First

the superlative degree of pro, "before," is used (I) "of time or place," (a) as a noun, e.g., Luk 14:18, Rev 1:17; opposite to "the last," in the neuter plural, Mat 12:45, Luk 11:26, 2Pe 2:20; in the neuter singular, opposite to "the second," Heb 10:9; in 1Co 15:3, en protois, lit., "in the first (things, or matters)" denotes "first of all;" (b) as an adjective, e.g., Mar 16:9, used with "day" understood, lit., "the first (day) of (i.e., after) the Sabbath," in which phrase the "of" is objective, not including the Sabbath, but following it (cp. B, No. 3); in Joh 20:4, Joh 20:8, Rom 10:19, e.g., equivalent to an English adverb; in Joh 1:15, lit., "first of me," i.e., "before me" (of superiority); (II) "of rank or dignity," see CHIEF, Cp. B, Nos. 3 and 4.

the comparative degree of pro (see No. 1), "former, before," denotes "first" in Heb 7:27; in Heb 4:6, RV, "before" (AV, "first"), speaking of Israel as having heard God's good tidings previously to the ministry of the Gospel; in Gal 4:13, "I preached ... unto you the first time" means on the former of his two previous visits.

"from above," is rendered "from the first" in Luk 1:3, RV; it may mean "from their beginning, or source."

"firstly," is used in Act 11:26, "first" (some mss. have No. 4 here).

the neuter of the adjective protos, is used as an adverb, signifying "first, firstly," e.g., of time, Mat 8:21; of order, Rom 3:2 (AV, "chiefly"); in Joh 7:51, RV, "except it first hear from himself" (the AV, "before it hear him," follows the mss. which have No. 1).

a grammatically feminine form of heis, "one," is translated "first" in certain occurrences of the phrase "on the first day of the week," e.g., Luk 24:1, 1Co 16:2; cp. A, and see DAY; also in Tit 3:10, of a "first" admonition to a heretical man. See ONE.

"a beginning," is translated "first" in Heb 5:12, "of the first (principles of the oracles of God)," lit. "(the principles) of the beginning (of the oracles of God);" in Heb 6:1 "the first (principles) of Christ," lit., "(the account) of the beginning of Christ," i.e., the elementary teaching concerning Christ. In Act 26:4, where the word is preceded by apo, "from," the AV has "at the first," the RV, "from the beginning."

Notes: (1) In Jud 1:6 arche has the meaning "principality," as in the RV and the AV margin.

(2) In 2Co 8:12 prokeimai, "to be present," lit., "to lie beforehand" (pro, "before," keimaim "to lie"), RV renders "(if the readiness) is there," for AV, "if there be first (a willing mind)." See SET, A, No. 23.