προετοιμάζω (proetoimazō)
proetoimazō
to prepare
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb proetoimazō means to make ready in advance, setting something up before a specific time arrives. It combines a prefix meaning "before" with the root for preparation, emphasizing that the readiness is established ahead of schedule rather than at the last minute.
In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in Paul’s letters (Romans 9:23; Ephesians 2:10). In these contexts, it describes God’s action of preparing people or works beforehand. Romans 9:23 speaks of vessels of mercy prepared for glory, while Ephesians 2:10 states that believers are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand.
The term carries a sense of deliberate, prior arrangement. It is not merely casual preparation but an intentional act of making something suitable for its intended purpose in advance. Translators often render it "prepared" or "appointed," highlighting the foresight involved in God’s plan. The word underscores that the outcomes were ready before they unfolded in history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When you look at your life, it is easy to feel like you are reacting to whatever happens next. This Greek word reminds us that God works with foresight. He does not wait until the last minute to decide what to do. Instead, He sets things in motion long before we see the outcome.
In Ephesians, Paul writes that we are created for good works which God prepared beforehand. This means your steps have a purpose that existed before you took them. You are not drifting aimlessly. Your life is part of a plan that was set up with care and intention.
This truth brings deep comfort. You do not need to carry the weight of figuring everything out on your own. The One who prepared these paths is faithful to guide you through them. Rest in the knowledge that your life is held in His careful hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- prepared beforehand1×
- He prepared beforehand1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- προητοίμασεν2×
Key Verses
-
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
This verse uses the word to show that good works are not random acts but specific paths God arranged for believers to walk in.
-
Romans 9:23
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
Here the term highlights God's deliberate action in making vessels ready for glory before they come to experience it.