NASB Translation
beforehand (1), caught (1), takes...first (1).

STRONGS NT 4301: προλαμβάνω

προλαμβάνω; 2 aorist προελαβον; 1 aorist passive subjunctive 3 person singular προληφθῇ (προλημφθῇ L T Tr WH; see under the word Mu); from Herodotus down;

1. to take before: τί, 1 Corinthians 11:21.

2. to anticipate, to forestall: προέλαβε μυρίσαι, she has anticipated the anointing (hath anointed beforehand), Mark 14:8; cf. Meyer at the passage; Winer's Grammar, § 54, 4.

3. to take one by forestalling (him i. e. before he can flee or conceal his crime), i. e. surprise, detect (Wis. 17:16): τινα ἐν παραπτώματι, passive, Galatians 6:1; cf. Winer, Epistle to the Galatians, the passage cited

Scope of the Term

The verb carries the idea of acting “in advance,” “before others,” or “taking by surprise.” While often neutral in secular Greek, the New Testament employs it to highlight moments where timing—whether compassionate, selfish, or corrective—becomes spiritually decisive.

Occurrences in Scripture

Mark 14:8 – “She has done what she could. She has anointed My body in advance to prepare for burial.”

1 Corinthians 11:21 – “For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk.”

Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

Contextual Nuances

1. Anticipatory Devotion (Mark 14:8)

The anointing at Bethany exemplifies loving foresight. The woman moves ahead of events the disciples neither grasp nor initiate. Her act underscores that earnest faith discerns and responds to the Lord’s redemptive timetable when others are oblivious.

2. Self-Centered Precedence (1 Corinthians 11:21)

In Corinth the Lord’s Supper is marred by believers who “go ahead” with private meals. The verb exposes a rush that fractures fellowship: haste toward self-gratification that disregards the body of Christ. Paul presents it as the opposite of discerning the body and waiting for one another.

3. Sudden Entrapment (Galatians 6:1)

Here the passive sense—“caught” or “overtaken”—portrays sin seizing a believer unexpectedly. The church must respond equally swiftly, not with condemnation but restorative gentleness. What sin pre-emptively captures, Spirit-led brothers are to reclaim.

Historical and Cultural Background

• Jewish burial customs prized anointing; performing it beforehand for a living person was unusual, highlighting Jesus’ imminent death and the woman’s prophetic insight.
• Greco-Roman banquets followed social ranking; wealthier diners ate first. The Corinthian assembly unwittingly mirrored that culture instead of portraying the gospel’s egalitarian fellowship.
• First-century legal language used this verb for surprise arrests; Paul draws on that imagery to show how sin can ambush saints.

Doctrinal Themes

• Sovereign Timing – God’s redemptive plan unfolds on schedule; responsive faith aligns with it (Mark 14).
• Communion and Unity – Self-advancing behavior distorts the sacramental proclamation of the Lord’s death (1 Corinthians 11).
• Restoration and Holiness – Swift, compassionate intervention protects both the fallen and the would-be restorers (Galatians 6).

Pastoral and Practical Implications

1. Cultivate Spiritual Sensitivity: Anticipate Christ’s purposes, acting before cultural or peer pressures dictate.
2. Guard Corporate Worship: Ensure communal rites display mutual consideration, confronting any tendency to “eat ahead” at others’ expense.
3. Practice Redemptive Intervention: Approach those “overtaken” by sin promptly and gently, remembering one’s own vulnerability.

Intertextual Echoes

• Ruth 3:7–9 shows proactive devotion resembling the Bethany anointing.
• Proverbs 24:11–12 urges rescuing those “being led away,” paralleling Galatians 6:1.
• James 2:1–4 condemns preferential treatment in assemblies, reinforcing Paul’s rebuke in Corinth.

Ministry Significance

The verb highlights critical moments when believers either align with or violate the gospel’s rhythm. Whether seizing a holy opportunity, selfishly preceding others, or urgently restoring the fallen, timing reveals the heart. A vigilant, Spirit-led church therefore seeks to “ go ahead” in obedience, not in self-interest, and to reclaim what sin has pre-empted, manifesting the grace that first anticipated us.

προέλαβε προελαβεν προέλαβεν προλαμβανει προλαμβάνει προλημφθη προλημφθῇ προληφθή proelaben proélaben prolambanei prolambánei prolemphthe prolēmphthē prolemphthêi prolēmphthē̂iInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts