Bible Dictionary

FOR

Original Language • Both

“For” is an English rendering of many Hebrew and Greek conjunctions and prepositions. Its meaning may express cause, purpose, substitution, reference, association, or representation, so context determines its precise force.

Definition

“For” is an English rendering of many Hebrew and Greek conjunctions and prepositions. Its meaning depends on context and may express cause, purpose, reference, association, representation, or substitution. The same English word can therefore represent several distinct underlying expressions.

Biblical Usage

In New Testament discussions of Christ’s sacrifice, different prepositions translated “for” may mean instead of, on behalf of, concerning, or over. The supplied material cautions that no single preposition automatically proves substitution; the root idea of the word, the grammatical case, and the context must all be considered.

Historical Background

The English Revised Version and American Standard Revised Version often give more literal or precise renderings than the King James Version. The supplied material lists several Hebrew and Greek conjunctions and prepositions behind the English word.

Related Figures

Historical Bible Dictionaries

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means "instead of," "answering to," it does not necessarily imply substitution. On the other hand, in classical Greek huper is sometimes used in that sense (see Trench, Synonyms). "Here as always the root idea of the preposition, the root idea of the case, and the context must all be considered" (Robertson, Grammar, 124). Anti is found in this connection only in Mt 20:28, and Mr 10:45. In Mt 26:28; Mr 14:24, we have peri, also in Heb 10:6,8,18,26; 1Pe 3:18; 1 Joh 2:2; 4:10. Lu 22:19,20 has huper, which is the word commonly used by Paul, as in Ro 5:6,8; 8:32; 14:15; 1Co 15:3, etc., also by John in his Gospel, 6:51; 10:11, etc., and 1 Joh 3:16; also Heb 2:9; 10:12; 1Pe 2:21; 3:18; 4:1; in Ro 8:3 it is peri.W. L. Walker

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