John 15:18

The Greek word πρῶτον serves both as the accusative neuter singular form of the adjective πρῶτος (“first”) and as an indeclinable adverb meaning “firstly,” “at first,” or “beforehand.” As an adjective, it modifies neuter nouns in the accusative case (e.g., τὸ πρῶτον σημεῖον, “the first sign”); as an adverb, it functions independently to modify the verb and express temporal or logical sequence (e.g., πρῶτον ἦλθεν, εἶτα ἐλάλησεν, “he came first, then he spoke”). Context determines whether the usage is adjectival or adverbial.

• πρῶτον (adverb or accusative neuter of πρῶτος) generally means:

  • "first in a sequence", "firstly", "initially" — not necessarily "before" another person or event, but simply what comes first temporally or logically.

• πρότερος (comparative adjective of πρό):

  • "former", "earlier", or "beforehand"

  • Expresses prior position in time or comparative precedence — especially before someone/something else.

Julia Smith noticed this over 150 years ago:

"know that it has hated me the first of you." (Julia Smith Translation)