Bible Lexicons

The comparative rarity of πρότερος in the NT, where it occurs only eleven times (never in Lk), as contrasted with the 200 appearances of πρῶτος, meets us again in the papyri. For the adj., as in Ephesians 4:22, cf. P Fay 34.9 (A.D. 161) κατὰ τὴν τῶν προτέρων ἐτῶν συνήθειαν, ";according to the custom of former years,"; and for the neut. used adverbially see BGU IV. 1096.4 (i/ii A.D.) ὃν (sc. γραμματέα) πρότερον εἶχον, P Lond 1221.19 (A.D. 105) (= III. p. 25) ἐν οἰ [κί ]ᾳ πρότερον Κ ̣̄λ ̣αυδίας, and with the art. P Tebt II. 302.6 (A.D. 71–2) ἀρούρας φ ̄δ ̄ τὸ πρότερον τῶν προκι [μένων θεῶν, ";500 ¼ arourae which previously belonged to the aforesaid gods.";

In view of these exx. we are probably right in understanding τὸ πρότερον in Galatians 4:13 in the general sense of ";previously,"; ";originally,"; rather than ";on the former of two visits"; (cf. Lake Earlier Epp. of St. Paul, p. 265 f.) : so also in all the other appearances of the phrase in the NT.

In the following exx. πρότερον is best rendered by our English ";first";—P Petr I. 29.15 (iii/B.C.) γίνωσκε δὲ καὶ ὅτι ὕδωρ ἕκαστος τῶν ὅρων τὴν ἄμπελον φυτευομένην πρότερον δεῖν φασίν, [ο ]ὐ [δὲ ὑ ]πάρχειν, ";know, also, that each of the watchers says that the planted vines want water first, and that they have none"; (Ed.), P Oxy X. 1281.9 (A.D. 21) ἐφ᾽ ὧι ̣ κ ̣ο ̣μ ̣ι ̣ζ ̣ομέν ̣ου ̣ [τοῦ ] Ἰωσήπου ταῦτα πρότερον δώσει λόγο ̣[ν ] τούτων, ";on condition that when Joseph receives it he shall first render an account of it"; (Edd.), and P Fay 32.15 (A.D. 131) ἐὰν δέ τι κατὰ τούτ (ου) ἐξοικονομῶ πρότερον ἀποδίξω ὑπάρχειν ";if I alienate any of my rights over it, I will first establish my title to the ownership"; (Edd.). See also s.v. πρῶτος.