746. arché

Lexicon

arché: Beginning, origin, ruler, authority, principality

Original Word: ἀρχή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: arché
Pronunciation: ar-KHAY
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-khay')
Definition: Beginning, origin, ruler, authority, principality
Meaning: (a) rule (kingly or magisterial), (b) plur: in a quasi-personal sense, almost: rulers, magistrates, (c) beginning.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.

From archomai; (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank) -- beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.

see GREEK archomai

HELPS Word-studies

746 arxḗ – properly, from the beginning (temporal sense), i.e. "the initial (starting) point"; (figuratively) what comes first and therefore is chief (foremost), i.e. has the priority because ahead of the rest ("preeminent").

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from archó
Definition
beginning, origin
NASB Translation
beginning (38), corners (2), domain (1), elementary (1), elementary* (1), first (1), first preaching (1), principalities (1), rule (4), rulers (6).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 746: ἀρχή

ἀρχή, ἀρχῆς, ἡ (from Homer down), in the Sept. mostly equivalent to רֹאשׁ, רֵאֹשִׁית, תְּחִלָּה;

1. beginning, origin;

a. used absolutely, of the beginning of all things: ἐν ἀρχή, John 1:1f (Genesis 1:1); ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, Matthew 19:4 (with which cf. Xenophon, mem. 1, 4, 5 ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ποιῶν ἀνθρώπους), Matthew 19:8; John 8:44; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 3:8; more fully ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κτίσεως or κόσμου, Matthew 24:21; Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (where L (Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading) ἀπαρχήν, which see); 2 Peter 3:4; κατ' ἀρχάς, Hebrews 1:10 (Psalm 101:26 ()).

b. in a relative sense, of the beginning of the thing spoken of: ἐξ ἀρχῆς, from the time when Jesus gathered disciples, John 6:64; John 16:4; ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, John 15:27 (since I appeared in public); as soon as instruction was imparted, 1 John 2:(),; ; 2 John 1:5f; more fully ἐν ἀρχή τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Philippians 4:15 (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 47, 2 [ET] (see note in Gebh. and Harn. at the passage and cf.) Polycarp, ad Philipp. 11, 3 [ET]); from the beginning of the gospel history, Luke 1:2; from the commencement of life, Acts 26:4; ἐν ἀρχή, in the beginning, when the church was founded, Acts 11:15. The accusative ἀρχήν (cf. Winers Grammar, 124 (118); Lightfoot on Colossians 1:18) and τήν ἀρχήν in the Greek writings (cf. Lennep ad Phalarid., pp. 82ff and, pp. 94ff, Lipsius edition; Brückner in DeWette's Handbook on John, p. 151) is often used adverbially, equivalent to ὅλως altogether (properly, an accusative of 'direction toward':usqueadinitium (cf. Winers Grammar, 230 (216); Buttmann, 153 (134))), commonly followed by a negative, but not always (cf. e. g. Dio Cassius fragment 101 (93 Dindorf); 45:34 (Dindorf vol. ii., p. 194); 59:20; 62:4; see, further, Lycurgus, § 125, Mätzner edition); hence, that extremely difficult passage, John 8:25 τήν ... ὑμῖν, must in my opinion be interpreted as follows: I am altogether or wholly (i. e. in all respects, precisely) that which I even speak to you (I not only am, but also declare to you what I am; therefore you have no need to question me) (cf. Winers Grammar, 464 (432); Buttmann, 253 (218)). ἀρχήν λαμβάνειν, to take beginning, to begin, Hebrews 2:3. with the addition of the genitive of the thing spoken of: ὠδίνων, Matthew 24:8; Mark 13:8() ((here R G plural); τῶν σημείων, John 2:11); ἡμερῶν, Hebrews 7:3; τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, that from which the gospel history took its beginning, Mark 1:1; τῆς ὑποστάσεως, the confidence with which we have made a beginning, opposed to μέχρι τέλους, Hebrews 3:14. τά στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς, Hebrews 5:12 (τῆς ἀρχῆς is added for greater explicitness, as in Latinrudimentaprima, Livy 1, 3; Justin., hist. 7, 5; andprimaelamenta, Horat. sat. 1, 1, 26, etc.); ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγος equivalent to ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγος ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς, i. e. the instruction concerning Christ such as it was at the very outset (cf. Winers Grammar, 188 (177); Buttmann, 155 (136)), Hebrews 6:1.

2. the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader: Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:8 Rec.; ; (Deuteronomy 21:17; Job 40:14(19), etc.).

3. that by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause (a sense in which the philosopher Anaximander, 8th century B.C., is said to have been the first to use the word; cf. Simplicius, on Aristotle, phys. f. 9, p. 326, Brandis edition and 32, p. 334, Brandis edition (cf. Teichmüller, Stud. zur Gesch. d. Begriffe, pp. 48ff 560ff)): ἡ ἀρχή τῆς κτίσεως, of Christ as the divine λόγος, Revelation 3:14 (cf. Düsterdieck at the passage; Clement of Alexandria, protrept. 1, p. 6, Potter edition (p. 30 edition Sylb.) ὁ λόγος ἀρχή θεία τῶν πάντων; in Ev. Nicod. c. 23 (p. 308, Tischendorf edition, p. 736, Thilo edition) the devil is called ἡ ἀρχή τοῦ θανάτου καί ῤίζα τῆς ἁμαρτίας).

4. the extremity of a thing: of the corners of a sail, Acts 10:11; Acts 11:5; (Herodotus 4, 60; Diodorus 1, 35; others.).

5. the first place, principality, rule, magistracy (cf. English 'authorities') (ἄρχω τίνος): Luke 12:11; Luke 20:20; Titus 3:1; office given in charge (Genesis 40:13, 21; 2 Macc. 4:10, etc.), Jude 1:6. Hence, the term is transferred by Paul to angels and demons holding dominions entrusted to them in the order of things (see ἄγγελος, 2 (cf. Lightfoot on Colossians 1:16; Meyer on Ephesians 1:21)): Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:10, 15. See ἐξουσία, 4{c}. ββ.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the verb ἄρχω (archō), meaning "to begin" or "to rule."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with ἀρχή is רֵאשִׁית (reshith), Strong's Hebrew 7225, which also means "beginning" or "first." This term is famously used in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," establishing a thematic link between the Old and New Testament concepts of beginnings and divine authority.

Usage: The word ἀρχή is used in various contexts within the New Testament, often to signify the beginning of something, such as creation or a new era. It is also used to describe positions of authority or rule, both earthly and spiritual.

Context: The Greek term ἀρχή appears in several key New Testament passages, each highlighting different aspects of its meaning. In John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word," ἀρχή signifies the commencement of creation, emphasizing the preexistence and eternal nature of the Word, who is Christ. Similarly, in Colossians 1:18, Christ is described as "the beginning, the firstborn from the dead," indicating His preeminence and foundational role in the resurrection and the new creation.

The term also appears in contexts of authority and power. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes about spiritual warfare against "the rulers, against the authorities," where ἀρχή is translated as "rulers," referring to spiritual entities with significant influence. This usage underscores the hierarchical structure of both earthly and spiritual realms, where ἀρχή denotes positions of leadership and governance.

Additionally, ἀρχή is used in Hebrews 2:3 to describe the "beginning" of salvation, marking the initial proclamation of the gospel message. This highlights the foundational role of the gospel in the believer's life and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

Throughout the New Testament, ἀρχή serves as a reminder of both the temporal beginnings and the established order within God's creation and kingdom. It points to Christ as the ultimate source and authority, the one who holds all things together and through whom all things were made.

Forms and Transliterations

αρχαι αρχαί ἀρχαὶ αρχαις αρχαίς ἀρχαῖς αρχας αρχάς ἀρχάς ἀρχὰς ΑΡΧΗ αρχή άρχη ἀρχή ἀρχὴ ἀρχῇ αρχην αρχήν ἀρχὴν ΑΡΧΗΣ αρχής ἀρχῆς archai archaì archais archaîs archas archás archàs ARCHe ARCHĒ archḗ archḕ archêi archē̂i archen archēn archḕn ARCHeS archês ARCHĒS archē̂s

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 19:4 N-GFS
GRK: κτίσας ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἄρσεν καὶ
NAS: that He who created [them] from the beginning MADE
KJV: made [them] at the beginning made them
INT: having created [them] from [the] beginning male and

Matthew 19:8 N-GFS
GRK: ὑμῶν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ
NAS: your wives; but from the beginning it has not been
KJV: but from the beginning it was not
INT: of you from [the] beginning however not

Matthew 24:8 N-NFS
GRK: δὲ ταῦτα ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων
NAS: these things are [merely] the beginning of birth pangs.
KJV: these [are] the beginning of sorrows.
INT: moreover these [are] a beginning of birth pains

Matthew 24:21 N-GFS
GRK: γέγονεν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κόσμου ἕως
NAS: since the beginning of the world
KJV: since the beginning of the world
INT: has been from [the] beginning of [the] world until

Mark 1:1 N-NFS
GRK: ΑΡΧΗ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
NAS: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus
KJV: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus
INT: BEGINNING of the gospel

Mark 10:6 N-GFS
GRK: ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἄρσεν
NAS: But from the beginning of creation,
KJV: from the beginning of the creation
INT: from however [the] beginning of creation male

Mark 13:8 N-NFS
GRK: ἔσονται λιμοί ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων ταῦτα
NAS: These things are [merely] the beginning of birth pangs.
KJV: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows.
INT: there will be famines Beginnings of birth pains [are] these

Mark 13:19 N-GFS
GRK: τοιαύτη ἀπ' ἀρχῆς κτίσεως ἣν
NAS: since the beginning of the creation
KJV: from the beginning of the creation
INT: the like from [the] beginning of creation which

Luke 1:2 N-GFS
GRK: οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ
NAS: to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses
KJV: from the beginning were
INT: they from [the] beginning eyewitnesses and

Luke 12:11 N-AFP
GRK: καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς
NAS: the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities,
KJV: and [unto] magistrates, and
INT: and the rulers and the

Luke 20:20 N-DFS
GRK: αὐτὸν τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τῇ
NAS: that they [could] deliver Him to the rule and the authority
KJV: him unto the power and
INT: him to the rule and to the

John 1:1 N-DFS
GRK: ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ἦν ὁ
NAS: In the beginning was the Word,
KJV: In the beginning was the Word,
INT: In [the] beginning was the

John 1:2 N-DFS
GRK: ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν
NAS: He was in the beginning with God.
KJV: was in the beginning with God.
INT: was in [the] beginning with

John 2:11 N-AFS
GRK: Ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων
NAS: This beginning of [His] signs Jesus
KJV: This beginning of miracles did
INT: This did beginning of the signs

John 6:64 N-GFS
GRK: γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Ἰησοῦς
NAS: knew from the beginning who
KJV: knew from the beginning who they were
INT: indeed from [the] beginning Jesus

John 8:25 N-AFS
GRK: Ἰησοῦς Τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅτι καὶ
NAS: have I been saying to you [from] the beginning?
KJV: unto you from the beginning.
INT: Jesus from the beginning what also

John 8:44 N-GFS
GRK: ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐν
NAS: He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand
KJV: from the beginning, and
INT: was from [the] beginning and in

John 15:27 N-GFS
GRK: ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς μετ' ἐμοῦ
NAS: you have been with Me from the beginning.
KJV: me from the beginning.
INT: because from [the] beginning with me

John 16:4 N-GFS
GRK: ὑμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐκ εἶπον
NAS: I did not say to you at the beginning, because
KJV: at the beginning, because
INT: to you from [the] beginning not I said

Acts 10:11 N-DFP
GRK: μεγάλην τέσσαρσιν ἀρχαῖς καθιέμενον ἐπὶ
NAS: by four corners to the ground,
KJV: knit at the four corners, and let down
INT: great by four corners let down upon

Acts 11:5 N-DFP
GRK: μεγάλην τέσσαρσιν ἀρχαῖς καθιεμένην ἐκ
NAS: by four corners from the sky;
KJV: heaven by four corners; and it came
INT: great by four corners let down out of

Acts 11:15 N-DFS
GRK: ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀρχῇ
NAS: upon them just as [He did] upon us at the beginning.
KJV: us at the beginning.
INT: us in [the] beginning

Acts 26:4 N-GFS
GRK: τὴν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς γενομένην ἐν
NAS: from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent
KJV: was at the first among mine
INT: from [its] commencement having been among

Romans 8:38 N-NFP
GRK: ἄγγελοι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα
NAS: nor principalities, nor
KJV: nor principalities, nor
INT: angels nor principalities nor things present

1 Corinthians 15:24 N-AFS
GRK: καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν
NAS: all rule and all
KJV: all rule and
INT: he shall have annulled all rule and all

Strong's Greek 746
56 Occurrences

ἀρχαὶ — 2 Occ.
ἀρχαῖς — 4 Occ.
ἀρχὰς — 4 Occ.
ἀρχὴ — 12 Occ.
ἀρχὴν — 7 Occ.
ἀρχῆς — 27 Occ.