From the prepositional prefix (to or for) and paniym; anterior -- before.
see HEBREW paniym
H3942. liphnay
לִפְנָָֽי 1 Kings 6:17 see below [ מָּנֶה], מָּנִים.
לִפְנָ֑י 1 Kings 6:17, Ew§ 164 a Ke as adjective, anterior, but read, with הַדְּבִיד לִפְנֵי ᵐ5, Th Sta Kit and others