536. aparché

Lexicon

aparché: Firstfruits

Original Word: ἀπαρχή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: aparché
Pronunciation: ah-par-KHAY
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ar-khay')
Definition: Firstfruits
Meaning: the first-fruits, the earliest crop of the year, hence also met., for example, of the earliest converts in a district; there is evidence in favor of rendering in some passages merely by: sacrifice, gift.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

firstfruits.

From a compound of apo and archomai; a beginning of sacrifice, i.e. The (Jewish) first-fruit (figuratively) -- first-fruits.

see GREEK apo

see GREEK archomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from apo and arché
Definition
the beginning of a sacrifice, i.e. the first fruit
NASB Translation
first convert (1), first fruits (6), first piece (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 536: ἀπαρχή

ἀπαρχή, ἀπαρχῆς, ἡ (from ἀπάρχομαι:

a. to offer firstlings or first-fruits;

b. to take away the first-fruits; cf. ἀπό in ἀποδεκατόω), in the Sept. generally equivalent to רֵאשִׁית; the first-fruits of the productions of the earth (both those in a natural state and those prepared for use by hand), which were offered to God; cf. Winers RWB under the word Erstlinge (BB. DD. under the word First-fruits): ἡ ἀπαρχή namely, τοῦ φυράματος, the first portion of the dough, from which sacred loaves were to be prepared (Numbers 15:19-21), Romans 11:16. Hence, in a transferred use, employed a. of persons consecrated to God, leading the rest in time: ἀπαρχή τῆς Ἀχαΐας the first person in Achaia to enroll himself as a Christian, 1 Corinthians 16:15; with εἰς Χριστόν added, Romans 16:5; with a reference to the moral creation effected by Christianity all the Christians of that age are called ἀπαρχή τίς (a kind of first-fruits) τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κτισμάτων, James 1:18 (see Huther at the passage) (noteworthy is εἵλατο ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεός ἀπαρχήν etc. as first-fruits] 2 Thessalonians 2:13 L Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading; Christ is called ἀπαρχή τῶν κεκοιμημένων as the first one recalled to life of them that have fallen asleep, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23 (here the phrase seems also to signify that by his case the future resurrection of Christians is guaranteed; because the first-fruits forerun and are, as it were, a pledge and promise of the rest of the harvest).

b. of persons superior in excellence to others of the same class: so in Revelation 14:4 of a certain class of Christians sacred and dear to God and Christ beyond all others (Schol. ad Euripides, Or. 96 ἀπαρχή ἐλέγετο οὐ μόνον πρῶτον τῇ τάξει, ἀλλά καί τό πρῶτον τῇ τιμή).

c. οἱ ἔχοντες τήν ἀπαρχήν τοῦ πνεύματος who have the first-fruits (of future blessings) in the Spirit (τοῦ πνεύματος is genitive of apposition), Romans 8:23; cf. what Winer § 50, 8 a. says in opposition to those (e. g. Meyer, but see Weiss in edition 6) who take τοῦ πνεύματος as a partitive genitive, so that οἱ ἔχοντες τήν ἀπαρχήν τοῦ πνεύματος are distinguished from the great multitude who will receive the Spirit subsequently. (In Greek writings from (Sophocles) Herodotus down.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from ἀπό (apo, meaning "from") and ἄρχομαι (archomai, meaning "to begin").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of firstfruits in the Hebrew Bible is primarily associated with the word רֵאשִׁית (reshith, Strong's Hebrew 7225), which also denotes the first or beginning, often used in the context of offerings and sacrifices. Another related term is בִּכּוּרִים (bikkurim, Strong's Hebrew 1061), specifically referring to the firstfruits of the harvest.

Usage: In the New Testament, ἀπαρχή is used metaphorically to describe the first converts in a region, the resurrection of Christ as the first of those who have died, and the believers as a kind of firstfruits of God's creation.

Context: The concept of ἀπαρχή, or "firstfruits," is deeply rooted in the agricultural practices and religious observances of ancient Israel. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to bring the firstfruits of their harvest to the Lord as an offering (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 23:10). This act symbolized the acknowledgment of God's provision and sovereignty over the land and its produce.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul employs the term ἀπαρχή to convey theological truths about Christ and the Church. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul declares, "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." Here, ἀπαρχή signifies Christ's resurrection as the guarantee and precursor of the future resurrection of believers.

Additionally, in Romans 8:23, Paul speaks of believers having "the firstfruits of the Spirit," indicating the initial experience of the Holy Spirit as a foretaste of the full redemption to come. Similarly, in James 1:18, believers are described as "a kind of firstfruits of His creatures," emphasizing their role as the initial evidence of God's redemptive work in creation.

The use of ἀπαρχή underscores the principle of offering the best and the first to God, reflecting a life dedicated to Him. It also highlights the eschatological hope rooted in Christ's resurrection and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Forms and Transliterations

απαρχαί απαρχαίς απαρχάς απαρχη απαρχή ἀπαρχὴ απαρχην απαρχήν ἀπαρχήν ἀπαρχὴν απαρχής απάρχου απαρχών απήρξαντο απήρξατο aparche aparchē aparchḕ aparchen aparchēn aparchḗn aparchḕn

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 8:23 N-AFS
GRK: αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ πνεύματος
NAS: having the first fruits of the Spirit,
KJV: which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
INT: ourselves the first-fruit of the Spirit

Romans 11:16 N-NFS
GRK: δὲ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία καὶ
NAS: If the first piece [of dough] is holy,
KJV: if the firstfruit [be] holy,
INT: moreover the first-fruit [be] holy also

Romans 16:5 N-NFS
GRK: ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀσίας
NAS: who is the first convert to Christ
KJV: who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto
INT: who is a first-fruit of Achaia

1 Corinthians 15:20 N-NFS
GRK: ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων
NAS: from the dead, the first fruits of those
KJV: [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.
INT: from among [the] dead first-fruit of those fallen asleep

1 Corinthians 15:23 N-NFS
GRK: ἰδίῳ τάγματι ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός ἔπειτα
NAS: Christ the first fruits, after
KJV: Christ the firstfruits; afterward
INT: own order [the] first-fruit Christ then

1 Corinthians 16:15 N-NFS
GRK: ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀχαίας
NAS: of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia,
KJV: it is the firstfruits of Achaia,
INT: that it is first-fruit of Achaia

James 1:18 N-AFS
GRK: εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν
NAS: that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
KJV: a kind of firstfruits of his
INT: to be us first-fruits a sort of

Revelation 14:4 N-NFS
GRK: τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπαρχὴ τῷ θεῷ
NAS: men as first fruits to God
KJV: among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God
INT: the men [as] firstfruits to God

Strong's Greek 536
8 Occurrences

ἀπαρχὴ — 6 Occ.
ἀπαρχὴν — 2 Occ.