in the beginning

ἀρχή, ῆς, ἡ (Hom.+)

① the commencement of someth. as an action, process, or state of being, beginning, i.e. a point of time at the beginning of a duration.

ⓐ gener. (opp. τέλος; cp. Diod S 16, 1, 1 ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς μέχρι τοῦ τέλους; Ael. Aristid. 30, 24 K.=10 p. 123 D.: ἐξ ἀ. εἰς τέλος; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 9, §36; Wsd 7:18) B 1:6; IEph 14:1; IMg 13:1; IRo 1:2, cp. vs. 1. W. gen. foll. (OGI 458, 10 life) ἡμέρας ὀγδόης B 15:8; ἡμερῶν (2 Km 14:26) Hb 7:3; τῶν σημείων first of the signs J 2:11 (ἀ. τοῦ ἡμετέρου δόγματος Orig., C. Cels. 2, 4, 20; cp. Isocr., Paneg. 10:38 Blass ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν μὲν ταύτην ἐποιήσατο τ. εὐεργεσιῶν, τροφὴν τοῖς δεομένοις εὑρεῖν=but [Athens] made this the starting point of her benefactions: to provide basic needs for livelihood; Pr 8:22; Jos., Ant. 8, 229 ἀ. κακῶν); ὠδίνων Mt 24:8; Mk 13:8; κακῶν ISm 7:2. As the beginning, i.e. initial account, in a book (Ion of Chios [V B.C.] 392 Fgm. 24 Jac. [=Leurini no. 114] ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου; Polystrat. p. 28; Diod S 17, 1, 1 ἡ βύβλος τὴν ἀ. ἔσχε ἀπὸ …; Ael. Aristid. 23, 2 K.=42 p. 768 D.: ἐπʼ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συγγράμματος; Diog. L. 3, 37 ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς Πολιτείας; cp. Sb 7696, 53; 58 [250 A.D.]) ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰ. Χ. Beginning of the gospel of J. C. Mk 1:1 (cp. Hos 1:2 ἀ. λόγου κυρίου πρὸς Ὡσηέ; s. RHarris, Exp. 8th ser., 1919, 113–19; 1920, 142–50; 334–50; FDaubanton, NThSt 2, 1919, 168–70; AvanVeldhuizen, ibid., 171–75; EEidem, Ingressen til Mkevangeliet: FBuhl Festschr. 1925, 35–49; NFreese, StKr 104, ’32, 429–38; AWikgren, JBL 61, ’42, 11–20 [ἀρχή=summary]; LKeck, NTS 12, ’65/66, 352–70). ἀ. τῆς ὑποστάσεως original commitment Hb 3:14. ἀρχὴν ἔχειν w. gen. of the inf. begin to be someth. IEph 3:1. ἀρχὴν λαμβάνειν begin (Polyb.; Aelian, VH 2, 28; 12, 53; Diog. L., Prooem. 3, 4; Sext. Emp., Phys. 1, 366; Philo, Mos. 1, 81) λαλεῖσθαι to be proclaimed at first Hb 2:3; cp. IEph 19:3.—W. prep. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς from the beginning (Paus. 3, 18, 2; SIG 741, 20; UPZ 160, 15 [119 B.C.]; BGU 1141, 44; JosAs 23:4; Jos., Ant. 8, 350; 9, 30) J 6:64 v.l.; 15:27; 1J 2:7, 24; 3:11; 2J 5f; Ac 26:4; MPol 17:1; Hs 9, 11, 9; Dg 12:3. οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. αὐτόπται those who fr. the beginning were eyewitnesses Lk 1:2. Also ἐξ ἀρχῆς (Diod. Sic. 18, 41, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 45 [189]; SIG 547, 9; 634, 4; UPZ 185 II 5; PGen 7, 8; BGU 1118, 21; Jos., Bell. 7, 358) J 6:64; 16:4; 1 Cl 19:2; Pol 7:2; Dg 2:1. πάλιν ἐξ ἀ. (Ael. Aristid. 21, 10 K.=22 p. 443 D.; SIG 972, 174) again fr. the beginning (=afresh, anew; a common expr., Renehan ’75, 42) B 16:8. ἐν ἀρχῇ (Diod S 19, 110, 5; Palaeph. p. 2, 3; OGI 56, 57; PPetr II, 37, 2b verso, 4; PTebt 762, 9; POxy 1151, 15; BGU 954, 26; ViHab 14 [p. 87, 4 Sch.]) at the beginning, at first Ac 11:15; AcPlCor 2:4. ἐν ἀ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου when the gospel was first preached Phil 4:15; sim., word for word, w. ref. to beg. of 1 Cor: 1 Cl 47:2.—τὴν ἀ. J 8:25, as nearly all the Gk. fathers understood it, is emphatically used adverbially=ὅλως at all (Plut., Mor. 115b; Dio Chrys. 10 [11], 12; 14 [31], 5; 133; Lucian, Eunuch. 6 al.; Ps.-Lucian, Salt. 3; POxy 472, 17 [c. 130 A.D.]; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 121; Jos., Ant. 1, 100; 15, 235 al.; as a rule in neg. clauses, but the negation can inhere in the sense: 48th letter of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 356, 17]; Philo, Abrah. 116, Decal. 89; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 6, 11; without art. ApcSed 10:3; cp. Hs 2:5 cj. by W., endorsed by Joly; s. Field, Notes, 93f) τὴν ἀ. ὅτι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν (how is it) that I even speak to you at all? But s. B-D-F §300, 2. More prob. the mng. is somewhat as follows: What I said to you from the first (so NT in Basic English; sim. REB et al.; cp. τὴν ἀρχήν ‘at the beginning’ Thu 2, 74, 2; s. also RFunk, HTR 51, ’58, 95–100; B-D-F §300, 2, but appeal to P⁶⁶ is specious, s. EMiller, TZ 36, ’80, 261).

ⓑ beginning, origin in the abs. sense (ἀ. τῆς τῶν πάντων ὑποστάσεως Orig. C. Cels. 6, 65, 4) ἀ. πάντων χαλεπῶν Pol 4:1; ἀ. κακῶν ISm 7:2 (cp. 1 Ti 6:10, which has ῥίζα for ἀ., and s. e.g. Ps 110:10; Sir 10:13); ἀ. κόσμου B 15:8; ἀ. πάντων PtK 2, p. 13, 21. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς fr. the very beginning (Is 43:13; Wsd 9:8; 12:11; Sir 24:9 al.; PsSol 8:31; GrBar 17:2) Mt 19:4, 8; J 8:44; 1J 1:1 (of the Hist. beg. of Christianity: HWendt, D. Johannesbriefe u. d. joh. Christent. 1925, 31f; HWindisch, Hdb. ad loc.; difft. HConzelmann, RBultmann Festschr., ’54, 194–201); 3:8; 2 Th 2:13; ὁ ἀπʼ ἀ. 1J 2:13f; Dg 11:4; οἱ ἀπʼ ἀ. those at the very beginning, the first people 12:3; τὰ ἀπʼ ἀ. γενόμενα 1 Cl 31:1; ἀπʼ ἀ. κτίσεως Mk 10:6; 13:19; 2 Pt 3:4 (on ἀ. κτίσεως cp. En 15:9); ἀπʼ ἀ. κόσμου Mt 24:21. Also ἐξ ἀ. (X., Mem. 1, 4, 5; Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D. [of the existence of Zeus]; TestAbr A 15 p. 96, 11 [Stone p. 40]; B 4 p. 109, 7 [St. p. 66]; Ath., R. 16, p. 67, 18; Philo, Aet. M. 42, Spec. Leg. 1, 300; Did., Gen. 50, 1) Dg 8:11; ἐν ἀ. in the beginning (Simplicius in Epict. p. 104, 2; Did., Gen. 29, 25 al.) J 1:1f; ἐν ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως B 15:3. κατʼ ἀρχάς in the beg. Hb 1:10 (Ps 101:26; cp. Hdt. 3, 153 et al.; Diod S; Plut.; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 92, Det. Pot. Insid. 118; Ps 118:152; Just., D. 2, 3).

② one with whom a process begins, beginning fig., of pers. (Gen 49:3 Ῥουβὴν σὺ ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου; Dt 21:17): of Christ Col 1:18. W. τέλος of God or Christ Rv 1:8 v.l.; 21:6; 22:13 (Hymn to Selene 35 ἀ. καὶ τέλος εἶ: Orphica p. 294, likew. PGM 4, 2836; 13, 362; 687; Philo, Plant. 93; Jos., Ant. 8, 280; others in Rtzst., Poim. 270ff and cp. SIG 1125, 7–11 Αἰών, … ἀρχὴν μεσότητα τέλος οὐκ ἔχων, expressed from the perspective of historical beginning).

③ the first cause, the beginning (philos. t.t. ODittrich, D. Systeme d. Moral I 1923, 360a, 369a;—Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D.: ἀρχὴ ἁπάντων Ζεύς τε καὶ ἐκ Διὸς πάντα; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 190 God as ἀρχὴ κ. μέσα κ. τέλος τῶν πάντων [contrast SIG 1125, 10f]) of Christ ἡ ἀ. τῆς κτίσεως Rv 3:14; but the mng. beginning=‘first created’ is linguistically probable (s. above 1b and Job 40:19; also CBurney, Christ as the Ἀρχή of Creation: JTS 27, 1926, 160–77). [ὁ γὰ]ρ π̣̄ρ̣̄ (=πατὴρ) [ἀρ]|χή ἐ[ς]τ̣[ιν τῶν μ]ελλόν|των for the Father is the source of all who are to come into being in contrast to the προπάτωρ, who is without a beginning Ox 1081, 38f (SJCh 91, 1 ἀρχή; on the context, s. WTill, TU 60/5, ’55 p. 57).

④ a point at which two surfaces or lines meet, corner (from the perspective of an observer the object appears to begin at that point), pl. corners of a sheet Ac 10:11; 11:5 (cp. Hdt. 4, 60; Diod S 1, 35, 10).

⑤ a basis for further understanding, beginning τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀ. elementary principles Hb 5:12 (perh. w. an element of gentle satire: ‘the discrete items or ABC’s that compose the very beginning [of divine instructions]’; cp. MKiley, SBLSP 25, ’86, 236–45, esp. 239f). ὁ τῆς ἀ. τοῦ Χ. λόγος elementary Christian teaching 6:1.

⑥ an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority (Aeschyl., Thu. et al.; ins; pap, e.g. PHal 1, 226 μαρτυρείτω ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ δικαστηρίῳ; Gen 40:13, 21; 41:13; 2 Macc 4:10, 50 al., s. Magie 26; so as a loanw. in rabb. ἀ. = νόμιμος ἐπιστασία Did., Gen. 60, 9) w. ἐξουσία Lk 20:20; pl. (Oenomaus in Eus., PE 6, 7, 26 ἀρχαὶ κ. ἐξουσίαι; 4 Macc 8:7; Jos., Ant. 4, 220) Lk 12:11; Tit 3:1; MPol 10:2 (αἱ ἀρχαί can also be the officials as persons, as those who took part in the funeral procession of Sulla: Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 106 §497.—The same mng. 2, 106 §442; 2, 118 §498 al. Likewise Diod S 34+35 Fgm. 2, 31).—Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization (Damascius, Princ. 96 R.) Ro 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15; AcPl Ha 1, 7. Cp. TestJob 49, 2; Just., D. 120, 6 end.

⑦ the sphere of one’s official activity, rule, office (Diod S 3, 53, 1; Appian, Bell. Civ. 1, 13 §57; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 177, Ant. 19, 273), or better domain, sphere of influence (Diod S 17, 24, 2; Appian, Syr. 23 §111; Arrian, Anab. 6, 29, 1; Polyaen. 8:55; Procop. Soph., Ep. 139) of angels Jd 6. Papias (4 v.l. for ἄρχω).—S. the lit. on ἄγγελος and HSchlier, Mächte u. Gewalten im NT: ThBl 9, 1930, 289–97.—144–50 (‘Archai’). EDNT. DELG s.v. ἄρχω D. M-M. TW. Sv.

-ῆς ⁺ ἡ N 1 30-42-65-54-48=239 Gn 1,1.16(bis); 2,10; 10,10

often stereotypical rendition of שׁרא

beginning (temporal) Gn 1,1; beginning (of a process) Gn 41,21; beginning (local) Ez 21,26; branch

(beginning of a river) Gn 2,10; end, extremity Ex 36,23

power, authority, office Gn 41,21; power, principle of authority Gn 1,16; magistry, office Gn 40,13;

government Dt 17,18

αἱ ἀρχαί the heads (of families) Ex 6,25; authorities (personification of invisible powers) Dn^Th 7,27

ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς of old Hab 1,12; τὸ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς at first, in a distant time Jos 24,2; τὴν ἀρχήν in the beginning, at first (as adv.) Gn 13,4; κατ’ ἀρχάς in the beginning Ps 101(102),26; ἀρχὴ τέκνων μου the first of my children Gn 49,3; ἀπὸ κορυφῆς ὀρέων ἀρχῆς from the top of the ancient mountains Dt 33,15; λάβετε ἀρχήν take a census, take the sum, count! (semit., stereotypical rendition of שׁרא אשׂנ) Nm 1,2, cpr. Ex 30,12, Nm 1,49, 3,40, 4,2.22, 26,2, 31,26.49, 1 Chr 27,23

*Is 42,10 ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ his beginning-תחלתו for MT תהלתו his praises; *Jer 28(51),58 ἐν ἀρχῇ in the beginning? in (their) rule?-שׁברא for MT שׁבדי־א for fire, see also Na 1,6; *Jer 30,18(49,2) τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ his dominion-יושׁרא for MT יושׁיר those who possessed him; *Ez 21,24 ἐπ᾽ ἀρχῆς at the beginning- שׁרא/ב for MT ברא (ברה) selected?; *Ob 20 ἡ ἀρχή beginning, first-החל חלל for MT החל חיל the army, cpr. Na 3,8; *Jb 37,3 ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ his dominion-ררשׂ for MT רהושׁי רשׁי? he directs it

see ἐξουσία

Cf. CARAGOUNIS 1986 68-70(Dn^Th 7,27); EYNIKEL 1999, 146-147; HARL 1986a, 86.93; LE BOULLUEC

1989, 342; TOV 1976b, 530(Gn 1,16); WALTERS 1973, 342; WEVERS 1990 168. 566.604; →LSJ RSuppl; NIDNTT; TWNT

αἰών, ῶνος, ὁ (Hom.+; gener. ‘an extended period of time’, in var. senses)

① a long period of time, without ref. to beginning or end,

ⓐ of time gone by, the past, earliest times, readily suggesting a venerable or awesome eld οἱ ἅγιοι ἀπʼ αἰῶνος προφῆται the holy prophets fr. time immemorial (cp. Hes., Theog. 609; Περὶ ὕψους 34, 4 τοὺς ἀπʼ αἰ. ῥήτορας; Cass. Dio 63, 20 τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰ. Ῥωμαίων; IMagnMai 180, 4; SIG index; Gen 6:4; Tob 4:12; Sir 14:17; 51:8; En 14:1; 99:14; Jos., Bell. 1, 12; Just., D. 11, 1) Lk 1:70; Ac 3:21; make known from of old Ac 15:18; πρὸ παντὸς τ. αἰ. before time began Jd 25a (for the combination with πᾶς cp. Sallust. 20 p. 36, 5 τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα=through all eternity); pl. πρὸ τῶν αἰ. 1 Cor 2:7 (cp. Ps 54:20 θεὸς ὁ ὑπάρχων πρὸ τῶν αἰ. [PGM 4, 3067 ἀπὸ τ. ἱερῶν αἰώνων]); ἐξ αἰ. since the beginning D 16:4 (Diod S 1, 6, 3; 3, 20, 2; 4, 83, 3; 5, 2, 3; Sext. Emp., Math. 9, 62; OGI 669, 61; Philo, Somn. 1, 19; Jos., Bell. 5, 442; Sir 1:4; SibOr Fgm. 1, 16 of God μόνος εἰς αἰῶνα κ. ἐξ αἰῶνος). W. neg. foll. ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἠκούσθη never has it been heard J 9:32.

ⓑ of time to come which, if it has no end, is also known as eternity (so commonly in Gk. lit. Pla. et al.); εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (since Isocr. 10, 62, also Diod S 1, 56, 1 εἰς τ. αἰ.=εἰς ἅπαντα τ. χρόνον; 4, 1, 4; SIG 814, 49 and OGI index VIII; POxy 41, 30=‘Long live the Caesars’; PGM 8, 33; 4, 1051 [εἰς αἰ.]; LXX; En 12:6; 102:3; PsSol 2:34, 37; ParJer 8:5; JosAs 15:3 εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον 4:10 al. Jos., Ant. 7, 356 [εἰς αἰ.]) to eternity, eternally, in perpetuity: live J 6:51, 58; B 6:3; remain J 8:35ab; 12:34; 2 Cor 9:9 (Ps. 111:9); 1 Pt 1:23 v.l., 25 (Is 40:8); 1J 2:17; 2J 2; be with someone J 14:16. Be priest Hb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21, 24, 28 (each Ps 109:4). Darkness reserved Jd 13. W. neg.=never, not at all, never again (Ps 124:1; Ezk 27:36 al.) Mt 21:19; Mk 3:29; 11:14; 1 Cor 8:13. ἕως αἰῶνος (LXX) 1 Cl 10:4 (Gen 13:15); Hv 2, 3, 3; Hs 9, 24, 4. In Johannine usage the term is used formulaically without emphasis on eternity (Lackeit [s. 4 below] 32f): never again thirst J 4:14; never see death 8:51f; cp. 11:26; never be lost 10:28; never (= by no means) 13:8. εἰς τὸν αἰ. τοῦ αἰῶνος (Ps 44:18; 82:18 al.) Hb 1:8 (Ps 44:7). ἕως αἰῶνος (LXX; PsSol 18:11) Lk 1:55 v.l. (for εἰς τὸν αἰ.); εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος 2 Pt 3:18.—The pl. is also used (Emped., Fgm. 129, 6 αἰῶνες=generations; Theocr. 16, 43 μακροὺς αἰῶνας=long periods of time; Philod. περὶ θεῶν 3 Fgm. 84; Sext. Emp., Phys. 1, 62 εἰς αἰῶνας διαμένει; SibOr 3, 767; LXX, En; TestAbr B 7 p. 112, 3 [Stone p. 72].—B-D-F §141, 1), esp. in doxologies: εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας (Ps 60:5; 76:8) Mt 6:13 v.l.; Lk 1:33 (cp. Wsd 3:8); Hb 13:8. εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰ. (Tob 13:4; Da 3:52b; En 9:4; SibOr 3, 50) Jd 25b. εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας to all eternity (cp. Ps 88:53) Ro 1:25; 9:5; 2 Cor 11:31. αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰ. Ro 11:36; ᾧ κτλ. 16:27 (v.l. αὐτῷ). τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰ. 1 Pt 5:11; more fully εἰς τοὺς αἰ. τῶν αἰώνων (Ps 83:5; GrBar 17:4; PGM 4, 1038; 22b, 15) for evermore in doxologies Ro 16:27 v.l.; Gal 1:5; Phil 4:20; 1 Ti 1:17; 2 Ti 4:18; Hb 13:21; 1 Pt 4:11; 5:11 v.l.; Rv 1:6, 18; 5:13; 7:12; 11:15 al. 1 Cl 20:12; 32:4; 38:4; 43:6; εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνος τῶν αἰ. Eph 3:21 (cp. Tob 1:4; 13:12; En 103:4; 104:5). Of God ὁ ζῶν εἰς τοὺς αἰ. (cp. Tob 13:2; Sir 18:1; Da 6:27 Theod.) Rv 4:9f; 10:6; 15:7; formulaically= eternal 14:11; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5.—κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων according to the eternal purpose Eph 3:11. All-inclusive ἀπὸ αἰώνων καὶ εἰς τ. αἰῶνας from (past) eternity to (future) eternity B 18:2 (cp. Ps 40:14 and Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 7, 401a, 16 ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀτέρμονος εἰς ἕτερον αἰῶνα; M. Ant. 9, 28, 1 ἐξ αἰῶνος εἰς αἰῶνα; SibOr Fgm. 1, 16 of God μόνος εἰς αἰῶνα κ. ἐξ αἰῶνος).

② a segment of time as a particular unit of history, age

ⓐ ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος (הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה) the present age (nearing its end) (Orig., C. Cels. 1, 13, 15, in ref. to 1 Cor 3:18; s. Bousset, Rel. 243ff; Dalman, Worte 120ff; Schürer II 537f; NMessel, D. Einheitlichkeit d. jüd. Eschatol. 1915, 44–60) contrasted w. the age to come (Philo and Joseph. do not have the two aeons) Mt 12:32. A time of sin and misery Hv 1, 1, 8; Hs 3:1ff; ending of Mk in the Freer ms. 2; ἡ μέριμνα τοῦ αἰ. (v.l. + τούτου) the cares of the present age Mt 13:22; pl. cp. Mk 4:19. πλοῦτος earthly riches Hv 3, 6, 5. ματαιώματα vain, futile things Hm 9:4; Hs 5, 3, 6. πραγματεῖαι m 10, 1, 4. ἐπιθυμία m 11:8; Hs 6, 2, 3; 7:2; 8, 11, 3. πονηρία Hs 6, 1, 4. ἀπάται Hs 6, 3, 3 v.l. οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰ. τούτου the children of this age, the people of the world (opp. children of light, enlightened ones) Lk 16:8; 20:34.—The earthly kingdoms βασιλεῖαι τοῦ αἰ. τούτου IRo 6:1. συσχηματίζεσθαι τῷ αἰ. τούτῳ be conformed to this world Ro 12:2. As well as everything non-Christian, it includes the striving after worldly wisdom: συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰ. τούτου searcher after the wisdom of this world 1 Cor 1:20. σοφία τοῦ αἰ. τούτου 2:6. ἐν τῷ αἰ. τούτῳ 3:18 prob. belongs to what precedes=those who consider themselves wise in this age must become fools (in the estimation of this age). The ruler of this age is the devil: ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰ. τούτου 2 Cor 4:4 (θεός 5). ἄρχων τοῦ αἰ. τούτου IEph 17:1; 19:1; IMg 1:3; ITr 4:2; IRo 7:1; IPhld 6:2; his subordinate spirits are the ἄρχοντες τοῦ αἰ. τούτου 1 Cor 2:6, 8 (ἄρχων 1c).—Also ὁ νῦν αἰών (Did., Gen. 148, 21): πλούσιοι ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰ. 1 Ti 6:17; ἀγαπᾶν τὸν νῦν αἰ. 2 Ti 4:10; Pol 9:2. Cp. Tit 2:12. Or (Orig., C. Cels. 2, 42, 30) ὁ αἰ. ὁ ἐνεστώς the present age Gal 1:4 (cp. SIG 797, 9 [37 A.D.] αἰῶνος νῦν ἐνεστῶτος). The end of this period (cp. SibOr 3, 756 μέχρι τέρματος αἰῶνος) συντέλεια (τοῦ) αἰ. Mt 13:39f, 49; 24:3; 28:20 (cp. TestJob 4:6; TestBenj 11:3; JRobinson, Texts and Studies V introd. 86). συντέλεια τῶν αἰ. Hb 9:26; on GMary 463, 1 s. καιρός end.

ⓑ ὁ αἰὼν μέλλων (הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא) the age to come, the Messianic period (on the expr. cp. Demosth. 18, 199; Hippocr., Ep. 10, 6 ὁ μ. αἰ.=the future, all future time; Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 310 D.: ἡ τοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου μνεία κ. ὁ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος λόγος; Jos., Ant. 18, 287; Ar. 15, 3; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 24, 20; Did., Gen. 164, 2) in 2 Cl 6:3, cp. Hs 4:2ff, opposed to the αἰὼν οὗτος both in time and quality, cp. Mt 12:32; Eph 1:21; δυνάμεις μέλλοντος αἰ. Hb 6:5. Also αἰ. ἐκεῖνος: τοῦ αἰ. ἐκείνου τυχεῖν take part in the age to come Lk 20:35. ὁ αἰ. ὁ ἐρχόμενος Mk 10:30; Lk 18:30; Hs 4:2, 8. ὁ αἰ. ὁ ἐπερχόμενος Hv 4, 3, 5: pl. ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις in the ages to come Eph 2:7. As a holy age ὁ ἅγιος αἰ. (opp. οὗτος ὁ κόσμος; cp. εἰς τὸν μείζονα αἰ. TestJob 47:3) B 10:11 and as a time of perfection αἰ. ἀλύπητος an age free from sorrow 2 Cl 19:4 (cp. αἰ. … τοῦ ἀπαραλλάκτου TestJob 33:5), while the present αἰών is an ‘aeon of pain’ (Slav. Enoch 65, 8).—The plurals 1 Cor 10:11 have been explained by some as referring to both ages, i.e. the end-point of the first and beginning of the second; this view urges that the earliest Christians believed that the two ages came together during their own lifetimes: we, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (JWeiss. A Greek would not refer to the beginning as τέλος. The Gordian knot has οὔτε τέλος οὔτε ἀρχή: Arrian, Anab. 2, 3, 7). But since τὰ τέλη can also mean ‘end’ in the singular (Ael. Aristid. 44, 17 K.=17 p. 406 D.: σώματος ἀρχαὶ κ. τέλη=‘beginning and end’; 39 p. 737 D.: τὰ τέλη … δράματος; Longus 1, 23, 1 ms. ἦρος τέλη; Vi. Thu. 2, 2 [=OxfT ΘΟΥΚΥΔΙΔΟΥ ΒΙΟΣ 2] τέλη τοῦ πολέμου; Aëtius, Eye Diseases p. 120, 25 Hirschb. after Galen: τὰ τέλη τ. λόγου=the close of the section; Philo, Virt. 182) and, on the other hand, the pl. αἰῶνες is often purely formal (s. above 1a and b, 2a at end) τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰ. can perh. be regarded as equal to τέλος αἰώνων (SibOr 8, 311)=the end of the age(s). Cp. TestLevi 14:1 ἐπὶ τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων.—For the essential equivalence of sing. and pl. cp. Maximus Tyr. 14, 8b τὰ τῆς κολακείας τέλη beside τέλος τῆς σπουδῆς. Cp. also τέλος 5.

③ the world as a spatial concept, the world (αἰ. in sg. and pl. [B-D-F §141, 1]: Hippocr., Ep. 17, 34; Diod S 1, 1, 3 God rules ἅπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα; Ael. Aristid. 20, 13 K.=21 p. 434 D.: ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος; Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e; IAndrosIsis, Cyrene 4 [103 A.D.] P. p. 129]; Ps 65:7; Ex 15:18 [cp. Philo, Plant. 47; 51]; Wsd 13:9; 14:6; 18:4; αἰῶνες οἱ κρείττονε Tat. 20:2) ApcPt 4:14. Created by God through the Son Hb 1:2; through God’s word 11:3. Hence God is βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰ. 1 Ti 1:17; Rv 15:3 (v.l. for ἐθνῶν); 1 Cl 61:2 (cp. PGM 12, 247 αἰώνων βασιλεῦ; Tob 13:7, 11, cp. AcPh 2 and 11 [Aa II/2, 2, 20 and 6, 9]); πατὴρ τῶν αἰ. 35:3 (cp. Just., A I, 41, 2; AcPh 144 [Aa II/2, 84, 9]); θεὸς τῶν αἰ. 55:6 (cp. Sir 36:17; ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰ.; En 1:4; PGM 4, 1163; TSchermann, Griech. Zauber-pap 1909, 23; AcJ 82 [Aa II/1, 191, 24f]). But many of these pass. may belong under 2.

④ the Aeon as a person, the Aeon (Rtzst., Erlösungsmyst. 268 index under Aion, Taufe 391 index; Epict. 2, 5, 13 οὐ γάρ εἰμι αἰών, ἀλλʼ ἄνθρωπος=I am not a being that lasts forever, but a human being [and therefore I know that whatever is must pass away]; Mesomedes 1, 17=Coll. Alex. p. 197, 17; Simplicius in Epict. p. 81, 15 οἱ αἰῶνες beside the μήτηρ τῆς ζωῆς and the δημιουργός; En 9:4 κύριος τ. κυρίων καὶ θεὸς τ. θεῶν κ. βασιλεὺς τ. αἰώνων; PGM 4, 520; 1169; 2198; 2314; 3168; 5, 468; AcPh 132 [Aa II/2, 63, 5]; Kephal. I p. 24, 6; 45, 7) ὁ αἰ. τοῦ κόσμου τούτου Eph 2:2. The secret hidden from the Aeons Col 1:26; Eph 3:9 (Rtzst., Erlösungsmyst. 235f); IEph 19:2 (Rtzst. 86, 3); cp. 8:1 (Rtzst. 236, 2). Various other meanings have been suggested for these passages.—CLackeit, Aion I, diss. Königsbg. 1916; EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 426–32; HJunker, Iran. Quellen d. hellenist. Aionvorstellung: Vortr. d. Bibl. Warburg I 1923, 125ff; ENorden, D. Geburt des Kindes 1924; MZepf, D. Gott Αιων in d. hellenist. Theologie: ARW 25, 1927, 225–44; ANock, HTR 27, 1934, 78–99=Essays I, ’72, 377–96; RLöwe, Kosmos u. Aion ’35; EOwen, αἰών and αἰώνιος: JTS 37, ’36, 265–83; 390–404; EJenni, Das Wort ˓ōlām im AT: ZAW 64, ’52, 197–248; 65, ’53, 1–35; KDeichgräber, RGG I³ 193–95; HSasse, RAC I 193–204; MNilsson, Die Rel. in den gr. Zauberpapyri, K. humanist. Vetenskapssamfundets Lund II ’47/48, 81f; GJennings, A Survey of αιων and αιωνιος and their meaning in the NT, ’48; GStadtmüller, Aion: Saeculum 2, ’51, 315–20 (lit.); EDegani, ΑΙΩΝ da Omero ad Aristotele ’61 (s. Classen, Gnomon 34, ’62, 366–70; D.’s reply in RivFil 91, ’63, 104–10); MTreu, Griech. Ewigkeitswörter, Glotta 43, ’65, 1–24; JBarr, Biblical Words for Time² ’69; OCullman, Christus u. die Zeit³ ’62.—B. 13. EDNT. DDD s.v. Aion. DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.

ἄρχω, [dialect] Ep. inf.

A

ἀρχέμεναι Il.20.154

: [tense] impf. ἦρχον ib.2.378, etc.; [dialect] Dor.

ἆρχον Pi.O.10(11).51

: [tense] fut.

ἄρξω Od.4.667

, A.Pr. 940, Th.1.144: [tense] aor. ἦρξα, [dialect] Ep.

ἄρξα Od.14.230

, etc.: [tense] pf.

ἦρχα CIG3487.14

([place name] Thyatira), Decr. ap. Plu.2.851f:—[voice] Med., Od.8.90, etc.; non-thematic part.

ἄρχμενος Call.Aet.3.1.56

, al.: [tense] impf., Il.9.93, Hdt.5.28: [tense] fut. ἄρξομαι (in med. sense, v. infr.) Il.9.97, E.IA 442, X.Cyr.8.8.2; [dialect] Dor.

ἀρξεῦμαι Theoc.7.95

: [tense] aor.

ἠρξάμην Od.23.310

, etc.:—[voice] Pass., [tense] pf. ἦργμαι only in med. sense, v. infr. 1.2: [tense] aor.

ἤρχθην, ἀρχθῆναι Th.6.18

, Arist.Pol. 1277b13, v. infr.11.4:—to be first,

I in Time, begin, make a beginning, [voice] Act. and [voice] Med. (in Hom. the [voice] Act. is more freq., in [dialect] Att. Prose the [voice] Med., esp. where personal action is emphasized),

πολέμου ἄρχειν

to be the aggressor,

Th.1.53

; π. ἄρχεσθαι to begin one's operations, X.HG6.3.6; ἄρχειν τοῦ λόγου to open a conversation, Id.An.1.6.6; ἄρχεσθαι τοῦ λόγου to begin one's speech, ib.3.2.7. Constr.:

1 mostly c. gen., make a beginning of,

ἄρχειν πολέμοιο Il.4.335

;

μύθων Od.3.68

;

τῶν ἀδικημάτων πρῶτον τοῦτο ἄρξαι Hdt. 1.2

;

ἦρξεν ἐμβολῆς A.Pers. 409

; τοῦ κακοῦ ib. 353; ἄρχειν χειρῶν ἀδίκων, ἄρχειν τῆς πληγῆς, strike the first blow, Antipho 4.2.1 and 2:— in [voice] Med. in religious sense, = ἀπάρχεσθαι, ἀρχόμενος μελέων beginning with the limbs, Od.14.428, cf. E. Ion 651; but [voice] Act.,

σπονδαῖσιν ἄρξαι Pi.I.6(5).37

.

2 c. gen., begin from or with..,

ἐν σοὶ μὲν λήξω σέο δ' ἄρξομαι Il.9.97

;

ἄρχεσθαι Διός Pi.N.5.25

; πόθεν ἄρξωμαι; A.Ch. 855;

πόθεν ποτὲ ἦρκται Hp. VM5

; ἄρχεσθαι, ἦρχθαι ἔκ τινος, Od.23.199, Hp.Off.11; ἀπό τινος freq. in Prose, ἀρξάμενοι αὐτίκα ἀπὸ παιδίων even from boyhood, Hdt.3.12; but more commonly ἐκ παίδων, ἐκ παιδός, etc., Pl.R. 408d, Thg. 128d:— ἀπό in non-temporal relations, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ σοῦ. i.e. including yourself, Pl.Grg. 471c, cf. D.18.297;

ἀπὸ τῶν πατέρων X.Mem.3.5.15

;

μέχρι τῶν δώδεκα ἀπὸ μιᾶς ἀρξάμενος Pl.Lg. 771c

; ἀφ' ἱερῶν ἠργμένη ἀρχή ib. 771a;

ἀφ' Ἑστίας ἀρχόμενος Ar.V. 846

.

3 c. gen. rei et dat. pers., ἄρχε θεοῖς δαιτός begin a banquet to the gods, Il.15.95;

τοῖς ἄρα μύθων ἦρχε 2.433

, etc.;

τῇσι δὲ.. ἄρχετο μολπῆς Od.6.101

;

ἦρξε τῇ πόλει ἀνομίας τὸ νόσημα Th.2.53

, cf. 12;

τὴν ἡμέραν ἄρχειν ἐλευθερίας τῇ Ἑλλάδι X.HG2.2.23

;

ἡμὶν οὐ σμικρῶν κακῶν ἦρξεν τὸ δῶρον S.Tr. 871

.

4 c. acc., ἄρχειν ὁδόν τινι, show him the way, Od.8.107 (but also ἄρχειν ὁδοῖο lead the way, 5.237): abs. (sc. ὁδόν)

, ἄρχε δ' Ἀθήνη 3.12

;

σὺ μὲν ἄρχε Il.9.69

;

ἦ ῥα καὶ ἄρχε λέχοσδε κιών 3.447

;

ἦρχε δ' ἄρα σφιν Ἄρης 5.592

, cf. infr. 11.2: with other accusatives,

ἄρχειν ὕμνον Pi.N.3.10

;

ἅπερ ἦρξεν A.Ag. 1529

(lyr.);

λυπηρόν τι S.El. 552

;

ὕβριν Id.Fr. 368

.

5 of actions,

σέο δ' ἕξεται ὅττι κεν ἄρχῃ Il.9.102

: freq. c. inf., τοῖσιν δ' ἦρχ' ἀγορεύειν among them, Il.1.571, etc.; ἦρχε νέεσθαι, ἦρχ' ἴμεν, 2.84, 13.329;

ἄρχετε νῦν νέκυας φορέειν Od.22.437

, etc.;

ὑφαίνειν ἤρχετο μῆτιν Il.7.324

;

ἤρξαντο οἰκοδομεῖν Th.1.107

;

ἡ νόσος ἤρξατο γενέσθαι Id.2.47

: c. part., of continued action or condition,

ἦρχον χαλεπαίνων Il.2.378

;

ἢν ἄρξῃ ἀδικέων Hdt.4.119

;

ἡ ψυχὴ ἄρχεται ἀπολείπουσα X.Cyr.8.7.26

;

πόθεν ἂν ὀρθῶς ἀρξαίμεθα ἐπαινοῦντες; Pl.Mx. 237a

, cf. Tht. 187a (but

ἄ. ἐπαινεῖν Id.Phdr. 241e

);

ἄρξομαι διδάσκων X.Cyr.8.8.2

(but

ἤρξω μανθάνειν Id.Mem.3.5.22

).

6 abs.,

ἄρχε

take the lead!

Il.9.69

: generally, begin, ἄρχειν [τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν] τήνδε τὴν ἡμέραν Indut. ap. Th.4.118, cf. Lex ap.D.24.42; τὸ ἄρχον, opp. τὸ ἑπόμενον, Dam.Pr. 234: part.

ἀρχόμενος

at first,

X.Eq.9.3

, Cyn.3.8, Isoc.2.54; at the beginning,

ἀρχομένου δὲ πίθου καὶ λήγοντος Hes.Op. 368

, cf. Fr.192.4;

ἀρχομένοισιν ἢ καταπαυομένοισι Ar.Eq. 1246

;

ἄρχεται ὁ πόλεμος ἐνθένδε Th.2.1

; ἅμα ἦρι ἀρχομένῳ ibid.; θέρους εὐθὺς ἀρχομένου ib.47.

7 Gramm., of a word,

ἄ. ἀπὸ φωνήεντος D.T.633.27

; ἡ ἄρχουσα (sc. συλλαβή) A.D.Synt.130.13.

II in point of Place or Station, rule, govern, command,

1 mostly c. gen., rule, be leader of..,

Βοιωτῶν Il.2.494

, cf. Hdt.5.1, etc.

2 less freq. c. dat.,

ἀνδράσιν ἦρξα Od.14.230

, cf. 471, Il.2.805, Pi.P.3.4, A.Pr. 940, E.Andr. 666, IA 337, IG7.2830 ([place name] Hyettus), etc.; also ἐν δ' ἄρα τοῖσιν ἦρχ' held command among them, Il.13.690, cf. Pl.Phdr. 238a: c. inf. added, ἄρχε Μυρμιδόνεσσι μάχεσθαι led them on to fight, Il.16.65.

3 abs., rule,

ὅσον τό τ' ἄρχειν καὶ τὸ δουλεύειν δίχα A.Pr. 927

, cf. Pers. 774; esp. hold a magistracy,

ὁκοῖόν τε εἴη ἄρχειν μετὰ τὸ βασιλεύειν Hdt.6.67

; at Athens, etc., to be archon, D.21.178; ἀρχάς, ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν, Hdt.3.80, Th.6.54; ἄρχειν τὴν ἐπώνυμον (with or without ἀρχήν) IG3.659, 693, SIG872.7.

4 [voice] Pass., with [tense] fut.

ἄρξομαι Hdt.7.159

, Pi.O.8.45, A.Pers. 589, Lys.28.7; but

ἀρχθήσομαι Arist.Pol. 1259b40

, D.C.65.10:—to be ruled, governed, etc.,

ὑπό τινος Hdt.1.127

;

ἔκ τινος S.El. 264

, Ant.63;

ὑπό τινι Hdt.1.91

, 103;

σφόδρα ὑπό τινος Lys.12.92

;

ἄρχε πρῶτον μαθὼν ἄρχεσθαι Sol.

ap.D.L.1.60, cf. Pl.Prt. 326d;

δύνασθαι καὶ ἄρχεσθαι καὶ ἄρχειν Arist. Pol. 1277b14

;

οἱ ἀρχόμενοι

subjects,

X.An.2

6.19, etc.

ἄνωθεν adv. of place (Trag., Hdt.+; ins, pap, LXX, En; TestSol 12:6 C; JosAs 21:4 [cod. A and Pal. 364]; ApcrEzk [Epiph 70, 10]; Just., Ath.).

① in extension fr. a source that is above, from above (SIG 969, 63; PHib 110, 66; 107; 109; Gen 49:25; Josh 3:16; EpJer 61; En 28:2; TestSol 12:6 C; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 64; 184, Fug. 138, Somn., 2, 142; Jos., Ant. 3, 158) σχισθῆναι ἀπʼ ἄ. ἕως κάτω be torn fr. top to bottom Mk 15:38. For this ἄ. ἕως κάτω Mt 27:51 (where ἀπʼ is added by many witnesses, foll. Mk). ἐκ τῶν ἄ. ὑφαντὸς διʼ ὅλου woven from the top in one piece (i.e. altogether without seam) J 19:23. Esp. from heaven (cp. ἄνω 1 and schol. on Pla. 856e of the seer: ἄνωθεν λαμβάνειν τὸ πνεῦμα; Philo, Mos. 2, 69) ἄ. ἐκ τ. οὐρανοῦ J 3:27 v.l. ὁ ἄ. ἐρχόμενος he who comes from heaven (explained in the same vs. by ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐρχόμενος) 3:31. Of the Holy Spirit πνεῦμα ἄ. ἐρχόμενον Hm 11:21; also simply τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἄ. 11:8. ἡ δύναμις ἡ ἄ. ἐρχομένη 11:20. ἡ σοφία ἄ. κατερχομένη Js 3:15. Also ἡ ἄ. σοφία vs. 17. ἄ. εἶναι come from above Hm 9:11; 11:5; Js 1:17. Some would place 2 Cl 14:2 here, but the temporal sense seems more prob., s. 2. ἄ. δεδομένον bestowed from above (i.e. by God; cp. Procop. Soph., Ep. 109 θεοῦ ἄ. ἐπινεύοντος) J 19:11. ἄ. γεννᾶσθαι be born from above J 3:3, 7 (Epict. 1, 13, 3: all humans are begotten of their ancestor Zeus ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν σπερμάτων καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἄ. καταβολῆς; Just., D. 63, 3), but. s. 4 on the wordplay in these verses (Nicodemus thinks of physical rebirth [vs. 4], but the narrator shows Jesus with another dimension in mind).

② from a point of time marking the beginning of someth., from the beginning (Hippocr., VM 3; Pla.; Demosth. 44, 69; SIG 1104, 11; POxy 237 VIII, 31; En 98:5; JosAs 21:4 cod. A [p. 71, 19 Bat.]; Philo, Mos. 2, 48; Ath., R. 68, 19) παρακολουθεῖν ἄ. follow from the beginning Lk 1:3 (w. suggestion of thoroughness rather than temporal precision: LAlexander, The Preface to Luke’s Gospel, ’93, 130); cp. Ac 26:5 and s. 3. Opp. νῦν 2 Cl 14:2 (Lghtf.).

③ for a relatively long period in the past, for a long time (SIG 685, 81 and 91; 748, 2; PTebt 59, 7 and 10; Jos., Ant. 15, 250; Just. [throughout]; Ath.) προγινώσκειν ἄ. know for a long time Ac 26:5 (Ael. Aristid. 50, 78 K.=26 p. 525 D. ἄ. Ἀριστείδην γιγνώσκω) beside ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς vs. 4 (cp. Aelian NA 17, 40 οὐκ ἄνωθεν, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς=not for a long time nor from of old). For Lk 1:3 s. 2.

④ at a subsequent point of time involving repetition, again, anew (Pla., Ep. 2 p. 310e ἄ. ἀρξάμενος; Epict. 2, 17, 27; Jos., Ant. 1, 263; IG VII, 2712, 59; BGU 595, 5ff) ἄ. ἐπιδεικνύναι MPol 1:1. Oft. strengthened by πάλιν (CIG 1625, 60; Wsd 19:6) Gal 4:9.—ἀ. γεννηθῆναι be born again J 3:3, 7 (ἄ. γεννᾶσθαι in the physical sense Artem. 1, 13) is designedly ambiguous and suggests also a transcendent experience born from above (s. 1 above on these pass. fr. J). JLouw, NThSt 23, ’40, 53–56; ESjöberg, Wiedergeburt u. Neuschöpfung im paläst. Judentum: Studia Theologica 4, ’51, 44–85.—DELG s.v. ἀνά. M-M.

ἄρχω fut. ἄρξω; 1 aor. ἦρξα LXX. Mid.: fut. ἄρξομαι; 1 aor. ἠρξάμην; pf. ἦργμαι (Hom.+) lit. be first.

① to rule or govern, w. implication of special status, rule act. w. gen. over someth. or someone (Hom., Hdt. et al.; UPZ 81 col. 2, 18 [II B.C.] as an epithet of Isis: τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἄρχουσα; En 9:7; EpArist 190; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 1, 12 Jac.; Philo, Congr. Erud. Gr. 6; Just., D. 90, 4; 111, 1) τῶν ἐθνῶν Mk 10:42; Ro 15:12 (Is 11:10). εἰς πόλιν ἄρχουσαν δύσεως into the city that rules over the West ApcPt Rainer 15f. τῶν θηρίων τ. γῆς B 6:12 (cp. Gen 1:26, 28). τῆς περὶ τὴν γῆν διακοσμήσεως ἔδωκεν ἄ. (angels) authority to govern the earth Papias (4).

② to initiate an action, process, or state of being, begin mid., except for GMary s. 2aα.

ⓐ w. pres. inf. (DHesseling, Z. Syntax v. ἄρχομαι: ByzZ 20, 1911, 147–64; JKleist, Mk ’36, 154–61 Marcan ἤρξατο; GReichenkron, Die Umschreibung m. occipere, incipere u. coepisse: Syntactica u. Stilistica, Festschr. EGamillscheg ’57, 473–75; MReiser, Syntax u. Stil (Mk), ’84, 43–45).

α. lit., to denote what one begins to do, in pres. inf. (Polyaenus 3, 9, 40 σφαγιάζειν) λέγειν (Jos., Ant. 8, 276; 18, 289) Mt 11:7; ὀνειδίζειν vs. 20; τύπτειν 24:49; κηρύσσειν 4:17; Mk 5:20; cp. the use of the act. GMar 463 ἀπ̣[ελθὼ]ν ἤ̣ρ̣χεν κη[ρύς]|[σειν τὸ εὐαγγέλι]ο̣ν̣ [κατὰ Μάριαμ] (Levi) went off and began to proclaim [the gospel according to Mary]; παίζειν Hs 9, 11, 5 al.; εἶναι IRo 5:3. Emphasis can be laid on the beginning Lk 15:14; 21:28, Ac 2:4; 11:15, or a contrast can be implied, as w. continuation Mk 6:7; 8:31; IEph 20:1; w. completion Mt 14:30; Lk 14:30; J 13:5; w. an interruption Mt 12:1; 26:22; Ac 27:35.—μὴ ἄρξησθε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς don’t even begin to think=do not cherish the unfortunate thought Lk 3:8.

β. Oft. ἄ. only means that the pers. in question has been doing something else and that the activity now takes a new turn (GrBar 4:11 ὅταν … ἐξήλθε Νῶε τῆς κιβωτοῦ, ἤρξατο φυτεύειν ‘after Noah left the Ark, he began to beget’) Mt 26:37, 74; Lk 4:21; 5:21; 7:15, 24, 38, 49 al. In such cases it is freq. almost superfluous as an auxiliary, in accordance w. late Semitic usage (Jos., Ant. 11, 131; 200; Dalman, Worte 21f; s. JHunkin, ‘Pleonastic’ ἄρχομαι in the NT: JTS 25, 1924, 390–402). So ὧν ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰης. ποιεῖν Ac 1:1=simply what Jesus did (sim. Lat. coepio).

ⓑ abs. (sc. the inf. fr. the context) ἦν Ἰησοῦς ἀρχόμενος ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα Lk 3:23 prob. Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his work. In ἀρξάμενος Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο (Aesop, Fab. 100 P.=H-H. 102 [Halm 155 ἀχθόμενος] Μῶμος ἀρξάμενος ἕλεγε; X. Eph. 5, 7, 9 ἀρξαμένη κατέχομαι) ἀ. receives its content fr. the foll. καθεξῆς: P. began and explained in order Ac 11:4.

ⓒ w. indication of the starting point ἄ. ἀπὸ τότε begin fr. that time Mt 4:17; 16:21; ἄ. ἀπό τινος (Pla. et al., also Arrian, Cyneg. 36, 4; PMeyer 24, 3; Ezk 9:6; Jos., Ant. 7, 255 ἀπὸ σοῦ; in local sense SIG 969, 5; PTebt 526; Jos., Ant. 13, 390) ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως beginning w. Moses Lk 24:27; ἀ. ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης beginning with this passage of Scripture Ac 8:35; J 8:9; 1 Pt 4:17. Locally Lk 24:47; Ac 10:37. With both starting point and end point given (Lucian, Somn. 15 ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω ἀρξάμενος ἄχρι πρὸς ἑσπέραν; Gen 44:12) ἀπό τινος ἕως τινός: ἀπὸ τ. ἐσχάτων ἕως τῶν πρώτων Mt 20:8; Ac 1:22; local Lk 23:5.—B. 976; 1319. EDNT. DELG. M-M s.v. ἄρχομαι. TW.

ἀρχή, ἡ, (v. ἄρχω)

A beginning, origin,

νείκεος ἀ. Il.22.116

;

πήματος Od.8.81

;

φόνου 21.4

, etc.; opp. τέλος, Hdt.7.51, etc.; opp. τελευτή, Thgn.607, cf. Pl.Lg. 715e, Hp.Morb.1.1;

ἀ. γενέσθαι κακῶν Hdt.5.97

;

ἀ. ποιήσασθαί τινος Th.1.128

, And.2.37, Isoc.12.120, etc.;

ἀ. λαβεῖν τινός Aeschin.1.11

;

τὰς ἀρχὰς εἰληφέναι Plb.4.28.3

; ἀρχὴν ὑποθέσθαι lay a foundation, D.3.2, etc.;

βαλέσθαι Pl.Ep. 326e

(and [voice] Pass.,

ἀρχαὶ βέβληνται Pi.N.1.8

);

ἀρχὴν ἄρχεσθαί τινος Pl.Ti. 36e

; source of action, [

ὁ ἄνθρωπος] ἔχει ἀρχὴν ἐλευθέραν Plot.3.3.4

.

b with Preps. in adverbial usages, ἐξ ἀρχῆς from the beginning, from the first, from of old, Od.1.188, Xenoph.10, etc.;

οὑξ ἀ. φίλος S.OT 385

;

ἡ ἐξ ἀ. ἔχθρα D.54.3

;

τὸ ἐξ ἀ. X.Cyn.12.6

; but

πλουτεῖν ἐξ ἀ. πάλιν

anew, afresh,

Ar.Pl. 221

;

λόγον πάλιν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀ. κινεῖν Pl.R. 450a

; ὁ ἐξ ἀ. λόγος the original argument, Id.Tht. 177c, etc.; τὰ ἐξ ἀ. the principal sum, Arist.Pol. 1280a30:—also

ἀπ' ἀ. Hes.Th. 425

, Hdt.2.104, Pi.P.8.25, A.Supp. 344, Pl.Tht. 206d; κατ' ἀρχάς in the beginning, at first, Hdt.3.153, 7.5;

αὐτίκα κατ' ἀ. Id.8.94

;

τὸ κατ' ἀ. Pl. Lg. 798a

, al.

c acc. ἀρχήν, abs., to begin with, at first, Hdt. 1.9, 2.28, 8.132;

τὴν ἀρχήν And.3.20

: pl.,

τὰς ἀρχάς Plb.16.22.8

: freq. followed by a neg., not at all,

ἀρχὴν μηδὲ λαβών Hdt.3.39

, cf. 1.193, al.;

ἀ. δὲ θηρᾶν οὐ πρέπει τἀμήχανα S.Ant.92

;

ἀ. κλύειν ἂν οὐκ.. ἐβουλόμην Id.Ph. 1239

, cf. El. 439, Philol.3, Antipho5.73, Pl. Grg. 478c; sts. c. Art.,

τοῦτο οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὴν ἀ. Hdt.4.25

;

τὴν ἀ. γὰρ ἐξῆν αὐτῷ μὴ γράφειν D.23.93

.

2 first principle, element, first so used by Anaximander, acc. to Simp. in Ph.150.23, cf. Arist. Metaph. 983b11, etc.;

Ἡράκλειτος τὴν ἀ. εἶναί φησι ψυχήν Id.de An. 405a25

; of ὕλη and θεός, opp. στοιχεῖα, Placit.1.3.25; practical principle of conduct,

τῶν πράξεων τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις D. 2.10

; principles of knowledge, Arist.Metaph. 995b8, al.

3 end, corner, of a bandage, rope, sheet, etc., Hdt.4.60, Hp.Off.9, E.Hipp. 762, Aen.Tact.18.14, Act.Ap.10.11; of a compound pulley, Hero Bel.84.14.

4 Math., origin of a curve,

τῆς ἕλικος Archim.Spir. 11

Def.2, etc.;

ξυνὸν ἀ. καὶ πέρας ἐπὶ κύκλου περιφερείας Heraclit. 103

.

5 branch of a river, LXX Ge.2.10 (pl.).

6 sum, total, ib.Nu.1.2.

7 vital organs of the body, Gal.1.318, al.

II first place or power, sovereignty (not in Hom.),

Διὸς ἀρχά Pi.O.2.64

, cf. Hdt.1.6, etc.;

γενέσθαι ἐπ' ἀρχῆς Arist.Pol. 1284b2

: metaph., μεγάλην μεντἂν ἀ. εἴης εὑρηκώς, of a stroke of fortune, D.21.196: pl.,

ἀρχαὶ πολισσονόμοι A.Ch. 864

(lyr.);

τὰς ἐμὰς ἀρχὰς σέβων S.Ant. 744

, etc.: c. gen. rei,

τῆσδ' ἔχων ἀρχὴν χθονός S.OT 737

; ἀ. τῶν νεῶν, τῆς θαλάσσης, power over them, Th.3.90, X.Ath.2.7, etc.: prov., ἀ. ἄνδρα δείξει Biasap.Arist.EN 1130a1, cf. D.Prooem.48; method of government,

οὐδὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἀ. ἐπαχθής Th.6.54

.

2 empire, realm, Κύρου, Περδίκκου ἀ., Hdt.1.91, Th.4.128, etc.

3 magistracy, office, ἀρχὴν ἄρχειν, παραλαμβάνειν, Hdt.3.80, 4.147;

καταστήσας τὰς ἀ. καὶ ἄρχοντας ἐπιστήσας Id.3.89

; εἰς ἀ. καθίστασθαι Th.8.70; εἰς τὴν ἀ. εἰσιέναι D.59.72, etc.; ἀ. λαχεῖν to obtain an office, Id.57.25;

Ἑλληνοταμίαι τότε πρῶτον κατέστη ἀ. Th.1.96

;

ἐνιαύσιος ἀ. Id.6.54

; ἀ. χειροτονητή, κληρωτή, Lex ap.Aeschin.1.21; withsg. Noun,

Κυθηροδίκης ἀ. ἐκ τῆς Σπάρτης διέβαινεν αὐτόσε Th.4.53

; term of office,

ἀρχῆς λοιποὶ αὐτῷ δύο μῆνες Antipho6.42

;

ἀρχαὶ καὶ λειτουργίαι POxy.119.16

(iii A.D.).

4 in pl.,

αἱ ἀρχαί

the authorities, the magistrates,

Th.5.47

, cf. Decr. ap. And.1.83; ἐν ταῖς ἀ. εἶναι Th.6.54; ἡ ἀρχή collectively, 'the board', D.47.22, cf. IG1.229, etc.;

παραδιδόναι τινὰ τῇ ἀ. Antipho5.48

; but ἡ ἀ., of a single magistrate, PHal.1.226 (iii B.C.); κατ' ἀρχῆς γὰρ φιλαίτιος λεώς against authority, A.Supp. 485;

πομποὺς ἀρχάς Id.Ag. 124

(anap.).

5 command, i.e. body of troops, LXX 1 Ki.13.17, al.

6 pl., heavenly powers, Ep.Rom.8.38, al., cf. Dam. Pr.96; powers of evil, Ep.Eph.6.12, al.

III = εἶδος μελίσσης ἀκέντρου, Hsch.

ἀρχαῖα, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc pl

ἀρχαῖε, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc voc sg

ἀρχαῖαι, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc pl

ἀρχαῖα, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc pl

ἀρχαῖε, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc voc sg

ἀρχαῖαι, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc pl

ἀρχαῑοτέρᾱ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc /acc comp dual

ἀρχαῑοτέρᾱ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc comp sg (attic doric aeolic)

ἀρχαῑοτέρᾱͅ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem dat comp sg (attic doric aeolic)

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: adverbial comp

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: adverbial comp

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑέστερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: adverbial comp

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: adverbial comp

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc acc comp sg

ἀρχαῑότερον, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc comp sg

ἀρχαί̱ᾱ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc /acc dual

ἀρχαί̱ᾱ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc sg (attic doric aeolic)

ἀρχαί̱ᾱͅ, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem dat sg (attic doric aeolic)

ἀρχαῖα, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc pl

ἀρχαῖε, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc voc sg

ἀρχαῖαι, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc pl

ἀρχαῖα, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: neut nom /voc /acc pl

ἀρχαῖε, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: masc voc sg

ἀρχαῖαι, ἀρχαῖος

from the beginning: fem nom /voc pl

πρότερος and [full] πρῶτος, [comp] Comp. and [comp] Sup. formed from πρό, opp. ὕστερος, ὕστατος.

A [comp] Comp. [full] πρότερος, α, ον,

I of Place, before, in front, π. πόδες the fore-feet, Od.19.228; π. ἵπποι horses in front, B.5.43:— but mostly,

II of Time, former, earlier,

ἄνδρες Il.21.405

;

ἄνθρωποι 5.637

, 23.332; οἱ π. men of former times, 4.308 (rarely without Art., A.Ag. 1338 (anap.), etc.);

οὗτος δὲ προτέρης γενεῆς π. τ' ἀνθρώπων Il.23.790

: also, older, opp. ὁπλότερος, 2.707, etc.; γενεῇ π. 15.182; but παῖδες π. children by the first or a former marriage, Od.15.22;

παῖδες ἐκ τῆς π. γυναικός Hdt.7.2

; τῇ προτέρῃ (sc. ἡμέρᾳ) on the day before, Od.16.50; ἠοῖ τῇ π. Il.13.794 (in Prose more freq. τῇ προτεραίᾳ, cf. προτεραῖος); τοῦ π. ἐνιαυτοῦ the year before, IG12.352.11; τοῖς π. Παναθηναίοις the preceding P., ib.57.8; τὰ π. what has preceded, Plot.3.2.8:—freq. used predicatively, sts. where we should expect the Adv. (which is never used by Hom.),

ὅ με π. κάκ' ἔοργε Il.

3.351, cf. 16.569, Hes.Op. 708, etc.;

σπονδὰς οὐ λύσετε πρότεροι Th.1.123

; οἱ π. ἐπιόντες ibid.;

τοῖς π. μετὰ Κύρου ἀναβᾶσι X.An.1.4.12

, cf. IG22.1.7;

εἰ μὴ π. ἑωράκη αὐτὸν ἢ ἐκεῖνος ἐμέ Pl.R. 336d

, cf. 432c, etc.;

ὅτι εἴη π. ὑπὸ ἐκείνων ἠδικημένος

PCair.Zēn.

288.9

(iii B.C.).

2 as regular [comp] Comp., c. gen.,

ἐμέο πρότερος Il.10.124

;

π. τούτων Hdt.1.168

, cf. Pl.Phd. 86b, Hp.Ma. 282d;

τὰς γυναῖκας μὴ ἀπιέναι προτέρας τῶν ἀνδρῶν IG12(5).593.19

(Iulis, v B.C.); τῇ π. ἡμέρᾳ τῆς τροπῆς the day before.., Arist.Pol. 1316a16;

προτέρᾳ εἰδυῶν Ὀκτωμβρίων IG7.2225.14

(Thisbe, Senatus Consultum, ii B.C.); τῷ π. ἔτει Παναθηναίων τῶν μεγάλων ib.22.212.27;

τῷ π. ἔτει τῆς ἥττης Plb.2.43.6

: folld. by ἤ, τῷ προτέρῳ ἔτεϊ ἢ τὸν κρητῆρα [ἐληΐσαντο] Hdt.3.47.

III of Rank, Worth, and generally of Precedence, superior, τῷ γένει, τῇ δυνάμει, Is.1.17, D.3.15; π. τινὸς πρός τι superior to him in.., Pl.La. 183b; π. τι ἄγειν, π. ποιήσασθαι τὰ σὰ πράγματα, Lib.Or.58.36,52.1.

IV after Hom., neut. πρότερον freq. as Adv., before, earlier, Pi.O.13.31, Hdt.4.45, IG12.374.265, etc.; ὀλίγον π. Pl.Prt. 317e: c. gen.,

π. φήμης A.Th. 866

(anap.);

ὀλίγῳ τι π. τούτων Hdt.8.95

; πολλοῖσι ἔτεσι π. τούτων ib.96;

ἐνιαυτῷ π. τῆς ἁλώσεως D.9.60

; also πρὸ τῶν Περσικῶν δέκα ἔτεσι π. Pl.Lg. 642d, cf. Criti. 112a; τούτου π. Paus.1.1.2: most freq. folld. by

ἤ, π. ἢ κατὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν Pl.Sph. 264b

; also

μὴ π. ἀπαναστῆναι ἢ ἐξέλωσι Hdt.9.87

, cf. 7.54, Antipho 2.1.2, Th.7.63, etc.: with inf.,

π. ἢ βασιλεῦσαι Hdt.7.2

, cf. Th.1.69, etc.: folld. by πρίν, Hdt.1.82; by πρὶν ἄν, ib. 140; by πρὶν ἤ with vb. in Indic., Id.6.45, 8.8, or Subj., 7.8.β (v.l. πρὶν ἂν ἢ), 9.93; also

οὐ π. εἰ μὴ.. Plu.Lys.10

, etc.; οὐ π. ἕως.. , or ἕως ἂν.., Lys.12.71, Ath.14.640c;

μὴ π., ἀλλ' ὅταν.. Plb.9.13.3

: also used with the Art., τὸ π. Pl.R. 522a, X.An.4.4.14, etc. ( τὸ π., also, for the first time, Ep. Gal.4.13): c. gen.,

τὸ π. τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων Hdt.2.144

: the Adv. is freq. put between Art. and Subst.,

ὁ π. βασιλεύς Id.1.84

;

τὰ π. ἀδικήματα Id.6.87

;

αἱ π. ἁμαρτίαι Ar.Eq. 1355

, etc.

B [comp] Sup. [full] πρῶτος, η, ον, [dialect] Dor. [full] πρᾶτος (q.v.):

I as Adj.,

1 of Place, foremost,

πρώτοισιν ἐνὶ προμάχοισι μιγέντα Od.18.379

; ἐν πρώτοις, μετὰ πρώτοισι alone, Il.19.424, 11.64; πρώτῃ ἐν ὑσμίνῃ, ἐνὶ πρώτῳ ὁμάδῳ, 15.340, 17.380; τῆς πρώτης τάττειν (sc. τάξεως) Isoc. 12.180, cf. Lys.16.15, etc.; ἐν π. ῥυμῷ at the front or end of the pole, Il.6.40, 16.371; πρώτῃσι θύρῃσιν at the outermost doors, 22.66; π. ξύλον the front bench, Ar.Ach.25, Poll.4.121, etc.; οἱ π. πόδες, like πρόσθιοι, Id.1.193.

2 of Time, στάντα πρὸς π. ἕω looking towards first dawn, S.OC 477;

περὶ π. νύκτα Poll.1.70

.

3 of Order, serving as ordinal to εἷς, ἄεθλα θῆκε.. τῷ πρώτῳ· ἀτὰρ αὖ τῷ δευτέρῳ.., αὐτὰρ τῷ τριτάτῳ.., κτλ., Il.23.265, cf. 6.179; opp. ὕστατος, 2.281, 5.703, etc.; opp. τελευταῖος, A.Ag. 314; opp. τανύστατος, Od. 9.449;

πρῶτοι πάντων ἀνθρώπων Hdt.2.2

;

τὰ π. τῶν ὀνομάτων Pl.Cra. 421d

;

τῇ π. τῶν ἡμερέων Hdt.7.168

, etc.;

π. ἄξων IG12.115.10

; ἐπὶ τοῦ π. [ἱερείου] first-offered, X.An.4.3.9; ἐν τοῖς π. λόγοις in the earlier books, Arist.Ph. 263a11, al.; ἐν πρώτοις among the first, Is.7.40; hence, above all, especially, Hdt.8.69, Pl.R. 522c; in [dialect] Att., ἐν τοῖς πρῶτοι (v. ὁ, ἡ

, τό A.

VIII. 6):—freq. used predicatively of being the first to do something,

Νέστωρ πρῶτος κτύπον ἄϊε Il.10.532

;

πρῶτος ἀνατέλλει Eratosth.Cal.42

;

εἴθε π. σοι ἐνέτυχον Luc.Tyr.21

.

b Philos., first in order of existence, primary,

αἱ π. οὐσίαι Arist.Cat. 2b26

, cf. Metaph. 1032b2; π. ὕλη, π. φιλοσοφία, ib. 1015a7, 1061b19; primitive, simple, οἰκία π., ἡ π. πόλις, Id.Pol. 1252b10, 1291a17; ἡ π. κοινωνία ib. 1257a19; ἡ π. ὀλιγαρχία ib. 1293a14; ὁ π. συλλογισμός normal, typical, Id.Rh. 1357a17; τὰ π. σώματα, μόρια,= τὰ ὁμοιομερῆ, Gal.5.673,674; πρῶτα κατὰ φύσιν, e.g. health, perception, Stoic.3.34; τὰ π. πάθη ib.92; αἱ π. ἀρεταί ib.64.

c Math., πρῶτοι ἀριθμοί prime numbers, Euc.7 Def.11,12; but also, first numbers (= 1 to 100,000,000) in the notation of Archim., Aren.3.2.

d πρῶτος is sts. used where we should expect

πρότερος, Αἰνείας δὲ πρῶτος ἀκόντισεν Il.13.502

, cf. 18.92: in late Greek folld. by gen.,

πρῶτός μου ἦν Ev.Jo.1.15

,30, cf. 15.18;

οἱ πρῶτοί μου ταῦτα ἀνιχνεύσαντες Ael.NA 8.12

;

πρώτη εὕρηται ἡ περὶ τοὺς πόδας κίνησις τῆς διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Ath. 14.630c

;

γεννήτορα πρῶτον μητέρος εἰς ἀΐδην πέμψει Man.1.329

, 4.404; ἀλόχου πρῶτος before his wife, IG12(5).590.5 (vi (?) A.D.).

4 of Rank or Dignity, μετὰ πρώτοισιν among the first men of the state, Od.6.60, etc.;

νομίσαντες πρῶτοι ἂν εἶναι Th.6.28

; διαβάλλειν τοὺς π. X.An.2.6.26, cf. Arist.Pol. 1266a18;

αἱ π. πόλεις Th. 2.8

;

ὁ π. ἄρχων IG12(3).481.10

([place name] Thera), CIG 2837 ([place name] Aphrodisias); ὁ π. τῆς πόλεως, as a title, IG12(5).292.2 ([place name] Paros);

ὁ π. τῆς νήσου Act.Ap.28.7

; τῶν π. φίλων, title at the Ptolemaic court, PTeb.31.15 (ii B.C.), etc.; τῶν π., as military title, PHib.1.110.72 (iii B.C.), PPetr.3p.23 (iii B.C.), PTeb. 815 Fr.4.23,al.(iii B.C.): c. gen.,

ἐν πρώτοισι Μυκηναίων Il.15.643

;

οἱ π. στρατοῦ S.Ph. 1305

, cf. E.Hec. 304, etc.: c. dat. modi, ἀρετῇ π., οἱ π. καὶ χρήμασι καὶ γένει, πλούτῳ π. τῶν Ἑλλήνων, etc., S.Ph. 1425, Th.3.65, Isoc.16.31, etc.;

π. ἐν συμφοραῖς βίου S.OT33

.

5 of Degree, first, highest,

μοῖρα Id.OC 145

(anap.), etc.

II as Subst. in neut. pl. πρῶτα, τά,

1 (sc. ἆθλα), first prize,

τὰ π. λαβών Il.23.275

;

τὰ π. δόρει κρατύνων S.OC 1313

;

ἔχειν πρῶτα κυναγεσίας AP6.118

(Antip.);

τὰ π. φέρεσθαι D.C.42.57

, etc.

2 first part, beginning, τῆς Ἰλιάδος τὰ π. Pl.R. 392e; ἐν τοῖς π. Id.Smp. 221d;

τὸ π. τοῦ ᾄσματος Id.Prt. 343c

.

3 first, highest, in degree, τὰ π. τᾶς λιμῶ ([dialect] Dor. ) the extremities of famine, Ar.Ach. 743 (nisi leg. ἄπρατα)

; ἐχέτωσαν τὰ π. τῆς εὐδαιμονίας Luc.Cont.10

;

ἐς τὰ π. τιμᾶσθαι Th.3.39

, cf. 56; φρενῶν ἐς τὰ ἐμεωυτοῦ π. οὔκω ἀνήκω I have not yet come to the highest development of my judgment, Hdt.7.13, cf. D.C.38.22; of persons, ἐὼν τῶν Ἐρετριέων τὰ π. Hdt. 6.100; Λάμπων.. Αἰγινητέων < ἐὼν> τὰ π. Id.9.78, cf. E.Med. 917; ἐστὶν τὰ π. τῆς ἐκεῖ μοχθηρίας (of a person) Ar.Ra. 421.

4 Philos., primary things, elements, Emp.38.1, Arist.GC 335a29;

τὰ π. αἴτια Id.Mete. 338a20

; also

τὸ π. ἐνυπάρχον ἑκάστῳ Id.Ph. 193a10

.

5 in Logic, the first undemonstrable propositions, on which all future conclusions rest, Id.Top. 100b18;

τὰ π. ἀναπόδεικτα Id.APo. 71b26

.

III in Adverbial phrases,

1 τὴν πρώτην (sc. ὥραν, ὁδόν) first, for the present, just now, Hdt.3.134, Ar. Th. 662, D.3.2, Arist.Metaph. 1038a35, etc.;

τὴν πρώτην εἶναι Hdt.1.153

.

2 with Preps., ἀπὸ πρώτης (sc. ἀρχῆς) Antipho 5.56, Th.1.77;

ἀπὸ τῆς π. εὐθύς Luc.Hist.Conscr.1

; ἐκ π. Babr.45.14;

κατὰ πρώτας Pl.Plt. 292b

, D.C.52.19;

κατὰ τὴν π. εὐθύς Id.62.3

; παρὰ τὴν π. the first time, opp. ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας, Philostr.VA 1.22.

3 freq. as Adv. in neut. sg. and pl., πρῶτον, πρῶτα,

a first, in the first place, πρῶτόν τε καὶ ὕστατον (vulg. ὕστερον) Hes.Th. 34;

π. μὲν.., δεύτερον αὖ.., τὸ τρίτον αὖ.. Il.6.179

; τί π. τοι ἔπειτα, τί δ' ὑστάτιον καταλέξω; Od.9.14;

Κύπριδα μὲν πρῶτα.., αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ'.. Il.5.458

;

οὐρῆας μὲν π. ἐπῴχετο.., αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα.. 1.50

;

π. μὲν.., ἔπειτα δὲ.. S.OC 632

, X.Cyr.2.1.2,23, An.5.6.7-8, Hier.11.8, etc.;

π. μὲν.., ἔπειτα.. Pl.Phd. 89a

, etc.;

π. μὲν.., ἔπειτα δεύτερον.., τρίτον δὲ.. Aeschin.1.7

;

π. μὲν.., εἶτα.. Pl.Phlb. 15b

;

π. μὲν.., εἶτα δὲ.. X. An.1.2.16

;

π. μὲν.., εἶτα.., ἔτι δὲ.. Id.Mem.1.2.1

;

π. μὲν..,.. δὲ αὖ.. Pl.Lg. 935a

;

π. μὲν.., ἔτι δὲ.. Lys.4.10

, etc.;

π. μὲν.., ἔτι τοίνυν.. D.44.57

; freq. answered only by δέ, Id.9.48, etc.; sts. the answering clause must be supplied, A.Ag. 810, D.7.7, etc.: also

πρῶτον μὲν.. δεύτερον μήν.. Pl.Phlb. 66a

: also

πρῶτα μὲν.., ἔπειτα.. S.Tr. 616

, Ar.Pl. 728;

πρῶτα μὲν.., ἔπειτα.., εἶτα.. E.Med. 548

;

πρῶτα μὲν..,.. δὲ.. A.Pr. 447

; πρῶτα μὲν.., ἔπειτα δὲ.. X HG7.1.7, cf. S. Ph. 919; ἐπεί σε πρῶτα κιχάνω since my first meeting is with you, Od. 13.228, cf. 7.53, Il.8.274: also τὸ πρῶτον, first, in the first place, at the beginning,

ὡς τὸ π. ὑπέστην καὶ κατένευσα 4.267

;

οὕνεκά σ' οὐ τὸ π., ἐπεὶ ἴδον, ὧδ' ἀγάπησα Od.23.214

. cf. Il.3.443, 6.345, Pi.P.9.41, N.3.49; τὸ μὲν οὖν π. Pl.Prt. 333d, etc.; τὸ π..., μετὰ ταῦτα..

D 1.12: also τὰ π., Il.1.6, Od.1.257, etc.;

πόντῳ μὲν τὰ π..., αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα.. Il.4.424

;

τὰ π. μὲν.., ὡς δὲ.. A.Pers. 412

;

τὰ π..., τέλος δὲ.. S.Fr.149.5

, cf. 966.

b too early, before the time, ἦ τ' ἄρα καὶ σοὶ πρῶτα (v.l. for πρωΐ)

παραστήσεσθαι ἔμελλε Μοῖρ' ὀλοή Od.24.28

.

c = πρότερον, before,

ἢν.. πρῶτον ἀπόλωμαι κακῶς Ar.Ec. 1079

;

π. οὐδ' ὑφ' ἑνὸς.. κρατηθέντες X.HG5.4.1

; θάλασσα π. ἦν ἢ γενέσθαι γῆν v.l. in Heraclit.31;

λόγῳ π. ἢ τοῖς ἔργοις Arist.Rh.Al. 1420b28

;

οὐ π. αὐτὴν ἀπέκτειναν πρὶν ἢ ἀπεκύησεν Ael.VH5.18

;

π. συμμελετᾶν ἢ μελετᾶν μαθέτω AP12.206

(Strat.).

d first, for the first time,

οὐ.. νῦν πρῶτα ποδώκεος ἄντ' Ἀχιλῆος στήσομαι Il.20.89

;

οὐ νῦν πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλαι S.Ph. 966

;

ἐνταῦθα πρῶτον ἔφαγον X.An.2.3.16

.

e πρῶτον, πρῶτα are used after the relat. Pron. and after relat.Advbs., like Engl. once (= at all),

οὐδ' ἐνοσίχθων λήθετ' ἀπειλάων, τὰς.. Ὀδυσῆϊ π. ἐπηπείλησε Od.13.127

, cf. 3.320, 10.328, 13.133, Il. 1.319, 19.136; μοῖραν δ' οὔ τινά φημι πεφυγμένον ἔμμεναι ἀνδρῶν.. ἐπὴν τὰ π. γένηται when once he is born, 6.489, cf. Od.3.183, 4.13, 414;

οὔτε.. Λυκίους ἐδύναντο τείχεος ἂψ ὤσασθαι, ἐπεὶ τὰ π. πέλασθεν Il.12.420

, cf. Od.11.106, 221; also ἐπεὶ τὸ (or τὰ) π. now that.., ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ π. ἀνέκραγον, οὐκ ἐπικεύσω now that I have spoken up, 14.467;

τὸ μὲν οὔ ποτε φύλλα καὶ ὄζους φύσει, ἐπεὶ δὴ πρῶτα τομὴν ἐν ὄρεσσι λέλοιπε Il.1.235

, cf. 276, 19.9: c. part., τῷ ῥ' Αἴας τὸ π. ἐφεζόμενος μέγ' ἀάσθη (the rock) on which once seated

A blasphemed, Od.4.509: the sense as soon as is never necessary in Hom., but is possible in Od.4.414, 19.355; δινέμεν εὖτ' ἂν πρῶτα φανῇ σθένος Ὠαρίωνος when once (or perh., as soon as), Hes.Op. 598; ὅπως τις πρῶτα γένοιτο πάντας ἀποκρύπτεσκε as soon as each was born, Id.Th. 156; ὡς τὸ π. X.An.7.8.14;

τότ' εὐθὺς.., ὅτε πρῶτον εἶδον D.18.141

; αὖθίς με ἀνερέσθαι ὅταν ἐντύχῃς πρῶτον the first time you meet me, Pl.Ly. 211b;

ἐὰν μάθω γε πρῶτον.. τί λέγεις Id.R. 338c

.

IV Adv. πρώτως primarily, first in Arist.,

π. καὶ κυρίως EN 1157a30

; opp. δευτέρως, ib. 1158b31; π. καθ' αὑτό, opp. κατὰ συμβεβηκός, Id.Ph. 192b22, cf. Gal.1.692, al., Jul.Or.5.168b.

2 ὅτε π. ἐπεδήμησεν.. when he first visited.., BSA27.228 (Sparta, ii A.D.).—(From πρῶτος was formed a new [comp] Sup. πρώτιστος, q.v.)

κτίσις, εως, ἡ (s. prec. and two next entries; Pind.+).

① act of creation, creation (Iren. 1, 17, 1 [Harv. I 164, 11]; Hippol., Ref. 6, 33 κ. τοῦ κόσμου; 6, 55, 1; Did., Gen. 24, 4): ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου since the creation of the world Ro 1:20 (cp. PsSol 8, 7; ApcSed 8:10; Jos., Bell. 4, 533). The Son of God was σύμβουλος τῷ πατρὶ τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοῦ counselor to the Father in his creative work Hs 9, 12, 2.

② the result of a creative act, that which is created (EpArist 136; 139; TestReub 2:9).

ⓐ of individual things or beings created, creature (Tob 8:5, 15) created thing τὶς κ. ἑτέρα any other creature Ro 8:39. οὐκ ἔστιν κ. ἀφανὴς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ no creature is hidden from (God’s) sight Hb 4:13. πᾶν γένος τῆς κ. τοῦ κυρίου every kind of creature that the Lord made Hs 9, 1, 8; πᾶσα κ. every created thing (cp. Jdth 9:12) MPol 14:1. Of Christ πρωτότοκος πάσης κ. Col 1:15. Of the name of God ἀρχέγονον πάσης κ. 1 Cl 59:3. τὸ εὐαγγέλιον … τὸ κηρυχθὲν ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει the gospel … which has been preached to every creature (here limited to human beings) Col 1:23.—Pl. (En 18:1) δοξάζειν τὰς κτίσεις τοῦ θεοῦ praise the created works of God Hv 1, 1, 3.—The Christian is described by Paul as καινὴ κ. a new creature 2 Cor 5:17, and the state of being in the new faith by the same words as a new creation Gal 6:15 (cp. Jos., Ant. 18, 373 καιναὶ κτίσεις). S. on ἐκλογή end.

ⓑ the sum total of everything created, creation, world (ApcMos 32; SibOr 5, 152; ὁρωμένη κ. Did., Gen. 1 B, 6; 13 A, 2) ἡ κ. αὐτοῦ Hv 1, 3, 4. ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κ. at the beginning of the world B 15:3; ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κ. from the beginning of the world Mk 13:19; 2 Pt 3:4. Likew. Mk 10:6; πᾶσα ἡ κ. the whole creation (Jdth 16:14; Ps 104:21 v.l.; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 7 [Stone p. 32], B 12 p. 116, 31 [St. p. 80]; TestLevi 4:1; TestNapht 2:3; ParJer 9:6; PGM 12, 85) Hv 3, 4, 1; m 12, 4, 2; Hs 5, 6, 5; 9, 14, 5; 9, 23, 4; 9, 25, 1. The whole world is full of God’s glory 1 Cl 34:6. ἀόργητος ὑπάρχει πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν αὐτοῦ 19:3. ὁ υἱὸς τ. θεοῦ πάσης τ. κτίσεως αὐτοῦ προγενέστερός ἐστιν the Son of God is older than all his creation Hs 9, 12, 2. πᾶσα ἡ κ. limited to humankind Mk 16:15; Hm 7:5. Also ἡ κτίσις τῶν ἀνθρώπων D 16:5.—αὕτη ἡ κ. this world (earthly in contrast to heavenly) Hb 9:11.—κ. the creation, what was created in contrast to the Creator (Wsd 16:24) Ro 1:25 (EpArist 139 θεὸν σεβόμενοι παρʼ ὅλην τὴν κτίσιν).—Of Christ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ Rv 3:14 (s. ἀρχή 3).—The mng. of κτ. is in dispute in Ro 8:19–22, though the pass. is usu. taken to mean the waiting of the whole creation below the human level (animate and inanimate—so, e.g., OCullmann, Christ and Time [tr. FFilson] ’50, 103).—HBiedermann, D. Erlösg. der Schöpfung beim Ap. Pls. ’40.

③ system of established authority that is the result of some founding action, governance system, authority system. Corresponding to 1, κτίσις is also the act by which an authoritative or governmental body is created (ins in CB I/2, 468 no. 305 [I A.D.]: founding of the Gerousia [Senate]. Somewhat comparable, of the founding of a city: Scymnus Chius vs. 89 κτίσεις πόλεων). But then, in accordance with 2, it is prob. also the result of the act, the institution or authority itself 1 Pt 2:13 (Diod S 11, 60, 2 has κτίστης as the title of a high official. Cp. νομοθεσία in both meanings: 1. lawgiving, legislation; 2. the result of an action, i.e. law.) To a Hellene a well-ordered society was primary (s. Aristot., Pol. 1, 1, 1, 1252). It was understood that the function of government was to maintain such a society, and the moral objective described in vs. 14 is in keeping with this goal.—BBrinkman, ‘Creation’ and ‘Creature’ I, Bijdragen (Nijmegen) 18, ’57, 129–39, also 359–74; GLampe, The NT Doctrine of κτίσις, SJT 17, ’64, 449–62.—DELG s.v. κτίζω. M-M. TW. Sv.

πίστις, εως, ἡ (Hes., Hdt.+; ranging in meaning from subjective confidence to objective basis for confidence).

① that which evokes trust and faith

ⓐ the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment (X., An. 1, 6, 3; 3, 3, 4; Aristot., Eth. Eud, 7, 2, 1237b, 12; Polyb. 7, 12, 9; 38, 1, 8 al.; Herodian 2, 14, 4 al.; SIG 675, 22; OGI 557, 16; PTebt 27, 6; 51 [II B.C.]; POxy 494, 9; 705, 32; other pap M-M. s.v.; Ps 32:4; Pr 12:22; Jos., Ant. 2, 61; TestAsh 7:7) w. κρίσις and ἔλεος Mt 23:23. (Opp. ἀπιστία as Hes., Op. 370) τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργεῖν nullify the faithfulness/commitment of God (cp. Ps 32:4; Hos 2:22) Ro 3:3. πᾶσαν π. ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν show all good faith(fulness) Tit 2:10 (cp. BGU 314, 19 μετὰ πίστεως ἀγαθῆς). W. other virtues Gal 5:22 (on πίστις, πραΰτης cp. Sir 45:4; 1:27). W. ὑπομονή 2 Th 1:4. τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα I have remained faithful or loyal (πίστιν τηρεῖν as Polyb. 6, 56, 13; 10, 37, 5; Jos., Bell. 2, 121; 6, 345; OGI 339, 46f; IBM III, 587b, 5f [Dssm., LO 262=LAE 309, esp. note 3]) 2 Ti 4:7, though this would be classified by some under 3 below. S. also 1c below.

ⓑ a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 44; 8, 8, 3, Hell. 1, 3, 12; Diod S 14, 9, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §362 μεγάλας πίστεις ἔδωκεν=solemn assurances; 3 Macc 3:10; Jos., Ant. 12, 382) τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν 1 Ti 5:12 (s. also ἀθετέω 1 and cp. CIA app. [Wünsch, Praef. p. xv] of a woman who πρώτη ἠθέτησεν τὴν πίστιν to her husband). Cp. Rv 2:3.

ⓒ a token offered as a guarantee of someth. promised, proof, pledge (Pla., Phd. 70b; Isocr. 3, 8; Aristot., Rhet. 1, 1; 3, 13; Epicurus in Diog. L. 10, 63; 85: πίστις βεβαία=dependable proof; Polyb. 3, 100, 3; Περὶ ὕψους 39, 3=p. 74, 20 V.; Epict. 1, 28, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 119 §500; Jos., Ant. 15, 69) πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτόν (God has appointed a man [Jesus] to be judge of the world, and) he has furnished proof (of his fitness for this office) to all people by raising him (on πίστιν παρέχειν cp. Jos., Ant. 2, 218 πίστιν παρεῖχε; 15, 260; Polyb. 2, 52, 4 πίστιν παρέσχετο=gave a pledge, security; Vett. Val. 277, 29f) Ac 17:31. JBarton, Biblica 40, ’59, 878–84: π. in 2 Ti 4:7= bond deposited by an athlete. But see 3 below.—WSchmitz, ῾Η Πίστις in den Papyri, diss. Cologne, ’64.

② state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith in the active sense=‘believing’, in ref. to deity (Soph. Oed. R. 1445 νῦν γʼ ἂν τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις; Pla., Leg. 12, 966de; Plut. Mor. 402e; 756b; Dio Chrys. 3, 51 παρὰ θεῶν τιμὴ κ. πίστις; Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 226 D.: πίστιν ἐν τ. θεοῖς ἔχειν; Appian, Liby. 57 §248 ἐς θεοὺς πίστις; Ep. 33 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 352, 14]; Herm. Wr. 9, 10 ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 21 τῆς βεβαίας πίστεως, τὸ μεμαθηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοεῖται πάντα. The divinity Πίστις in Plut., Num. 70 [16, 1] and in magic [exx. in Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234f, among them Aberciusins. 12; PGM 4, 1014 ἀλήθεια καὶ πίστις; 12, 228]; Wsd 3:14; 4 Macc 15:24; 16:22; 17:2; Philo, Abr. 270; 271; 273, Mut. Nom. 182, Migr. Abr. 43f, Conf. Lingu. 31, Poster. Cai. 13 [on faith in Philo s. the lit. given under πιστεύω 2aα]; Jos, C. Ap. 2, 163; 169; Just., A I, 52, 1 πίστιν ἔχειν; 53, 11 πειθὼ καὶ πίστιν … ἐμφορῆσαι), in our lit. directed toward God and Christ, their revelations, teachings, promises, their power and readiness to aid.

ⓐ God: πίστις θεοῦ (cp. Jos., Ant. 17, 179.—Cp. π. καὶ φόβος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 7 [p. 72, 26]) faith, trust, confidence in God Mk 11:22; cp. Ac 19:20 D; 1 Cl 3:4; 27:3. π. θείου πνεύμαπος faith in the divine spirit Hm 11:9. ἡ π. τοῦ κυρίου Hs 6, 3, 6. π. (καὶ ἐλπὶς) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21. π. ἐπὶ θεόν Hb 6:1. ἡ πίστις ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν 1 Th 1:8 (on the constr. w. πρὸς τ. θ. cp. Philo, Abr. 268; 271; 273; Just., D. 121, 2 διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον π.).—πίστις can also be characterized as faith in God by the context, without the addition of specific words; so in connection w. OT personalities: Abraham Ro 4:5, 9, 11–13, 16, 19f (s. also 2dα below); 1 Cl 10:7; 31:2; of Rahab 12:1, 8; of Esther 55:6 (ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν). The OT heroes of faith Hb 11:4–33, 39 (w. this catalogue of heroes cp. Il. 4, 457–538; 2 Km 23:8–39; 1 Ch 11:10–12:18; CGordon, Homer, and the Bible: HUCA 26, ’55, 83).—But in Hb it is also true that God is specifically the object of the Christian’s faith, and Christ 12:2 is ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειώτης. Cp. 10:38; 11:3; 13:7. (On faith in Hb s. Schlatter, Der Glaube im NT⁴ 1927, 520ff; BHeigl, Verfasser u. Adresse des Hb 1905, 109–18; GHoennicke, Die sittl. Anschauungen des Hb: ZWT 45, 1902, 26ff; Windisch, Hdb. exc. on Hb 11; Riggenbach and Michel on Hb 11; Strathmann on 10:38. S. ὑπόστασις end.)—ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν Mt 17:20. Opp. doubt 21:21. αἰτεῖν ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Js 1:6. ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως 5:15 (εὐχή 1). ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead Col 2:12.

ⓑ Christ

α. of belief and trust in the Lord’s help in physical and spiritual distress; oft. in the synopt. gospels: Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29 (κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν); 15:28; Mk 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42.—Cp. ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι (the lame man) had faith that he would be cured Ac 14:9.

β. of faith in Christ, designated by the addition of certain words. By the obj. gen. (s. Just., D. 52, 4 διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ) πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ faith in Jesus Christ (and sim. exprs. On interp. as obj. gen. s. AHultgren, NovT 22, ’80, 248–63 [lit.]; response SWilliams, CBQ 49, ’87, 431–47.) Ro 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16ab, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9a; Js 2:1; Rv 14:12; cp. 2:13 (ἡ πίστις μου=faith in me, the Human One [Son of Man]); IMg 1:1. (The πίστις Χριστοῦ in Paul is taken as a subj. gen. by JHaussleiter, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1891, Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?: Greifswalder Studien für HCremer 1895, 161–82 and GKittel, StKr 79, 1906, 419ff. See also Schläger, ZNW 7, 1906, 356–58; BLongenecker, NTS 39, ’93, 478–80 [lit. since ’81]; DCampbell, JBL 113, ’94, 265–85; response BDodd, 114, ’95, 470–73.—ADeissmann, Paulus² 1925, 125f [Paul, tr. WWilson, 1926, 162ff], speaks of the mystical gen., ‘faith in Christ’. Likew. HWeber, Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’: NKZ 31, 1920, 213ff, esp. 231, 3; WWeber, Christusmystik 1924, 82. S. also LAlbrecht, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1921; OSchmitz, Die Christusgemeinschaft des Pls im Lichte seines Genetivgebr. 1924, 91–134; OHoltzmann, D. Glaube an Jes.: Stromata 1930, 11–25; GTaylor, JBL 85, ’66, 58–76: the passages in Gal=Christ’s reliability as a trustee. Cp. GHoward, HTR 60, ’67, 459–65; MHooker, NTS 35, ’89, 321–42.)—By prepositional phrases: πίστις εἰς Χριστόν (and sim. exprs.) faith in Christ Ac 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Col 2:5 (Just., D. 40, 1).—Also πίστις ἐν Χριστῷ (and sim.) Gal 3:26; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Ti 3:13; 2 Ti 3:15; 1 Cl 22:1. In ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι Ro 3:25, ἐν κτλ. prob. goes not w. πίστις, but w. ἱλαστήριον (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; W-S. §20, 5d).—πίστις, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τ. κύριον Ἰησοῦν Phlm 5.—πίστις διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστοῦ Ac 20:21 D; sim. ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ 3:16b (cp. 1 Pt 1:21).—Jesus Christ is called ἡ τελεία πίστις ISm 10:2.

ⓒ πίστις can also be characterized by an objective gen. of the thing: ἡ πίστις τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ faith in his (Jesus’) name Ac 3:16a. ἡ πίστις τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phil 1:27. εὐαγγελίων πίστις Dg 11:6. πίστις ἀληθείας 2 Th 2:13.

ⓓ πίστις is found mostly without an obj., faith, firm commitment

α. as true piety, genuine devotion (Sextus 7a and 7; ParJer 6:7), which for our lit. means being a Christian (τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάσχα … πίστει νονούμενον Hippol., Ref. 8, 18, 1; Did., Gen. 54, 11) Lk 18:8 (s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 288); 22:32; Ac 6:5=vs. 8 v.l.; cp. 11:24.—6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; Ro 1:5, 8, 12, 17ab (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν does not mean a gradation [as, in a way, Appian, Mithrid. 40 §154: Sulla came upon ἕτερον ὅμοιον ἐξ ἑτέρου=one wall, i.e. fortification, after another similar one] or a transition from one kind to another [Himerius, Or.=Ecl. 10, 6 ἐκ ᾠδῆς εἰς ᾠδὴν ἄλλην μετέβαλον=they changed from one kind of song to another], but merely expresses in a rhetorical way that πίστις is the beginning and the end; s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc., and a grave-ins [ANock, Sallust. p. xxxiii, 94] ἐκ γῆς εἰς γῆν ὁ βίος οὗτοσ=‘dust is the beginning and the end of human life’.—AFridrichsen, ConNeot 12, ’48, 54); 17c (here and in Gal 3:11 the LXX of Hab 2:4 [DCampbell, JBL 116, ’97, 713–19] is not followed literally, since it has ἐκ πίστεώς μου=‘as a result of my faithfulness’; even in Hb 10:38, where μου does occur, it goes w. δίκαιος, not w. πίστεως); Ro 3:27f (Luther’s addition of the word ‘alone’ in vs. 28 is hard to contest linguistically. Cp., e.g., Diog. L. 9, 6: Heraclitus wrote his work in very obscure language ὅπως οἱ δυνάμενοι προσίοιεν αὐτῷ=in order that only the capable might approach it. S. also Fitzmyer, ABComm. 360–64), 30f; 4:5–20 (s. also 2a above); 5:1f; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 17; 11:20 (opp. ἀπιστία); 12:3, 6 (s. ἀναλογία; for a difft. view 3 below); 14:1, 22 (s. ἐνώπιον 2b; others would place in 2dε), 23ab (but s. ε below); 16:26; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24ab; 4:13; 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:7–26; 5:5, 6 (s. ἐνεργέω 1b); 6:10 (οἱ οἰκεῖοι τῆς πίστεως, s. οἰκεῖος b); Eph 2:8; 3:17; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Phil 1:25 (χαρὰ τῆς πίστεως); 2:17; 3:9b; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 3:2, 5, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:3, 11; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 5 (π. ἀνυπόκριτος), 19ab; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 12, 21 (but s. 3 below); 2 Ti 1:5 (ἀνυπόκριτος π.); 2:18; 3:8; Tit 1:1, 4, 13; 3:15; Phlm 6 (s. κοινωνία 4); Hb 6:12; 10:22, 39 (opp. ὑποστολή); Js 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pt 1:5, 7, 9; 5:9; 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:4; 1 Cl 1:2 (ἡ πανάρετος κ. βεβαία π.); ISm 1:1 (ἀκίνητος π.); Hm 5, 2, 1; 12, 5, 4 (both πλήρης ἐν τῇ πίστει full of faith); 5, 2, 3 (π. ὁλόκληρος); 9:6 (ὁλοτελὴς ἐν τ. π.), 7 (opp. διψυχία), 12 (π. ἡ ἔχουσα δύναμιν); 12, 6, 1; Hs 9, 19, 2 (ἀπὸ τῆς π. κενοί); 9, 26, 8 (κολοβοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς π. αὐτῶν).—τὸ ῥῆμα τ. πίστεως Ro 10:8. οἱ λόγοι τῆς π. 1 Ti 4:6. τὸ μυστήριον τῆς π. 3:9. ὁ θεὸς ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, i.e. opened the way for them to participate in a new relationship w. God Ac 14:27 (s. also θύρα 1bγ). ἀκοὴ πίστεως Gal 3:2, 5 (s. ἀκοή 2 and 4b). (τὸ) ἔργον (τῆς) π. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 (s. ἔργον 1b). οἱ ἐκ πίστεως the people of faith (s. ἐκ 3b) Gal 3:7, 9. πῶς οὐν [πίστιν εὑρ]ίσκομεν; Ox 1081, 25f (but here [ταῦτα γιγν]ώ̣σκομεν is the preferable restoration w. Till after the Coptic SJCh 90, 2); 32. Of gnostics τοῦ ὄφεως πίστιν ἔχουσιν AcPlCor 2:20.—If the principal component of Christianity is faith, then π. can be understood as the Gospel in terms of the commitment it evokes (cp. SIG 932, 7 [II/I B.C.]) νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει Gal 1:23 (s. 3 below). Perh. also Ro 1:5.

β. Hb 11:1 defines πίστις as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. There is here no qu. about the mng. of π. as confidence or assurance (s. 2a above), but on its relation to ὑπόστασις as its predication s. under that word.—(Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 18 interprets πιστεύειν in someth. as incapability to see someth. that is apparent only to God.) Paul contrasts walking διὰ εἴδους (εἶδος 3) as the lower degree, with διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖν 2 Cor 5:7 (s. KDeissner, Pls. u. die Mystik seiner Zeit² 1921, 101ff). On the other hand πίστις is on a higher level than merely listening to Christian preaching Hb 4:2.

γ. πίστις abs., as a Christian virtue, is often coupled w. others of the same kind, esp. oft. w. ἀγάπη: 1 Th 3:6; 5:8; 1 Ti 1:14; 2 Ti 1:13; Phlm 5; B 11:8; IEph 1:1; 9:1; 14:1; 20:1; IMg 1:2; 13:1; IRo ins; ISm ins; 6:1; 13:2; AcPl Ha 8, 35. W. ἀγάπη and other abstracts 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 2:15; 4:12; 6:11: 2 Ti 2:22; 3:10; Tit 2:2; Rv 2:19; IPhld 11:2; Pol 4:2; Hm 8:9; cp. v 3, 8, 2–5. The triad πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13; cp. also Col 1:4f; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8; B 1:4 (on this triad see s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα). W. ἐλπίς only (cp. 1 Pt 1:21) 1 Cl 58:2. The ζωῆς ἐλπίς is called ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν B 1:6.—W. ἀλήθεια (TestLevi 8:2) 1 Ti 2:7 (cp. the combination POxy 70, 4f [III A.D.]); 1 Cl 60:4. W. δικαιοσύνη Pol 9:2. W. ὑπομονή Rv 13:10; w. ὑπομ. and other abstracts 2 Pt 1:5f; Pol 13:2 (cp. also the following passages already referred to in this section: 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2 and Js 1:3 [α above]). W. γνῶσις (Just., D. 69, 1) et al. 2 Pt 1:5f [s. above]; D 10:2. ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν B 1:5. W. φόβος and ἐγκράτεια Hm 6, 1, 1.—(Distinguished from θεία σοφία: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 13, 23.)

δ. faith as fidelity to Christian teaching. This point of view calls for ἔργα as well as the kind of πίστις that represents only one side of true piety: Js 2:14ab, 17, 18abc, 20, 22ab, 24, 26 (ἔργον 1a); Hv 3, 6, 5; Hs 8, 9, 1ab.

ε. Ro 14:22 and 23 π. as freedom or strength in faith, conviction (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but s. α above).

ζ. In addition to the πίστις that every Christian possesses (s. 2dα above) Paul speaks of a special gift of faith that belongs to a select few 1 Cor 12:9. Here he understands π. as an unquestioning belief in God’s power to aid people with miracles, the faith that ‘moves mountains’ 13:2 (cp. Mt 17:20.—21:21; s. 2a above). This special kind of faith may be what the disciples had in mind when they asked πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν Lk 17:5; cp. vs. 6. τῇ πίστει φερόμενος ὁ Παυλος AcPl Ha 5, 1.

③ that which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching (Diod S 1, 23, 8 ἰσχυρὰν πίστιν καὶ ἀμετάθετον=an article of faith that was firm and unshakable [concerning Orpheus and Dionysus]; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13; Ath. 8, 1; Iren., 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I, 92, 1]; Orig., C. Cels., 1, 42, 26; Did., Gen. 156, 23). So clearly Jd 3 (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει), 20 (τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει.—ἅγιος 1aα). πίστις θεοῦ=that which, acc. to God’s will, is to be believed IEph 16:2.—This objectivizing of the term πίστις is found as early as Paul: Ro 1:5; Gal 1:23 (s. 2dα end) and perh. Gal 3:23–25 (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.). ASeeberg, D. Katechismus der Urchristenheit 1903, 110f, understands 1 Ti 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10, cp. 21; 2 Ti 2:18 in this manner. Ro 12:6 (but s. ἀναλογία) and 2 Ti 4:7 are also interpreted in this way by many.—EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 475–86; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; APott, Das Hoffen im NT in seiner Beziehung zum Glauben1915; ANairne, The Faith of the NT 1920; RGyllenberg, Pistis 1922; WKümmel, D. Glaube im NT: ThBl 16, ’38, 209–21; Dodd 65–68; TTorrance, ET 68, ’57, 111–14; CMoule, ibid. 157.—Synoptics: TShearer, ET 69, ’57, 3–6.—Esp. for Paul: BBartmann, Pls, die Grundzüge seiner Lehre u. die moderne Religionsgeschichte 1914; WMorgan, The Religion and Theology of Paul 1917; WHatch, The Pauline Idea of Faith in Its Relation to Jewish and Hellenistic Religion 1917; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. after Ro 4:25; FKnoke, Der christl. Glaube nach Pls 1922; ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Pls: ZNW 22, 1923, 43–57; EWissmann, Das Verh. v. πίστις und Christusfrömmigkeit bei Pls 1926; MDibelius, Glaube u. Mystik b. Pls: Neue Jahrb. f. Wissensch. u. Jugendbildg. 7, ’31, 683–99; WMundle, D. Glaubensbegriff des Pls ’32 (p. xi–xvi extensive bibliog.); RGyllenberg, Glaube b. Pls: ZWT 13, ’37, 612–30; MHansen, Om Trosbegrebet hos Pls ’37; LMarshall, Challenge of NT Ethics, ’47, 270–77; 298–300; RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 310–26 (Engl. tr. KGrobel I ’51, 314–30; for the Johannines II, 70–92, ’55); MMassinger, BiblSacra 107, ’50, 181–94 et al. S. also δικαιοσύνη 3a.—For the Fourth Gosp.: JBuswell, The Ethics of ‘Believe’ in the Fourth Gospel: BiblSacra 80, 1923, 28–37; JHuby, De la connaissance de foi chez S. Jean: RSR 21, ’31, 385–421; RSchnackenburg, D. Glaube im 4. Ev., diss. Breslau ’37; WHatch, The Idea of Faith in Christ. Lit. fr. the Death of St. Paul to the Close of the Second Century 1926.—EGraesser, D. Glaube im Hebräerbrief, ’65.—ABaumeister, D. Ethik des Pastor Hermae, 1912, 61–140.—ESeidl, π. in d. griech. Lit. (to Peripatetics), diss. Innsbruck, ’53; HLjungman, Pistis, ’64; DLührmann, Pistis im Judent., ZNW 64, ’73, 19–38. On faith in late Judaism s. Bousset, Rel.³ 534a (index); also DHay, JBL 108, ’89, 4611–76; DLindsay, Josephus and Faith ’93. On the Hellenistic concept πίστις Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234–36.—DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.