לִפְנֵי
Transliteration
lip̄nê
Pronunciation
lif-nah'ee
Part of Speech
preposition
Root Word (Etymology)
From the prepositional prefix (to or for) and פָּנִים (H6440)
Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 1782b

Variant Spellings

The following spelling is supported by Strongs and Gesenius: לפני.

Strong’s Definitions

לִפְנַי liphnay, lif-nah'ee; from the prepositional prefix (to or for) and H6440; anterior:—before.


KJV Translation Count — Total: 1x

The KJV translates Strong's H3942 in the following manner: before (1x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 1x
The KJV translates Strong's H3942 in the following manner: before (1x).
  1. before, to the face of

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)
לִפְנַי liphnay, lif-nah'ee; from the prepositional prefix (to or for) and H6440; anterior:—before.
STRONGS H3942: Abbreviations
לִפְנָ֑י 1 Kings 6:17 see H6440 [פָּנֶה], פָּנִים.

[פָּנֶה], plural פָּנִים
4. לִפְנֵי, properly at the face or front of, the most general word for in the presence of, before: as Genesis 18:22 עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי אַבְרָהָם, Exodus 4:21; Exodus 11:10; 2 Samuel 2:14; Proverbs 17:18 + often; after a verb of motion, Genesis 47:2 וַיַּצִּיגֵם לפני פ׳ and set them before Pharaoh, Genesis 27:20 כִּי הִקְרָה י׳ לפני literally made (it) to meet before me (compare Genesis 24:12), Exodus 29:10; Proverbs 18:16 etc. In particular,
a. With the implication of
(a) under the eye or oversight of, Deuteronomy 25:2; 1 Samuel 3:1.
(b) under the eye and regard of, Genesis 17:18 לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ, Hosea 6:2; Isaiah 53:2; Psalm 61:8; compare Jeremiah 30:20; Jeremiah 31:36; Isaiah 66:22; Psalm 102:29: also 1 Samuel 2:28; 2 Samuel 19:14.
(c) figurative for in (or into) the full (mental) view of, Genesis 6:13 קֵץ כָּלבָּֿשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי is come in before me, Lamentations 1:22 תָּבאֹ כָלרָֿעָתָם לְפָנֶיךָ, Jonah 1:2 עָֽלְתָה לְפָנַי (compare אֶל Genesis 18:21; Exodus 2:23), Isaiah 65:6 כְּתוּבָה לְפָנָ֑י, Jeremiah 2:22 נִכְתָּךְ לְפָנָי (compare נֶגְדִּי Isaiah 47:12).
(d) openly before, 1 Samuel 12:2 הִתְהַלֵךְ לִפְנֵי, and with collateral idea of deserving (and receiving) regard 1 Samuel 2:35, especially לפני י׳ Genesis 17:1 and elsewhere.
(e) in presence of the moon or sun, Psalm 72:5; Psalm 72:17, i.e. as long as they endure.
(f) free before, at the disposal of,Genesis 13:9 הֲלֹא כָלהָֿאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ (compare Genesis 20:15; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 47:6; Jeremiah 40:4; 2 Chronicles 14:6), 2 Chron 24:51; Songs 8:12.
(g) in the sight (estimation) of, Genesis 7:1 thee have I seen to be just before me, Genesis 10:9 a mighty hunter before י׳, Deuteronomy 24:4 י׳ תּוֺעֵבָה ל׳, Deuteronomy 24:13 י׳ צְדָקָה ל׳, 1 Samuel 20:1b, אָרוּר י׳ ל׳ Joshua 6:26; 1 Samuel 26:19, י׳ לְרָצוֺן ל׳ acceptable before י׳, Leviticus 1:3 +, Psalm 19:15; 2 Kings 5:1 a great man לִפְנֵי אֲדֹנָיו, Proverbs 14:12; Psalm 143:2; וַיִּיטַב ל׳ (late synonym of earlier בְּעֵנֵי) Nehemiah 2:5, 6; Esther 5:14; טוֺב ל׳ Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 7:26; compare also נָתַן לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי, see רַחֲמִים.
(h) לִפְנֵי י׳, specifically of acts done with a solemn sense of י׳'s presence, often, but not always, at a sanctuary: Genesis 27:7 that I may eat and bless thee before י׳, before I die, Exodus 18:12 to eat bread before God, Deuteronomy 1:45 ye wept before י׳, Deuteronomy 6:25; Deuteronomy 12:7 (to eat, so Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 14:23, 26; Deuteronomy 15:20), Deuteronomy 15:12 (rejoice, so Deuteronomy 15:18; Deuteronomy 27:7; Isaiah 9:2), Joshua 18:6; Joshua 24:1; Judges 11:11; Judges 20:23, 26; Judges 21:2; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 11:15; 1 Samuel 12:7; 1 Samuel 15:33; 1 Samuel 23:18; 2 Samuel 5:3; 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Samuel 21:9; and constantly in P, as Exodus 16:9, 33, 34; Leviticus 1:5, 11; Leviticus 3:1, 7 etc.; of residents in Jerusalem Isaiah 23:18. So in י׳ הָלַךְ ל׳ 1 Kings 2:4 and elsewhere.
b. In other phrases: —
(a) עָמַד לִפְנֵי to stand before, i.e. wait upon, be in attendance on, Deuteronomy 1:38 and elsewhere (see עָמַד 1e). Simil. הָיָה לִפְנֵי 1 Samuel 19:7 (compare 1 Samuel 29:8), 2 Kings 5:2; עָבַד ל׳ 2 Samuel 16:19. (
(b) הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לִפְנֵי to bow down before Genesis 23:12; Deuteronomy 26:10; 2 Kings 18:22 and elsewhere (see below שָׁחָה; also נָפַל 3b): so with הִתְפַּלֵּל to pray 1 Samuel 1:12 +; compare הלך פָני 1 Kings 12:30; 1 Chronicles 21:30.
(c) to be smitten (נִגַּף) before a foe; see נָגַף Niph. [contrast מִפְּנֵי נוּם: below 6a]. So with נָפַל 1 Samuel 14:13; נָתַן (in helplessness or flight), especially in Deuteronomy, as Deuteronomy 1:8, 21; Deuteronomy 7:2 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 7:23; Joshua 10:12; Joshua 11:6 + (DrDT lxxxii): compare Judges 4:15; 2 Samuel 5:20; Isaiah 45:1; Jeremiah 1:17.
(d) עָמַד לִפְנֵי to stand (make a stand) before (not quite so strong as בִּפְנֵי ע׳, above 3), Exodus 9:11; Judges 2:14; 2 Kings 10:4; Jeremiah 49:19; Psalm 76:8; Psalm 147:17; Nahum 1:6; so with הִתְיַצֵּב Deuteronomy 9:2; Joshua 1:5; Job 41:2, קוּם Joshua 7:12, 13.
(e) in hostile sense (rare), יָצָא לִפְנֵי go forth to face 1 Chronicles 14:8; 2 Chronicles 14:9.
(f) לִפְנֵי (נָתַן) שִׂים, of food, to set or place before, Genesis 18:8; Genesis 24:33 +.
(g) נָתַן לִפְנֵי to set before, i.e. propound for acceptance or choice, usually of laws (especially Deuteronomy, Jeremiah), Deuteronomy 4:8; Deuteronomy 11:26, 32; Deuteronomy 30:1, 15, 19; 1 Kings 9:6 (D2), Jeremiah 9:12; Jeremiah 21:8; Jeremiah 26:4; Jeremiah 44:10; Daniel 9:10, compare Ezekiel 23:24 (place at disposal of): so with שִׂים Exodus 19:7; Exodus 21:1.
c. With reference to position:
(a) in front of, before, especially with verbs of motion (with which נֶגֶד is hardly used), Genesis 32:21 בַּמִּנְחָה הַהֹלֶכֶת לְפָנָ֔י that goeth before me, Genesis 33:14 the cattle אֲשֶׁר לְפָנַי, Exodus 17:5; Exodus 23:20 etc.; in the description of a march or procession, Exodus 13:21, 22; Numbers 10:33; Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 58:8 +; 2 Samuel 3:31 and wail before Abner (before his bier); of flocks before a shepherd Genesis 32:18; of captives or booty driven before a conqueror 1 Samuel 30:20 (read וַיִּנְהֲגוּ לְפָנָיו We Dr), Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 40:10 = Isaiah 62:11 וּפְעֻלָּתוֺ לְפָנָיו his recompence (i.e. his newly-recovered people, regarded as his prize of war) before him, Amos 9:4; Lamentations 1:5, 6
(b) of a leader, etc. = at the head of, Deuteronomy 10:11; Judges 9:39; 1 Samuel 8:20; Micah 1:13 and elsewhere; compare בא ויצא לפני (העם) Numbers 27:17; 1 Samuel 18:13, 16; 2 Chronicles 1:10; Ecclesiastes 4:16 before whom (at whose head) he was.
(c) denoting superiority, before, above, Genesis 48:20 וַיָּשֶׂם אתאֿפרים לפני מנשׁה, Job 34:19.
d. Of places (not very common): Exodus 14:2 before Pi-hahiroth..., before Baal-zephon, Numbers 33:7b, Genesis 23:17 מַמְרֵא אשׁר ל׳ (usually על פני מ׳ : see 7a d), 1 Chronicles 19:7; Nehemiah 8:1, 3; before the temple, veil, altar, etc., Exodus 16:34 + הָעֵדֻת ל׳, Exodus 30:6 + הַפָּרֹכֶת ל׳, Exodus 40:5, 6; Numbers 3:38; Numbers 7:10 and elsewhere (all P), 1 Kings 6:21; 1 Kings 7:49 +.
e. Of time, before: Amos 1:1: הָרָֽעַשׁ לפני before the earthquake, Genesis 29:26; Genesis 30:30 לְפָנַי before me (i.e. before I came to thee), Exodus 10:14 לפניו לא היה כן before it there was not the like, Numbers 13:22; 1 Kings 16:25, 30 מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו, Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 48:7; Proverbs 8:25; Job 15:7 etc. Sq. infinitive, Genesis 13:10 לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת י׳ before י׳'s destroying, etc., Genesis 27:7 לִפְנֵי מוֺתִי, Genesis 36:31; 1 Samuel 9:15 +. Once, in late Hebrew, לִפְנֵי מִזֶּה before this Nehemiah 13:4.
f. In the manner of, like (rare and dubious), 1 Samuel 1:16 אַלתִּֿתֵּן אֶתאֲֿמָֽתְךָ לִפְנֵי בַתבִּֿלִיַּעַל like a worthless woman, Job 3:24 like my food, Job 4:19 they are crushed like the moth (compare Lat pro).
5. מִלִּפְנֵי 73 from before: —
a. from the presence of (properly, from a position before a person or object: to be distinguished from מִפְּנֵי; see 6):
(a) Genesis 41:46 ויצא יוסף מִלִּפְנֵי פ׳ from before Pharaoh, Genesis 47:10; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Kings 6:32 +; י׳ מל׳ Genesis 4:6 Cain went forth from before י׳, Jonah 1:3, 10; specifically of the sanctuary, Leviticus 9:24 ותצא אשׁ מלפני י׳ (so Leviticus 10:2), קֶצֶף Numbers 17:11 (compare 2 Chronicles 19:2), with לָקַח etc. Leviticus 16:12; Numbers 17:24; Numbers 20:9, 1 Samuel 21:7 the shew-bread that was removed from before י׳; from before a place 1 Kings 8:54; Ezra 10:6; 2 Chronicles 1:13,
(b) of taking, etc., from before a person, Genesis 23:4 to bury my dead from before me, Genesis 23:8; Exodus 36:3; Deuteronomy 17:18 וכתב לו מִשְׁנֵה התורה הזאת מל׳ הכהנים from (the copy) before the priests, Deuteronomy 28:31 גָּזוּכ מלפניך.
(c) with בקשׁ Esther 4:8 [compare מִןקֳדָם Daniel 2:18]; and to express the idea of proceeding from a person, Esther 1:19 [compare Daniel 2:15], Ecclesiastes 10:5; 1 Chronicles 29:12 הָעשֶׁר והכבוד מלפניך (compare Acts 3:19); Psalm 17:2 מלפניך. יֵצֵא משׁפטי.
(d) of cutting off, etc., from before י׳ (compare לִפְנֵי a b, c), Leviticus 22:3; 1 Kings 8:25 לֹאיִֿכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ, מִלְּפָנִי Jeremiah 31:36; Jeremiah 33:18; Isaiah 48:19: Psalm 51:13 אַלתַּֿשְׁלִיכֵנִי מִלְּפָנְיךָ (compare 8a); Jeremiah 16:17 לֹא נִסְתְּרוּ מִלְּפָנַי, Jeremiah 18:23; Nehemiah 3:37.
(e) of expelling from before an invader, Exodus 23:28; Deuteronomy 9:4; Deuteronomy 11:23; Deuteronomy 31:3 + (but much less common than מִפְּנֵי).
†b. (Chiefly late) to express the source or cause, with the force of the לְ weakened, in cases where the earlier language would have used מִפְּנֵי : with verbs of fearing, 1 Samuel 18:12; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13; 1 Chronicles 16:30 חִילִי מִלְּפָנָיו [|| Psalm 96:9 מפניו], Psalm 114:7 (twice in verse); Esther 7:6; 2 Chronicles 32:7 (+ מפני); failing, etc., Isaiah 57:16; Psalm 97:5; being humbled, 1 Kings 21:29 (+ מפני), 2 Chronicles 32:12, 23; 34:27 [|| 2 Kings 22:19 מפני], 2Ki 36:12; crying for help 1 Samuel 8:18 [compare מפני Exodus 3:7], singing 1 Chronicles 16:33 [|| Psalm 96:13 לפני], fleeing 1 Chronicles 19:18 [|| 2 Samuel 10:18 מִפְּנֵי].
†c. of time, once, = לִפְנֵי Ecclesiastes 1:10. — With the later usages of מל׳, compare מִן קֳדָם in Biblical Aramaic and (DrSm lxx-lxxi, lxxiii); see also Köii. 320.

לִפְנָ֑י 1 Kings 6:17, Ew§ 164 a Ke as adjective, anterior, but read, with , לִפְנֵי הַדְּבִיד Th Sta Kit and others.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database.
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References

Genesis

Genesis 4:6; Genesis 6:13; Genesis 7:1; Genesis 10:9; Genesis 13:9; Genesis 13:10; Genesis 17:1; Genesis 17:18; Genesis 18:8; Genesis 18:21; Genesis 18:22; Genesis 20:15; Genesis 23:4; Genesis 23:8; Genesis 23:12; Genesis 23:17; Genesis 24:12; Genesis 24:33; Genesis 27:7; Genesis 27:7; Genesis 27:20; Genesis 29:26; Genesis 30:30; Genesis 32:18; Genesis 32:21; Genesis 33:14; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 36:31; Genesis 41:46; Genesis 47:2; Genesis 47:6; Genesis 47:10; Genesis 48:20

Exodus

Exodus 2:23; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 9:11; Exodus 10:14; Exodus 11:10; Exodus 13:21; Exodus 13:22; Exodus 14:2; Exodus 16:9; Exodus 16:33; Exodus 16:34; Exodus 16:34; Exodus 17:5; Exodus 18:12; Exodus 19:7; Exodus 21:1; Exodus 23:20; Exodus 23:28; Exodus 29:10; Exodus 30:6; Exodus 36:3; Exodus 40:5; Exodus 40:6

Leviticus

Leviticus 1:3; Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 1:11; Leviticus 3:1; Leviticus 3:7; Leviticus 9:24; Leviticus 10:2; Leviticus 16:12; Leviticus 22:3

Numbers

Numbers 3:38; Numbers 7:10; Numbers 10:33; Numbers 13:22; Numbers 17:11; Numbers 20:9; Numbers 27:17; Numbers 33:7

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:8; Deuteronomy 1:21; Deuteronomy 1:38; Deuteronomy 1:45; Deuteronomy 4:8; Deuteronomy 6:25; Deuteronomy 7:2; Deuteronomy 7:23; Deuteronomy 9:2; Deuteronomy 9:4; Deuteronomy 10:11; Deuteronomy 11:23; Deuteronomy 11:26; Deuteronomy 11:32; Deuteronomy 12:7; Deuteronomy 12:18; Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 14:26; Deuteronomy 15:12; Deuteronomy 15:18; Deuteronomy 15:20; Deuteronomy 17:18; Deuteronomy 24:4; Deuteronomy 24:13; Deuteronomy 25:2; Deuteronomy 26:10; Deuteronomy 27:7; Deuteronomy 28:31; Deuteronomy 30:1; Deuteronomy 30:15; Deuteronomy 30:19; Deuteronomy 31:3

Joshua

Joshua 1:5; Joshua 6:26; Joshua 7:12; Joshua 7:13; Joshua 10:12; Joshua 11:6; Joshua 18:6; Joshua 24:1

Judges

Judges 2:14; Judges 4:15; Judges 9:39; Judges 11:11; Judges 20:23; Judges 20:26; Judges 21:2

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1:12; 1 Samuel 1:16; 1 Samuel 2:28; 1 Samuel 2:35; 1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Samuel 7:6; 1 Samuel 8:18; 1 Samuel 8:20; 1 Samuel 9:15; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 11:15; 1 Samuel 12:2; 1 Samuel 12:7; 1 Samuel 14:13; 1 Samuel 15:33; 1 Samuel 18:12; 1 Samuel 18:13; 1 Samuel 18:16; 1 Samuel 19:7; 1 Samuel 20:1; 1 Samuel 21:7; 1 Samuel 23:18; 1 Samuel 26:19; 1 Samuel 29:8; 1 Samuel 30:20

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 2:14; 2 Samuel 3:31; 2 Samuel 5:3; 2 Samuel 5:20; 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Samuel 10:18; 2 Samuel 16:19; 2 Samuel 19:14; 2 Samuel 21:9

1 Kings

1 Kings 2:4; 1 Kings 6:17; 1 Kings 6:17; 1 Kings 6:21; 1 Kings 7:49; 1 Kings 8:25; 1 Kings 8:54; 1 Kings 9:6; 1 Kings 12:30; 1 Kings 16:25; 1 Kings 16:30; 1 Kings 21:29

2 Kings

2 Kings 5:1; 2 Kings 5:2; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Kings 6:32; 2 Kings 10:4; 2 Kings 18:22; 2 Kings 22:19

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 14:8; 1 Chronicles 16:30; 1 Chronicles 16:33; 1 Chronicles 19:7; 1 Chronicles 19:18; 1 Chronicles 21:30; 1 Chronicles 29:12

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 1:10; 2 Chronicles 1:13; 2 Chronicles 14:6; 2 Chronicles 14:9; 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 32:7; 2 Chronicles 32:12; 2 Chronicles 32:23; 2 Chronicles 34:27

Ezra

Ezra 10:6

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:5; Nehemiah 2:6; Nehemiah 8:1; Nehemiah 8:3; Nehemiah 13:4

Esther

Esther 1:19; Esther 4:8; Esther 5:14; Esther 7:6

Job

Job 3:24; Job 4:19; Job 15:7; Job 34:19; Job 41:2

Psalms

Psalms 17:2; Psalms 51:13; Psalms 61:8; Psalms 72:5; Psalms 72:17; Psalms 76:8; Psalms 96:9; Psalms 96:13; Psalms 97:5; Psalms 114:7; Psalms 143:2; Psalms 147:17

Proverbs

Proverbs 8:25; Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 17:18; Proverbs 18:16

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:10; Ecclesiastes 2:26; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Ecclesiastes 4:16; Ecclesiastes 7:26; Ecclesiastes 8:12; Ecclesiastes 8:13; Ecclesiastes 10:5

Song of Songs

Song of Songs 8:12

Isaiah

Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 23:18; Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 47:12; Isaiah 48:7; Isaiah 48:19; Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 53:2; Isaiah 57:16; Isaiah 58:8; Isaiah 62:11; Isaiah 65:6; Isaiah 66:22

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1:17; Jeremiah 2:22; Jeremiah 9:12; Jeremiah 16:17; Jeremiah 18:23; Jeremiah 21:8; Jeremiah 26:4; Jeremiah 30:20; Jeremiah 31:36; Jeremiah 31:36; Jeremiah 33:18; Jeremiah 40:4; Jeremiah 44:10; Jeremiah 49:19

Lamentations

Lamentations 1:5; Lamentations 1:6; Lamentations 1:22

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 23:24

Daniel

Daniel 2:15; Daniel 2:18; Daniel 9:10

Hosea

Hosea 6:2

Amos

Amos 1:1; Amos 9:4

Jonah

Jonah 1:2; Jonah 1:3; Jonah 1:10

Micah

Micah 1:13

Nahum

Nahum 1:6

Acts

Acts 3:19