Bible Lexicons

προτίθημι: 2 aorist middle προεθέμην; (from Homer down);

1. to place before, to set forth (cf. πρό, d. ἆ.); specifically, to set forth to be looked at, expose to view: Exodus 40:4; 4 Macc. 8:11; Aelian v. h. 14, 8; and often in the middle in this sense: ποτήρια ἀργυρεα τέ καί χρυσεα, his own cups, Herodotus 3, 148; to expose to public view, in which sense it is the technical term with profane authors in speaking of the bodies of the dead (to let lie in state) (cf. Passow, under the word, I. 2; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 1); Stallbaum on Plato, Phaedo, p. 115 e.; (Krüger on Thucydides 2, 34, 1)); the middle points to the owner of the thing exposed: so with τινα and a predicate accusative. Romans 3:25 (the middle seems to denote that it was his own Son whom he thus set forth; cf. 8:32).

2. Middle to set before oneself, propose to oneself; to purpose, determine (Plato, Polybius, others): followed by the infinitive Romans 1:13; with an accusative of the thing and ἐν αὐτῷ ((sic); see αὑτοῦ) added, in himself (Winer's Grammar, § 38, 6; (cf. p. 152 (144))), Ephesians 1:9; (others (reading ἐν αὐτῷ with L T Tr WH) render 'in him,' i. e. (probably) Christ).