Original Word: παρά
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: para
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ah')
Short Definition: from, in the presence of
Definition: gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

3844 pará (a preposition) – properly, close beside. 3844 /pará ("from closely alongside") introduces someone (something) as very "close beside."

3844 (pará) an emphatic "from," means "from close beside" ("alongside"). It stresses nearness (closeness) which is often not conveyed in translation. 3844 (pará) is typically theologically significant, even when used as a prefix (i.e. in composition). 3844 (pará) usually adds the overtone, "from close beside" (implying intimate participation) and can be followed by the genitive, dative, or accusative case – each one conveying a distinct nuance.

STRONGS NT 3844: παρά

παρά (it neglects elision before proper names beginning with a vowel, and (at least in Tdf.s text) before some other words; see Tdf Proleg., p. 95, cf. Winers Grammar, § 5, 1 a.; Buttmann, 10), a preposition indicating close proximity, with various modifications corresponding to the various cases with which it is joined; cf. Viger. editionm Herm., p. 643ff; Matthiae, § 588; Bernhardy (1829), p. 255ff; Kühner, § 440; Krüger, § 68, 34-36. It is joined:

I. with the genitive; and as in Greek prose writings always with the genitive of a person, to denote that a thing proceeds from. the side or the vicinity of one, or from one's sphere of power, or from one's wealth or store, Latina, ab; German von ... her, von neben; Frenchde chez; (English from beside, from); the Sept. for מִלִּפְנֵי, מִיַד, מֵאֵצֶל (1 Samuel 17:30); cf. Winers Grammar, 364f (342f)

a. properly, with a suggestion of union of place or of residence, after verbs of coming, departing, setting out, etc. (cf. Frenchvenir, partir de chez quelqu'un): Mark 14:43; Luke 8:49 (here Lachmann ἀπό); John 15:26; John 16:27; John 17:8; (παῥ ἧς ἐκβεβλήκει ἑπτά δαιμόνια, Mark 16:9 L Tr text WH); εἶναι παρά Θεοῦ, of Christ, to be sent from God, John 9:16, 33; to be sprung from God (by the nature of the λόγος), (where for the sake of the context κἀκεῖνος με ἀπέστειλεν (Tdf. ἀπέσταλκέν) is added); μονογενοῦς παρά πατρός namely, ὄντος, John 1:14; ἐστι τί παρά τίνος, is given by one, John 17:7 (cf.

d. below).

b. joined to passive verbs, παρά makes one the author, the giver, etc. (Winers Grammar, 365 (343); Buttmann, § 134, 1); so after ἀποστέλλεσθαι, John 1:6 (the expression originates in the fact that one who is sent is conceived of as having been at the time with the sender, so that he could be selected or commissioned from among a number and then sent off); γίνεσθαι, Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:11 (παρά κυρίου, from the Lord, by divine agency or by the power at God's command); akin to which is οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ πᾶν ῤῆμα, Luke 1:37 L marginal reading T Tr WH (see ἀδυνατέω, b.); λαλεῖσθαι, Luke 1:45 (not ὑπό, because God had not spoken in person, but by an angel); κατηγορεῖσθαι, Acts 22:30 Rec. (not ὑπό (yet so L T Tr WH) because Paul had not yet been formally accused by the Jews, but the tribune inferred from the tumult that the Jews accused him of some crime).

c. after verbs of seeking, asking, taking, receiving, buying (cf. Winers Grammar, 370 (347) n.; Buttmann, § 147, 5; yet see Lightfoot on Galatians 1:12); as, αἴτω, αἰτοῦμαι, Matthew 20:20 (where L Tr text WH text ἀπ' αὐτοῦ); John 4:9; Acts 3:2; Acts 9:2; James 1:5; 1 John 5:15 (where L T Tr WH ἀπ' αὐτοῦ); ζητῶ, Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Luke 12:48; λαμβάνω, Mark 12:2; John 5:34, 41, 44; John 10:18; Acts 2:33; Acts 3:5; Acts 17:9; Acts 20:24; Acts 26:10; James 1:7; 2 Peter 1:17; 1 John 3:22 (L T Tr WH ἀπ' αὐτοῦ); 2 John 1:4; Revelation 2:28 (27); παραλαμβάνω, Galatians 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; ἀπολαμβάνω, Luke 6:34 R G LTr marginal reading; κομίζομαι, Ephesians 6:8; γίνεται μοι τί, Matthew 18:19; δέχομαι, Acts 22:5; Philippians 4:18; ἔχω, Acts 9:14; ὠνέομαι, Acts 7:16; ἀγοράζομαι, Revelation 3:18; also after ἄρτον φαγεῖν (namely, δοθεντα), 2 Thessalonians 3:8; εὑρεῖν ἔλεος, 2 Timothy 1:18; ἔσται χάρις, 2 John 1:3. after verbs of hearing, ascertaining, learning, making inquiry; as, ἀκούω τί, John 1:40(); ; Acts 10:22; Acts 28:22; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:2; πυνθάνομαι, Matthew 2:4; John 4:52; ἀκριβω, Matthew 2:16; ἀπιγινώσκω, Acts 24:8; μανθάνω, 2 Timothy 3:14.

d. in phrases in which things are said εἶναι or ἐξέρχεσθαι from one: Luke 2:1; Luke 6:19; John 17:7 (see a. above).

e. ὁ, ἡ, τό παρά τίνος (see ὁ, II. 8; cf. Buttmann, § 125, 9; Winer's Grammar, § 18, 3); α. absolutely: οἱ παῥ αὐτοῦ, those of one's family, i. e. his kinsmen, relations, Mark 3:21 (Susanna 33; one's descendants (yet here Vulg.qui cure eo erant), 1 Macc. 13:52; (Josephus, Antiquities 1, 10, 5)); cf. Fritzsche at the passage, p. 101; (Field, Otium Norv. pars 3:at the passage); τά παρά τίνος, what one has beside him, and so at his service, i. e. one's means, resources, Mark 5:26; τά παρά τινων, namely, ὄντα, i. e. δοθεντα, Luke 10:7; Philippians 4:18; (cf. Winers Grammar, 366 (343); Josephus, Antiquities 8, 6, 6; b. j. 2, 8, 4; etc.). β. where it refers to a preceding noun: ἡ ἐξουσία ἡ παρά τίνος, namely, received, Acts 26:12 (R G); ἐπικουρίας τῆς παρά (L T Tr WH ἀπό) τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 26:22 (ἡ παρά τίνος εὔνοια, Xenophon, mem. 2, 2, 12); ἡ παῥ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, of which I am the author, Romans 11:27 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 193 (182)).

II. with the dative, παρά indicates that something is or is done either in the immediate vicinity of someone, or (metaphorically) in his mind, near by, beside, in the power of, in the presence of, with, the Sept. for אֵצֶל (1 Kings 20:1 (); Proverbs 8:30), בְּיַד (Genesis 44:16; Numbers 31:49), בְּעֵינֵי (see b. below); cf. Winers Grammar, § 48, d., p. 394f (369); (Buttmann, 339 (291f)).

a. near, by: εἱστήκεισαν παρά τῷ σταυρῷ, John 19:25 (this is the only passage in the N. T. where παρά is joined with a dative of the thing, in all others with a dative of the person). after a verb of motion, to indicate the rest which follows the motion (cf. Buttmann, 339 (292)), ἔστησεν αὐτό παῥ ἑαυτῷ, Luke 9:47.

b. with, i. e. in one's house; in one's town; in one's society: ξενίζεσθαι (which see), Acts 10:6; Acts 21:16; μένειν, of guests or lodgers, John 1:39 (); ; Acts 9:43; Acts 18:3, 20 (R G); f; ἐπιμένειν, Acts 28:14 L T Tr WH; καταλύειν, Luke 19:7 (Demosthenes, de corona § 82 (cf. Buttmann, 339 (292))); ἀριστᾶν, Luke 11:37; ἀπολείπειν τί, 2 Timothy 4:13; παρά τῷ Θεῷ, dwelling with God, John 8:38; equivalent to in heaven, John 17:5; μισθόν ἔχειν, to have a reward laid up with God in heaven, Matthew 6:1; εὑρεῖν χάριν (there where God is, i. e. God's favor (cf. Winer's Grammar, 365 (343))), Luke 1:30; a person is also said to have χάρις παρά one with whom he is acceptable, Luke 2:52; τοῦτο χάρις παρά Θεῷ, this is acceptable with God, pleasing to him, 1 Peter 2:20 (for בְּעֵינֵי, Exodus 33:12, 16; Numbers 11:15); παρά Θεῷ, in fellowship with God (of those who have embraced the Christian religion and turned to God from whom they had before been estranged), 1 Corinthians 7:24; παρά κυρίῳ (in heaven), before the Lord as judge, 2 Peter 2:11 (G L omit and Tr WH brackets the phrase); παῥ ὑμῖν, in your city, in your church, Colossians 4:16; with a dative plural equivalent to among, Matthew 22:25; Matthew 28:15; Revelation 2:13; παῥ ἑαυτῷ, at his home, 1 Corinthians 16:2.

c. παῥ (L Tr WH text ἐν) ἑαυτῷ, with oneself i. e. in one's own mind, διαλογίζεσθαι, Matthew 21:25.

d. a thing is said to be or not to be παρά τίνι, with one, α. which belongs to his nature and character, or is in accordance with his practice or the reverse; as, μή ἀδικία παρά τῷ Θεῷ; Romans 9:14; add, Romans 2:11; 2 Corinthians 1:17; Ephesians 6:9; James 1:17. β. which is or is not within one's power: Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27, cf. Luke 1:37 R G L text e. παρά τίνι, with one i. e. in his judgment, he being judge (so in Herodotus and the Attic writings; cf. Passow, under the word, II. 2, vol. ii., p. 667; (Liddell and Scott, under B. II. 3)): παρά τῷ Θεῷ, Romans 2:13; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Galatians 3:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6; James 1:27; 1 Peter 2:4; 2 Peter 3:8 (παρά κυρίῳ); φρόνιμον εἶναι παῥ ἑαυτῷ (A. V. in one's own conceit), Romans 11:25 (where Tr text WH text ἐν); Romans 12:16.

III. with an accusative; the Sept. for אֵצֶל, יַד עַל, בְּעֵבֶר (Joshua 7:7; Joshua 22:7); cf. Winers Grammar, § 49 g., p. 403f (377f); (Buttmann, 339 (292));

1. properly, of place, at, by, near, by the side of, beside, along; so with verbs of motion: περιπατεῖν παρά τήν θάλασσαν (Plato, Gorgias, p. 511 e.), Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16 (here L T Tr WH παράγω); πίπτειν, Matthew 13:4; Mark 4:4; Luke 8:5, 41; Luke 17:16; Acts 5:10 (where L T Tr WH πρός); σπαρῆναι, Matthew 13:19; ῥίπτειν, Matthew 15:30; τιθέναι, Acts 4:35, 37 (here Tdf. πρός); ; ἀποτιθεναι, Acts 7:58; ἔρχεσθαι, ἐξέρχεσθαι, Matthew 15:29; Mark 2:13 (here Tdf. εἰς); Acts 16:13; οἱ παρά τήν ὁδόν, namely, πεσόντες, Mark 4:15, cf. Mark 4:4; Luke 8:12, cf. 5. with verbs of rest: καθῆσθαι, Matthew 13:1; Matthew 20:30; Luke 8:35; with εἶναι, Mark 5:21; Acts 10:6. with verbs denoting the business in which one is engaged, as παιδεύειν in passive, Acts 22:3 (so G L T Tr WH punctuate); διδάσκειν, Mark 4:1. without a verb, in specifications of place, Acts 10:32; Hebrews 11:12.

2. beside, beyond, i. e. metaphorically,

a. equivalent to contrary to: παρά τήν διδαχήν, Romans 16:17; παῥ ἐλπίδα, literally, beyond hope, i. e. where the laws and course of nature left no room for hope, hence, equivalent to without (A. V. against) hope, Romans 4:18 (in secular authors, of things which happen against hope, beyond one's expectation, cf. Passow, under the word, III. 3, vol. ii, p. 669{b}; Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 6, 25); παρά τόν νόμοι, contrary to the law, Acts 18:13 (παρά τούς νόμους, opposed to κατά τούς νόμους, Xenophon, mem. 1, 1, 18); παῥ ὁ, contrary to that which, i. e. at variance with that which, Galatians 1:8f; παρά φύσιν, Romans 1:26; Romans 11:24 (Thucydides 6, 17; Plato, rep. 5, p. 466 d.); after ἄλλος, other than, different from, 1 Corinthians 3:11 (see examples from secular authors in Passow, under the word, III. 3 at the end vol. ii., p. 670{a}); παρά τόν κτίσαντα, omitting or passing by the Creator, Romans 1:25, where others explain it before (above) the Creator, rather than the Creator, agreeably indeed to the use of the preposition in Greek writings (cf. Ast, Lex. Plato, iii., p. 28 (cf. Riddell, Platonic Idioms, § 165 β.; Liddell and Scott, under the word, C. I. 5 d.)), but not to the thought of the passage. except, save, equivalent to if you subtract from a given sum, less: τεσσαράκοντα παρά μίαν, one (stripe) excepted, 2 Corinthians 11:24 (τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν παρά τριάκοντα ἡμέρας, Josephus, Antiquities 4, 8, 1; παρά πέντε ναῦς, five ships being deducted, Thucydides 8, 29; (παῥ ὀλίγας ψήφους, Josephus, contra Apion 2, 37, 3); see other examples from Greek authors in Bernhardy (1829), p. 258; (Winers Grammar, as above; especially Sophocles Lexicon, under 3)).

b. above, beyond: παρά καιρόν ἡλικίας, Hebrews 11:11; παῥ ὁ δεῖ; (Plutarch, mor., p. 83 f. (de profect. in virt. § 13)), Romans 12:3; equivalent to more than: ἁμαρτωλοί παρά πάντας, Luke 13:2; ἔχρισεν σε ... ἔλαιον ... παρά τούς μετόχους more copiously than (A. V. above) thy fellows, Hebrews 1:9 (from Psalm 44:8 (); ὑψοῦν τινα παρά τινα, Sir. 15:5); κρίνειν ἡμέραν παῥ ἡμέραν, to prefer one day to another (see κρίνω, 2), Romans 14:5. Hence, it is joined to comparatives: πλέον παρά τό, Luke 3:13; διαφορώτερον παῥ αὐτούς ὄνομα, Hebrews 1:4; add, ; see examples from Greek authors in Winer's Grammar, § 35, 2 b. (and as above). Ἐλαττουν τινα παρά, to make one inferior to another, Hebrews 2:7, 9.

3. on account of (cf. Latinpropter equivalent toob): παρά τοῦτο, for this reason, therefore, 1 Corinthians 12:15f; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 49 g. c.

IV. In Composition παρά denotes

1. situation or motion either from the side of, or to the side of; near, beside, by, to: παραθαλάσσιος, παράλιος, παροικέω, παρακολουθέω, παραλαμβάνω, παραλέγομαι, παραπλέω, παράγω; of what is done secretly or by stealth, as παρεισέρχομαι, παρεισάγω, παρεισδύω; cf. (the several words and) Fritzsche, Commentary on Romans, vol. i., p. 346. by the side of i. e. ready, present, at hand (παρά τίνι): πάρειμι, παρουσία, παρέχω, etc.

2. violation, neglect, aberration (cf. our beyond or aside equivalent to amiss): παραβαίνω, παραβάτης, παρανομέω, παρακούω, παρίημι, πάρεσις, παραλογίζομαι, παράδοξος, παραφρονία, etc.

3. like the German an (inanreizen, antreiben, etc.): παραζηλόω, παραπικραίνω, παροξύνω, παροργίζω. (Cf. Vig. edition, Herm., p. 650f)

beside, among, at, before, by

A primary preposition; properly, near; i.e. (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local (especially beyond or opposed to) or causal (on account of) -- above, against, among, at, before, by, contrary to, X friend, from, + give (such things as they), + that (she) had, X his, in, more than, nigh unto, (out) of, past, save, side...by, in the sight of, than, (there-)fore, with. In compounds it retains the same variety of application.

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