πρόγνωσις (prognōsis)
prognōsis
foreknowledge
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun prognōsis refers to the act of knowing something beforehand, translated as "foreknowledge." In the New Testament, it appears only twice: in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:2. In both instances, the term carries significant theological weight, pointing not merely to passive awareness but to a deliberate divine purpose.
In Acts, Peter explains that Jesus was handed over by God’s "set purpose and foreknowledge," linking this prior knowledge to a specific plan of salvation. Similarly, 1 Peter describes believers as chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. The word suggests that God’s knowing is intimately connected with His intentional arrangement of history, rather than simple observation.
This usage distinguishes it from casual prediction. The sources highlight that in these contexts, foreknowledge implies a pre-arrangement or determination. It reflects a relationship established before time, where God’s prior knowledge is the basis for His elective choice and the fulfillment of His redemptive plan.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that God acted by His foreknowledge, it is easy to think of a distant observer watching events unfold. The Greek word prognōsis suggests something much more intimate and active. It points to a deliberate plan where knowing and choosing are intertwined. In Acts 2:23, Peter speaks of Jesus being handed over according to God’s set purpose and foreknowledge. This means the cross was not a surprise or an accident, but part of a loving design established before time began.
This truth offers deep comfort. If God knew you before He formed you, your life is held in hands that are both all-knowing and all-loving. 1 Peter 1:2 reminds us that we were chosen according to this foreknowledge. It is not random chance that guides our steps, but a purposeful love that seeks our sanctification. We can rest in the assurance that our history is known and cherished by the Father.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- foreknowledge1×
- [the] foreknowledge1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πρόγνωσιν1×
- προγνώσει1×
Key Verses
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Acts 2:23
him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
This verse links foreknowledge directly to God's set purpose, showing that Christ's suffering was part of a deliberate plan rather than bad luck.