πόρρωθεν (porrōthen)
porrōthen
afar off
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb porrothen means "from a distance" or "afar off." It describes physical separation between people or places, emphasizing that the subjects are not yet close together. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in contexts where distance is a key element of the narrative.
In Luke 17:12, Jesus encounters ten lepers who stand porrothen, keeping their distance as they call out for mercy. This usage highlights the social and ritual separation required by their condition. Similarly, Hebrews 11:13 describes the patriarchs as seeing promises from afar, acknowledging that they did not receive the fulfillment of God's word during their lifetimes but recognized its truth from a spiritual distance.
The term derives from the adjective porro ("far") combined with an adverbial suffix indicating source or direction. While it can simply denote physical remoteness, in Hebrews it carries a theological weight, illustrating faith as a perspective that perceives future realities from a present position of separation. Translators consistently render it as "afar off" or "from a distance," preserving the sense of spatial or temporal gap.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word porrōthen captures the reality of standing apart. In Luke 17:12, ten lepers stood at a distance from Jesus. Their physical separation was not just a matter of geography; it was a requirement of their condition and the law. They could not come close, yet they called out for mercy anyway. This shows that approaching God does not always require being physically near or socially accepted. It requires a heart willing to reach out across the gap.
Hebrews 11:13 takes this idea further. The heroes of faith saw God’s promises from afar. They did not see the full picture in their own time. They lived as strangers, looking forward to what they could not yet touch. This word reminds us that faith often involves waiting. We may feel distant from a breakthrough or a promise. That distance does not mean God has forgotten us. It means we are learning to trust His timing.
When you feel far from where you want to be, remember these lepers and the patriarchs. Your distance is not a barrier to God’s grace. You can call out from afar, and He hears. The gap between your current state and God’s promise is bridged by faith, not by proximity. Rest in the fact that He sees you, even when you feel remote.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- from afar1×
- afar off.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πόρρωθεν.1×
- πόρρωθεν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 17:12
As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance.
This verse grounds the word in a physical reality where ritual impurity forces separation, yet faith reaches across that barrier.
-
Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Here the term shifts from physical distance to spiritual perception, describing how believers view future promises from their present earthly vantage point.