ἀρχή Beginning

In the OT
LXX

1. Usually denotes temporal beginning
1. Creation (Gen 1:1; Ps 101:26; Isa 41:4)
2. God’s work from beginning to end (Ecc 3:11)
3. The goings forth of the ruler from Judah are from “of old” (Mic 5:1)
4. “Everlasting” is Your name (Isa 63:16)
5. Wisdom was established from “everlasting” (Prov 8:23)
2. Only rarely used spatially
1. The “head” of Lebanon (Jer 22:6)
2. Tree-top (Ezek 31:3, 10, 14)
3. Riverheads (Gen 2:10)
4. “Ends” of the breastplate (Ex 36:23)
3. First
1. “Beginning” of his kingdom (Gen 10:10)
2. “Beginning” of my strength (Gen 49:3)
3. “Beginning” of months (Ex 12:2)
4. Firstfruits (Ex 34:22; Jer 2:3)
5. “Beginning” of wisdom (Ps 110:10; Pr 9:10)
4. Dominion or power
1. Rule
1. The greater light to “rule” the day and the lesser light to “rule” the night (Gen 1:16)
2. Rule of God (Deut 33:27)
3. The “government” will be upon His shoulder (Isa 9:5, 6)
2. Official position (Gen 40:13, 20f.; 41:13)
3. Heads (Ex 6:25; Isa 9:14)
4. Territory (1 Chron 26:10)
5. Leader (Neh 9:17)
6. Dominion (Dan 6:27; 7:12, 14, 26, 27)
5. Census (Num 1:2; 4:22; 26:2)
6. Groups (Jdg 7:16; 9:34, 37, 43, 44)

In the NT (includes all references)

1. In the spatial sense only in two places
1. “Corners” of a sheet (Acts 10:11; 11:5)
2. Temporal; i.e. first point of time
1. With reference to God
1. Him who is from the beginning (1 Jn 2:13f.)
2. That which was from the beginning, concerning the Word of life (1 Jn 1:1)
3. In the beginning was the Word (Jn 1:1, 2)
4. Jesus is the beginning (Col 1:18; Rev 3:14; 22:13)
2. Creation (Heb 1:10; Mt 19:4, 8; 24:21; Mk 10:6; 13:19; 2 Pet 3:4)
3. Jesus’ ministry on earth
1. First appearing of Jesus (Lk 1:2; Jn 15:27; 16:4; Jn 8:25)
2. Beginning of the Gospel (Mk 1:1)
3. Beginning of signs (Jn 2:11)
4. Jesus knew from the beginning (Jn 6:64)
5. Salvation first began to be spoken by the Lord (Heb 2:3)
4. In relation to believers
1. God’s election in the beginning (2 Thess 2:13)
2. Beginning of the gospel (Php 4:15)
3. Beginning of faith journey (1 Jn 2:7, 24; 3:11; 2 Jn 5, 6)
4. Beginning of the church; i.e. the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:15)
5. Beginning of our confidence (Heb 3:14)
5. The devil’s sin from the beginning (Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:8)
6. Used adverbially as “all the time” (Jn 8:25)
7. Other usage (Acts 26:4)
1. “Beginning of sorrows (Mt 24:8; Mk 13:8)
2. Paul’s manner of life from the beginning (Acts 26:4)
3. Melchizedek having no beginning (Heb 7:3)
3. Power
1. Except in Jude 6, the word in this sense is always coupled with ἐξουσία
2. Earthly authorities
1. Magistrates (Lk 12:11)
2. Rulers (Tit 3:1)
3. Power of the governer (Lk 20:20)
3. Spiritual beings
1. English terms used to translate this word
1. Principality (Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15 Rom 8:38)
2. “Prince” of the power of the air (Eph 2:2)
4. Christ
1. The beginning, the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18)
2. ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ (Rev 3:14)
5. All rule (1 Cor 15:24; Col 2:10)
4. First
1. First principles (Heb 5:12)
2. Elementary of Christ (Heb 6:1)
3. ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ (Rev 3:14)

Additional Studies

ἐν ἀρχή

Gen 1:1; Jdg 7:19; 20:18; Ruth 1:22; 2 Sam 17:9; 21:9, 10; 1 Kgs 20:9, 12; 2 Kgs 17:25; 1 Chron 16:7; 2 Chron 13:12; Ezra 4:6; 9:2; Ps 137:6; Prov 8:23; Jer 25:20; Ezek 36:11; Dan 9:23; Jn 1:1, 2; Acts 11:15; Php 4:15

In most cases, ἀρχή does not have the article, even when it is modified by an adjective with the definite article (e.g. Ps 137:6). But Dan 9:21 has the definite article.

Other meaning besides temporal
ἐν ἀρχή
“to the edge” of the camp (Jdg 7:17)
“as [our] head” (2 Chron 13:12)
“foremost” (Ezra 9:2)
“in my chief” city (Ps 137:6)
“in rule” or “in power” (Jer 28:58)
“at the head” of the road (Ezek 21:19)
“at the corner” (Ezek 42:10)
“in every dominion” (Dan 6:27)