Original Word: πρόσφατος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: prosphatos
Pronunciation: pros'-fat-os
Phonetic Spelling: (pros'-fat-os)
KJV: new
NASB: new
Word Origin: [from G4253 (πρό - before) and a derivative of G4969 (σφάζω - slain)]

1. previously (recently) slain (fresh)
2. (figuratively) lately made

new.

From pro and a derivative of sphazo; previously (recently) slain (fresh), i.e. (figuratively) lately made -- new.

see GREEK pro

see GREEK sphazo

4372 prósphatos (an adjective, derived from 4314 /prós, "towards, with" and phenō, "to kill, slaughter") – properly, purposefully kill ("slaughter"). 4372 /prósphatos ("freshly-killed") is used only in Heb 10:20, describing "the new road" Christ has successfully inaugurated (the NT era) by the sacrifice of Himself.

Word Origin
from pros and a prim. root phen- (to slay, kill)
Definition
freshly slain, generally new
NASB Translation
new (1).

STRONGS NT 4372: πρόσφατος

πρόσφατος, πρόσφατον (from πρό and σφάω or σφάζω; cf. Delitzsch, Commentary on Hebrews (as below), p. 478; (cf. Lob. Technol., p. 106));

1. properly, lately slaughtered, freshly killed: Homer, Iliad 21, 757.

2. universally, recently or very lately made, new: ὁδός, Hebrews 10:20 (so from Aeschylus down; φίλος πρόσφατος, Sir. 9:10; οὐκ ἐστι πᾶν πρόσφατον ὑπό τόν ἥλιον, Ecclesiastes 1:9). Cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 374f.

Biblical Setting

The single biblical occurrence of πρόσφατος (prosphatos) is Hebrews 10:20, where the writer declares that we enter the Most Holy Place “by a new and living way, opened for us through the curtain of His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). The adjective modifies “way,” picturing a path that is simultaneously “freshly sacrificed” and yet vibrantly “living.”

Historical Background

In Second Temple worship, a sacrificial animal was most valuable at the moment it was freshly slain: the blood was still warm, the offering at its peak of acceptability. The term prosphatos drew on that temple imagery. By applying it to the pathway into God’s presence, Hebrews contrasts the constant cycle of animal slaughter with the once-for-all death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1-4, 10-14). The path He opened is perpetually “fresh” because His sacrifice never loses efficacy, and it is “living” because the crucified Lamb now lives forever (Revelation 1:18).

Theological Significance

1. Perpetual Access: The “freshly-slain yet living” way underscores the permanence of Christ’s atonement. Unlike the Levitical system, no repeated offerings are required (Hebrews 9:25-26).
2. Paradox of Death and Life: The adjective unites death and life in a single concept, prefiguring resurrection themes (Acts 2:24; Romans 6:9). The very act that ended Christ’s earthly life inaugurated eternal life for believers (John 10:10).
3. Fulfillment of Covenant Promise: Jeremiah anticipated a “new covenant” written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Prosphatos identifies that covenant as freshly ratified in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6-13).
4. Priesthood of Believers: Because the way remains ever-open, every believer may “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). This democratizes access previously limited to a high priest once a year (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7).

Related Scriptural Themes

• John 14:6 – Jesus as “the way.”
• Ephesians 2:18 – “Through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
• 1 Peter 1:18-19 – Redemption “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish.”
• Revelation 5:6 – “A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,” mirroring the living-yet-slaughtered idea.

Ministerial Application

• Assurance in Worship: Congregations may approach God boldly, confident that the access point is ever-fresh.
• Evangelistic Emphasis: The gospel offers not a renovated religious system but a pathway newly opened by a living Savior.
• Pastoral Care: When believers feel distant from God, Hebrews 10:20 assures them that the barrier has already been removed; restoration involves returning to an always-open door.

Devotional Reflection

The rarity of prosphatos in Scripture magnifies its weight. Just once, God’s Word layers together sacrifice, newness, and life—then anchors the believer’s entire approach to God upon it. The doorway cut by Calvary’s blade never crusts over with age; it pulses with the resurrected life of the One who made it.

πρόσφατοι προσφατον πρόσφατον πρόσφατος prosphaton prósphatonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts