ἀπέναντι G0561
Opposite, before, in the presence of; can also mean 'against' or 'contrary to.'
This preposition conveys spatial opposition -- being face-to-face with or directly in front of something -- and extends to metaphorical senses of confrontation or presence. In Matt 27:61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sit 'opposite' the tomb, a vivid spatial picture. Matt 27:24 has Pilate washing his hands 'before' the crowd. Acts 3:16 and Rom 3:18 use it for 'in the presence of' or 'before,' while Acts 17:7 shifts toward the adversative sense of acting 'against' Caesar's decrees. French 'en face / devant' and Spanish 'delante de / contra' capture the dual spatial-adversative range well.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A preposition meaning 'opposite,' 'before,' 'in the presence of,' or 'against,' depending on context. The spatial sense appears clearly in Matt 27:61 where the women sit 'opposite' the sepulchre. Matt 27:24 uses it for Pilate acting 'before' the crowd, emphasizing public visibility. Acts 3:16 conveys 'in the presence of' witnesses. The adversative meaning surfaces in Acts 17:7, where believers act 'against' (contrary to) Caesar's decrees, and in Rom 3:18 quoting Psalm 36:1 about no fear of God 'before their eyes.' Spanish glosses split neatly between 'delante de' (spatial) and 'contra' (adversative). 5×
AR["أمامَ", "أَمَامَ", "ضِدَّ", "مُقَابِلَ"]·ben["বিরুদ্ধে", "সামনে"]·DE["gegenueber", "ἀπέναντι"]·EN["against", "before", "opposite-"]·FR["devant", "en-face"]·heb["לְנֶגֶד", "נֶגֶד"]·HI["के-विरुद्ध", "सामने"]·ID["di-hadapan", "melawan"]·IT["apenanti", "di-fronte"]·jav["nglawan", "wonten-ing-ngajeng", "wonten-ing-ngarsanipun"]·KO["~맨앞에", "~앞에서", "거역하여", "앞-에", "앞에"]·PT["defronte", "diante", "diante-de"]·RU["напротив-", "перед-", "пред-", "против-"]·ES["contra", "delante", "delante-de", "frente-a"]·SW["dhidi-ya", "mbele-ya"]·TR["-e-karşı", "karşısında", "karşısında-"]·urd["-کے-خلاف", "سامنے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀπέναντι, adverb, (ἔναντι) opposite, with genitive, NT+2nd c.BC+; before, in the presence of, ἀ. ὑμῶνNT; against, with genitive, LXX+NT __2 absolutely, εἰς τὸν ἀ. βουνόνRefs __3 ={κατὰ ἀνατολὰς νότου}, Refs 5th c.AD+