Bible Lexicons

ἐνώπιον, neuter of the adjective ἐνώπιος, ἐνώπιον (equivalent to ὁ ἐν ὠπι ὤν, one who is in sight, Theocritus, 22, 152; the Sept. Exodus 33:11; ἄρτοι ἐνωπιοι, Exodus 25:29); used adverbially it gets the force of a preposition (Winers Grammar, § 54, 6; Buttmann, 319 (274)), and is joined with the genitive (hardly to be found so in any secular authors), before, in sight of anyone; time and again in the Sept. for בֲּעֵינֵי and לִפְנֵי, also for נֶגֶד and לְנֶגֶד; among N. T. writings used most frequently by Luke and the author of the Book of Revelation, but never by Matthew and Mark. It is used:

1. of occupied place: in that place which is before, or over against, opposite, anyone and toward which another turns his eyes;

a. properly: εἶναι ἐνώπιον τίνος, Revelation 1:4; Revelation 7:15; (Revelation 14:5 Rec.)); so that εἶναι must be mentally supplied before ἐνώπιον, Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 9:13; after στῆναι, Acts 10:30; ἑστηκεναι, Revelation 7:9; Revelation 8:2; Revelation 11:4; Revelation 12:4; Revelation 20:12; παρεστηκέναι, Luke 1:19; Acts 4:10; ἱσταναι, Acts 6:6; καθῆσθαι, Revelation 11:16; θύρα ἀνεῳγμένη ἐνώπιον τίνος, equivalent to a door opened for one (see θύρα, c. γ. (Buttmann, 173 (150))), Revelation 3:8; after verbs signifying motion to a place: τιθέναι, Luke 5:18; ἀναβαίνειν, Revelation 8:4; βάλλειν, Revelation 4:10; πίπτειν or πεσεῖν (of worshippers), Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:8; (Revelation 7:11); προσκυνεῖν, Luke 4:7; Revelation 3:9; Revelation 15:4 (cf. Buttmann, as above; 147 (129); Winers Grammar, 214 (201)).

b. in metaphorical phrases after verbs signifying motion: βαστάζειν τό ὄνομα ... ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν (see βαστάζω, 3), Acts 9:15; σκάνδαλα βάλλειν ἐνώπιον τίνος, to cast stumbling-blocks (incitements to sin) before one, Revelation 2:14; after προέρχεσθαι, to go before one like a herald, Luke 1:17; (after προπορεύεσθαι, Luke 1:76 WH). in phrases in which something is supposed to be done by one while standing or appearing in the presence of another (cf. Buttmann, 176 (153)): after ἀρνεῖσθαι, Luke 12:9 (Lachmann ἔμπροσθεν); (ἀπαρνεῖσθαι, ibid.); ὁμολογεῖν, Revelation 3:5 (Rec. ἐξομολογήσομαί); κατηγορεῖν, Revelation 12:10; (ᾄδειν, Revelation 14:3); καυχᾶσθαι, to come before God and glory, 1 Corinthians 1:29; δικαιοῦν ἑαυτόν, Luke 16:15.

c. equivalent to apud (with); in the soul of anyone: χαρά γίνεται ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων, Luke 15:10 (others understand this of God's joy, by reverent suggestion described as in the presence of the angels; cf. ἐν οὐρανῷ, Luke 15:7); ἔσται σοι δόξα ἐνώπιον τῶν συνανακειμένων, Luke 14:10 (others take this outwardly; cf. 2 below); after verbs of remembering and forgetting: εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον (L T Tr WH ἔμπροσθεν) τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 10:4; μνησθῆναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 10:31; Revelation 16:19; ἐπιλελησμένον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Luke 12:6 (cf. Buttmann, § 134, 3).

2. before one's eyes; in one's presence and sight or hearing;

a. properly: φαγεῖν ἐνώπιον τίνος, Luke 24:43; this same phrase signifies a living together in Luke 13:26 (2 Samuel 11:13; 1 Kings 1:25); σημεῖα ποιεῖν, John 20:30; ἀνακρίνειν, Luke 23:14; ἐνώπιον πολλῶν μαρτύρων, 1 Timothy 6:12; add Luke (Luke 5:25); ; Acts 19:9, 19; Acts 27:35; (1 Timothy 5:20); 3 John 1:6; Revelation 3:5; (Revelation 13:13; Revelation 14:10).

b. metaphorically: πίστιν ἔχε ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, have faith satisfied with this that it is not hidden from the sight of God, Romans 14:22; ἁμαρτάνειν ἐνώπιον τίνος (see ἁμαρτάνω at the end), Luke 15:18, 21; especially in affirmations, oaths, adjurations: ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ κυρίου, etc., Galatians 1:20; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Timothy 6:13; 2 Timothy 2:14; 2 Timothy 4:1. Hence, those are said to do something in the presence of one who have him present to their thought, who set him before their mind's eye: προωρώμην (πρωρωμην L T Tr WH) τόν κύριον ἐνώπιον μου, Acts 2:25; ταπεινοῦσθαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου, James 4:10 (Sir. 2:17).

c. at the instance of anyone, by his power and authority: Revelation 13:12, 14; Revelation 19:20.

d. before the eyes of one, i. e. if he turns his eyes thither: Hebrews 4:13 (where οὐκ ἀφανής ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ is explained by the following γυμνά ... τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ; cf. Job 26:6 γυμνός ὁ ᾅδης ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, before his look, to his view).

e. before one i. e. he looking on and judging, in one's judgment (Winers Grammar, 32; Buttmann, 172 (150); § 133, 14): ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεί λῆρος, Luke 24:11 (cf. Greek ἡρακλειδη λῆρος πάντα δοκεῖ εἶναι); so especially ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ κυρίου, after the following words: τά ἀρεστά, 1 John 3:22; βδέλυγμα, Luke 16:15; δίκαιος, Luke 1:6 (T Tr WH ἐναντίον); Acts 4:19; δικαιοῦσθαι, Romans 3:20; εὐάρεστος, Hebrews 13:21; εὐθύς, Acts 8:21 Rec.; καλόν, ἀπόδεκτον, 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 5:4; Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; μέγας, Luke 1:15; πολυτελές, 1 Peter 3:4; πεπληρωμένος, Revelation 3:2; ἀρέσκειν, Acts 6:5 (Deuteronomy 1:23 (Alex.); 2 Samuel 3:36; (Winers Grammar, § 33, f.)); in the sight of God i. e. God looking on and approving: Luke 1:75; Acts 10:33; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 7:12. in the sight of God, or with God: εὑρίσκειν χάριν (חֵן מָצָא often in the O. T.), to be approved by God, please him, Acts 7:46.