proteros marks what is earlier or previous, and in an ordered action can mark what comes first.

The attested use chiefly points to an earlier state, event, location, or prior encounter; the same temporal comparison can also mark the first action in an explicitly ordered sequence.

1. Earlier or previous state, event, or encounter · dominant

   The accusative singular forms occur in clauses that look back to what preceded the present situation: in 1 Peter 1:14 the APB renders desires that “once governed you,” and in 1 Timothy 1:13 it describes a prior manner of life. In Ephesians 4:22 the feminine form occurs in the clause concerning a “former way of life”; John 7:50 and John 9:8 likewise describe an earlier coming or earlier observation of a person.

   1 Peter 1:141 Timothy 1:13Ephesians 4:22Hebrews 10:32John 7:50John 9:8
2. First in an ordered action · rare

   In Hebrews 7:27, πρότερον stands in the sequence of offering sacrifices “first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people.” The clause explicitly contrasts the initial action with the following one.

   Hebrews 7:27

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously presents the temporal relation with “once,” “formerly,” “before,” and “former,” while Hebrews 7:27 uses “first” in an explicit sequence. These renderings confirm the clauses' temporal orientation rather than establish separate definitions.