Skip to content
mannafest.faith

Greek noun (feminine) · G746

ἀρχή

archear-khay'

beginning, origin; an extremity, a corner; sovereignty, principality, rule

55 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: archḗ

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G746is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 17 of 27
    New Testament books
  • 9
    spellings
  • 3
    meanings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · G746

(properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank)

The King James renders it: beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

arche is rendered "beginning, origin; an extremity, a corner; sovereignty, principality, rule". It stands 55 times in the Greek text, across seventeen books.

  • Eight of the uses stand in John, more than in any other book.
  • The lexicon lists three meanings for it, beginning with "beginning, origin".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 19:4Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
  • The Greek text spells it nine different ways.

The first use

Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

Matthew 19:4ἀρχῆς

The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.

Where the word stands

The word stands in seventeen of the 27 New Testament books.

The other 10 New Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

The word carries three meanings: beginning, origin, and an extremity, a corner, and sovereignty, principality, rule.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
beginning, origin__(a) absol., of the beginning of all thingsTagged as
  • beginning40
  • rule2
  • a commencement1
  • domain1
WhereMatthew 19:4Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and…
an extremity, a cornerAct.10:11 11:5.Tagged as
  • corners2
WhereActs 10:11He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
sovereignty, principality, ruleTagged as
  • rulers5
  • dominion1
  • principalities1
  • principality1
  • to rulers1
WhereLuke 12:11When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities…

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

ἀρχηγόςarchegosfounderUses4

The words it stands beside

All 55, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

9 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • ἀρχῆς26
  • ἀρχὴν7
  • ἀρχὴ6
  • ἀρχῇ5
  • ἀρχαῖς4
  • ἀρχαὶ2
  • ἀρχάς2
  • ἀρχὰς2
  • ἀρχή1

The grammar of each form

  • noun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singular26N-GSF
  • noun · accusative (object) · feminine singular7N-ASF
  • noun · nominative (subject) · feminine singular7N-NSF
  • noun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singular5N-DSF
  • noun · accusative (object) · feminine plural4N-APF
  • noun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine plural4N-DPF
  • noun · nominative (subject) · feminine plural2N-NPF

Matthew

four uses
  • Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

    Matthew 19:4

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning.

    Matthew 19:8

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • All these are the beginning of birth pains.

    Matthew 24:8

    • ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

    Matthew 24:21

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Mark

four uses
  • This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

    Mark 1:1

    • Ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

    Mark 10:6

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

    Mark 13:8

    • ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again.

    Mark 13:19

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Luke

three uses
  • just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

    Luke 1:2

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.

    Luke 12:11

    • ἀρχὰςarchasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: rulers
  • So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.

    Luke 20:20

    • ἀρχῇarcheanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: rule

John

eight uses
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    John 1:1

    • ἀρχῇarcheanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • He was with God in the beginning.

    John 1:2

    • ἀρχῇarcheanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

    John 2:11

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)

    John 6:64

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • “Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.

    John 8:25

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

    John 8:44

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

    John 15:27

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

    John 16:4

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Acts

four uses
  • He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

    Acts 10:11

    • ἀρχαῖςarchaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: corners
  • “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me.

    Acts 11:5

    • ἀρχαῖςarchaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: corners
  • As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.

    Acts 11:15

    • ἀρχῇarcheanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.

    Acts 26:4

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Romans

one use
  • For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

    Romans 8:38

    • ἀρχαὶarchainoun · nominative (subject) · feminine pluraltagged: principalities

1 Corinthians

one use
  • Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.

    1 Corinthians 15:24

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: dominion

Ephesians

three uses
  • far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

    Ephesians 1:21

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: principality
  • His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

    Ephesians 3:10

    • ἀρχαῖςarchaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: rulers
  • For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

    Ephesians 6:12

    • ἀρχάςarchasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: rulers

Philippians

one use
  • And as you Philippians know, in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church but you partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving.

    Philippians 4:15

    • ἀρχῇarcheanoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Colossians

four uses
  • For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

    Colossians 1:16

    • ἀρχαὶarchainoun · nominative (subject) · feminine pluraltagged: rulers
  • And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

    Colossians 1:18

    • ἀρχήarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

    Colossians 2:10

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: rule
  • And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

    Colossians 2:15

    • ἀρχὰςarchasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: rulers

Titus

one use
  • Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

    Titus 3:1

    • ἀρχαῖςarchaisnoun · dative (“to / for”) · feminine pluraltagged: to rulers

Hebrews

six uses
  • And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

    Hebrews 1:10

    • ἀρχάςarchasnoun · accusative (object) · feminine pluraltagged: beginning
  • how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

    Hebrews 2:3

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: a commencement
  • We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the assurance we had at first.

    Hebrews 3:14

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!

    Hebrews 5:12

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,

    Hebrews 6:1

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.

    Hebrews 7:3

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

2 Peter

one use
  • “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”

    2 Peter 3:4

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

1 John

eight uses
  • That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life.

    1 John 1:1

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.

    1 John 2:7

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

    1 John 2:13

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

    1 John 2:14

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.

    1 John 2:24

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

    1 John 3:8

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

    1 John 3:11

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

2 John

two uses
  • And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

    2 John 1:5

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.

    2 John 1:6

    • ἀρχῆςarchesnoun · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: beginning

Jude

one use
  • And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.

    Jude 1:6

    • ἀρχὴνarchennoun · accusative (object) · feminine singulartagged: domain

Revelation

three uses
  • To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.

    Revelation 3:14

    • ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: Beginning
  • And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

    Revelation 21:6

    • ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: beginning
  • I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

    Revelation 22:13

    • ἀρχὴarchenoun · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: Beginning

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESG (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0), the Brief lexicon based on Abbott-Smith (1922).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →