Bible Lexicons

προτίθημι is very common in the papyri = ";proclaim,"; ";set forth"; publicly, an edict or notice, e.g. P Oxy I. 34 versoiii. 14 (A.D. 127) προτεθήτω, ";let this edict be publicly issued"; (Edd.), ib. VIII. 1100.2 (A.D. 206) διατάγματος προτεθέντος ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐν τῇ λαμπροτάτ [ῃ πόλει τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων ] ἀντίγραφον, ib. XIV. 1633.37 (A.D. 275) δημ (οσίᾳ) προετέθ (η). Cf. P Tor I. 1ii. 6 (B.C. 116) ἐνέβαλον ἔντευξιν εἰς τὸ προτεθὲν (";expositum";) ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀγγεῖον (";vas";) ἐν τῇ Διοσπόλει, P Amh II 85.19 (A.D.78) ἐὰν φαίνη <ται > προτεθ [ῆ ]ναι τῆσδε τῆς μισθώσεως ἀντίγραφον ἐπὶ τὰς καθηκούσας ἡμέρας δέκα, ";subject to your consenting to the publication of this lease for the legal period of ten days"; (Edd.), BGU II. 372ii. 18 (A.D. 154) ἔστω π [ρο ]θεσμία [αὐτο ]ῖς, ἐξ οὗ ἂν τοῦτ ̣[ό ] μου τὸ διάταγ [μ ]α ἐν ἑκά [στ ]ῳ νομῷ προτεθῇ μῆνες γ ¯, ";let their limit of time be three months from the date of publication of my edict in each several nome,"; and P Strass I. 22.8 (iii/A.D.) προετέθη ἐν Ἀλεξ ̣ανδ [ρ ]είᾳ η ¯ (ἔτει) Φαρμοῦθι κδ ̄.

This meaning of ";set forth publicly"; is preferred for προέθετο by SH ad Romans 3:25 (cf. Deissmann BS p. 129 ff.); but Moulton on the strength of an inscr. suggests that the meaning may rather be ";offered,"; or ";provided"; for a propitiatory gift. The inscr. is Syll 325 (= .3 708).15 (before B.C. 100) τισὶν δὲ τῶν πολειτῶν ε [ἰς ] λύτρα προτιθεὶς (sc. χρήματα) ἔδειξεν ἑαυτὸν πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀπάντησιν τῶν σωζομένων εὐομείλητον, which Moulton renders, ";offering money for the ransom of other citizens, he showed himself gracious at every welcoming of those who from time to time safely returned."; See further Exp VIII. i. p. 475 f.

A medical receipt for quartan fever, P Oxy VIII. 1088.57 (early i/A.D.), runs—·φακὸν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας πρ ̣οτιθείς, καὶ σκεπάζειν ἱματίοις, ";apply a warm bottle to the feet, and cover him up with blankets.";