prevent meaning in the KJV
Prevent can mean come before, go before, or meet beforehand in the KJV.
Meaning in context
Do not automatically give prevent its usual present-day sense of stop something from happening. Several KJV uses concern coming before or meeting someone beforehand.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 the word concerns precedence: those alive at the coming of the Lord do not come before those who are asleep. In Psalm 59:10 it describes God going before the speaker in mercy.
The exact spelling matters when counting occurrences. Prevented and preventing are other English forms and are not included in the exact-word totals on this page. Use the wider Word Study tool to investigate forms, then read each verse in context.
KJV examples
1 Thessalonians 4:15 KJVFor this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Prevent concerns going before those who are asleep, not stopping their resurrection.
Psalms 59:10 KJVThe God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
The statement concerns God’s mercy going before the speaker.
Psalms 119:148 KJVMine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
Prevent concerns being awake ahead of the night watches for meditation.
First exact-word occurrence
Job 3:12 KJVWhy did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
This is the earliest occurrence of this exact English spelling in canonical KJV Bible order. A related word form, a subject, or a person may appear earlier.
Find every occurrence
The exact English word prevent appears 7 times in 7 KJV verses. Counts ignore letter case and exclude other spellings and word forms.
Explore all prevent occurrences in Word StudyFor original-language details, select the word in the particular chapter. A word can represent different terms or constructions in different verses.
Related word studies
- letteth
In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, letteth means restrains or holds back.
- conversation
Conversation often means conduct or manner of life in the KJV; Philippians 3:20 concerns heavenly citizenship.
Study method
These explanations are separate study notes. Every Scripture quotation above is copied from the existing KJV chapter text. Read the whole chapter and compare the setting before applying a meaning to another occurrence.