Bible Dictionary
FOR
“For” is an English rendering of many Hebrew and Greek conjunctions and prepositions. Its meaning may express cause, purpose, substitution, reference, association, or representation, so context determines its precise force.
Biblical Usage
In New Testament discussions of Christ’s sacrifice, different prepositions translated “for” may mean instead of, on behalf of, concerning, or over. The supplied material cautions that no single preposition automatically proves substitution; the root idea of the word, the grammatical case, and the context must all be considered.