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ἄρχω

árchō

G757 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ἀρχ- to lead, to be first, to rule, to have authority

Definition

To lead, to be first, to exercise authority or control. The primary sense is to be at the head or to act as a leader, whether in civic, political, military, or other hierarchical arrangements. The verb can indicate to rule, to have official or governing power, or more generally to take initiative or precedence.

Semantic Range

to lead, to rule, to govern, to have authority, to act as chief or head, to be in charge, to begin (rare/archaic)

Root / Etymology

From the Greek root ἀρχ- (arch-), related to 'beginning' or 'rule.' Related to ἀρχή (archē, 'beginning, origin, rule, authority'). Root likely Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ('to begin, to be first, to be in front').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἄρχω broadly meant 'to lead' or 'to command,' used both of political/military rulers and, more generally, those placed at the head of any group or task. In the Hellenistic and Koine periods (including the New Testament), it continues to denote exercising official authority or governmental power, especially in formal or administrative contexts. In the Septuagint, it often translates Hebrew terms for ruling, leading, or having authority. The New Testament uses ἄρχω primarily for institutional authority (as of magistrates, rulers, or spiritual powers), and rarely in the sense of simple initiative. Standard English translations such as 'rule' or 'reign' sometimes narrow the sense, missing the root meaning of precedence or leadership in non-political contexts. Notably, the word is distinct from διακονέω (to serve, to minister), emphasizing authority rather than service. Related nouns include ἄρχων (ruler, magistrate) and ἀρχή (principality, beginning, authority).

Translation Consistency

primary "begin" 84 occurrences

Although ἄρχω can mean to lead or rule, the attested SIBI/P2 renderings overwhelmingly use the inchoative sense ('began' 60×). For natural, consistent English across all inflected forms, 'begin' best fits the typical usage in this corpus (while rarer 'rule/lead' senses can be managed contextually elsewhere).

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"rule" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to be first (in political rank or power):--reign (rule) over.

Root Family

ἄρχω (archō) — to lead, to be first, to rule, to have authority

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G757-14 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG he began he took the lead he began 41
G757-13 ἤρξαντο erxanto V AOR MID IND 3P PL they began they took the lead they began 19
G757-06 ἀρξάμενος arxamenos V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG beginning having taken the lead having begun 8
G757-10 ἄρξησθε arxesthe V AOR MID SUBJ 2P PL you will begin you may rule for yourselves you may begin 3
G757-05 ἀρξάμενοι arxamenoi V AOR MID PTCP NOM M PL beginning having taken the lead they, having begun 2
G757-11 ἄρξηται arxetai V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG begins may take the lead may begin 2
G757-12 ἄρξωνται arxontai V AOR MID SUBJ 3P PL begin they might rule they might begin 2
G757-01 ἄρχειν archein V PRS ACT INF to rule to lead to rule 2
G757-08 ἄρξασθαί arxasthai V AOR MID INF I began to take rule to begin 2
G757-09 ἄρξῃ arxe V AOR MID SUBJ 2P SG you begin you might rule you begin 1

Occurrences in Scripture

86 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G757-14 Matthew 4:17 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG began he took the lead he began
G757-14 Matthew 11:7 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG began he took the lead he began
G757-14 Matthew 11:20 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG he began he took the lead he began
G757-13 Matthew 12:1 ἤρξαντο erxanto V AOR MID IND 3P PL began they took the lead they began
G757-06 Matthew 14:30 ἀρξάμενος arxamenos V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG beginning having taken the lead beginning
G757-14 Matthew 16:21 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG began he took the lead he began
G757-14 Matthew 16:22 ἤρξατο erxato V AOR MID IND 3P SG began he took the lead he began
G757-07 Matthew 18:24 ἀρξαμένου arxamenou V AOR MID PTCP GEN M SG having begun of the one who took the lead of the one who began
G757-06 Matthew 20:8 ἀρξάμενος arxamenos V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG beginning having taken the lead beginning
G757-11 Matthew 24:49 ἄρξηται arxetai V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG begins may take the lead may begin
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