Bible Lexicons

1. The original meaning ";anticipate,"; ";precede,"; old Engl. ";prevent,"; as in 1Th. 4:15 (cf. Sap 4:7, 6:13, 16:28) may be illustrated from such passages as P Ryl II. 119.16 (A.D. 54–67) ἀπολυθῆναί τε τὸν Μουσαῖον ὧν ἔφθη λαβεῖν ἐκφορίων, ";and that Musaeus should receive a discharge from the rents previously obtained"; (Edd.), P Oxy II. 237vi. 30 (A.D. 186) ὅτι φθάνει τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀκρειβῶς [ἐξ ]ητασμένον, ";the fact that a searching inquiry into the affair had already been held"; (Edd.), ib.vii. 42 εἰ ἔφθακας (cf. 2Th. 2:16 ἔφθακεν BD* 31) ἅπαξ προῖκα δ [οὺς τ [ῇ ] θυγ ]ατρί σου, ἀποκατάστησον, ";if you have already once given a dowry to your daughter, you must restore it,"; (Edd.), ib. XIV. 1666.3 (iii/A.D.) φθάνω δὲ ὑμεῖν ὑμεῖν πρότερρον γεγραφηκὼς περὶ τοῦ μεικροῦ Παυσαανίου ὡς εἰς λεγιῶνα στρατευσάμενον, ";I have previously written to you about the little Pausanias becoming a soldier of a legion"; (Edd.), ib. VI. 907.14 (a Will—A.D. 276) τῇ Πτολεμαίδι βεβαιῶ διὰ τούτου μου τοῦ βουλήματος ἣ φθάσας ἐπιδέδωκα αὐτῇ προῖκα, ";and I also confirm to Ptolemais by this will the dowry which I previously gave her ";(Edd.), ib. 935.20 (iii/A.D.) ἔφθανε γὰρ προβαστάξας τὰς ἐν ταῖς,ἀρούραι ̓. ι ̣ ., ";he has already taken away those (sc. bundles) in the 1 [•] arourae"; (Edd.), ib. VIII. 1103.5 (A.D. 360) φθάσαντες ἡμῖς ἐπληρώσαμεν αὐτούς, ";we had previously paid them ";(Ed.), and P Grenf I. 53.32 (iv/A.D.) ( = Chrest. I. p. 158) καὶ ταῦτα πάλιν φθάνομεν ἀποδείζειν.

2. Apart from 1Th. 4:15, the verb in the NT has lost its sense of priority, and means simply ";come,"; ";arrive,"; as in Mat. 12:28, 1Th. 2:16, Rom. 9:31, 2Co. 10:14 (but see RV marg.), and Tob. 5:19 ἀργύριον τῷ ἀρ γυρίῳ μὴ φθάσαι, ";let not money come (or be added) to money"; (see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 289); cf. P Amh II. 72.9 (A.D. 246) ἧς κληρον [ο ]μίας᾽ φθάσασα διεπεμψάμην τῷ λαμπροτάτῳ ἡγεμόνι., ";of this inheritance I at once announced the succession to his excellency the praefect"; (Edd.), P Tebt II. 417.10 (iii/A.D.) πλὴν ἀρξόμεθ [α ] τοῦ ἔργου,ἐπὶ γὰρ ἐ [ὰν ] φθάσωμεν ἐπιλαβέσθαι τοῦ ἔργου δυνόμεθα αὐτ [ὸ ἀ ]φῖνε (l. ἀφεῖναἰ, ";but we will begin the work, for as soon as we make haste to set ourselves to it we can finish it completely (?)"; (Edd.), and P Flor I. 9.9 (A.D. 255) ( = p. 28) φθάσαντός μου πρὸς τοῖς μναιμίοις (l. μνημείοις, ";when I had arrived at the tombs."; Cf. P Lond IV. 1343.24 (A.D. 709) φθάσαι τὰ ἔσ ̣κατα (l. ἔσχατἀ, ";passing their wildest expectations"; (Ed.).

For φθάνω εἰς, as in Rom. 9:31, Php. 3:16, cf. BGU II. 522.6 (ii/A.D.) τῆς εἰς ἅπαντός (=-άς) σου φιλανθρωπία [ς ] κύριε φθανούσης (gen. abs.), P Par 18.14 (ii/A.D.) ἔτι δύο ἡμέρας ἔχομεν καὶ φθάσομεν εἰς Πηλ [ού ]σι, and see the rare usage ἔφθασα τὸ Σκέλος, ";perveni ad Scelos,"; in P Iand 21.3 (vi/vii A.D.) (with the editor’s note).

In Sir. 30:25 ἐν εὐλογίᾳ Κυρίου ἔφθασα, καὶ ὡς τρυγῶν ἐπλήρωσα ληνόν, the meaning apparently is ";I attained my object,"; not ";I outstripped others ";(see Sanday Inspiration p. 261 n.1.). Note the colloquial ἔφθασα, ";here I am"; in MGr, and φτάνω, ";arrive,"; ";comprehend. ";

 

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