Word study
Formerly
4 Hebrew and 4 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “formerly”. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “formerly” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- פָּנִים pânîmface, beforetranslated this way 9 times of its 1,836 uses · Strong’s H6440Noun · Translated: before 448, face 222, presence 147, before you 123Full study and all 1,671 verses →
- תְּחִלָּה techillâhbeginningtranslated this way 1 time of its 20 uses · Strong’s H8462Noun · Translated: beginning 8, first 4, first time 2, earlier 2Full study and all 20 verses →
Genesis 13:3 From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,
- רִאשׁוֹן rishônformer, first, chieftranslated this way 1 time of its 171 uses · Strong’s H7223Adjective · Translated: first 85, beginning 10, former 9, former things 6Full study and all 164 verses →
Judges 18:29 They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel — though the city was formerly named Laish.
- אֶתְמוֹל ethmôlheretofore, yesterdaytranslated this way 1 time of its 7 uses · Strong’s H865Adverb · Translated: before 1, formerly 1, previously 1, as before 1Full study and all 7 verses →
1 Samuel 10:11 When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Greek words (New Testament)
- ποτέ potéat one time or othertranslated this way 4 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s G4218Particle · Translated: Once 6, formerly 4, last 2, time 2Full study and all 21 verses →
Romans 11:30 Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
Galatians 1:23 They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
- πρότερον próteronformerly, beforetranslated this way 2 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s G4386Adjective · Translated: first 2, former 2, formerly 2, before 1Full study and all 9 verses →
1 Timothy 1:13 I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
Hebrews 4:6 Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,
- θεωρέω theōréōI behold, look at, experiencetranslated this way 1 time of its 58 uses · Strong’s G2334Verb · Translated: see 23, saw 16, sees 6, watching 3Full study and all 56 verses →
John 9:8 At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
- τότε tótethentranslated this way 1 time of its 126 uses · Strong’s G5119Adverb · Translated: then 94, time 21, and 3, Afterward 1Full study and all 125 verses →
Galatians 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.