ἄρχω

(from ἄρχω, ἀρχός), an inseparable prefix, usually to names of office or dignity, to designate the one who is placed over the rest that hold the office (German Ober-,Erz- (English arch- (chief-, high))), as ἀρχάγγελος, ἀρχιποίμην (which see), ἀρχιερεύς, ἀρχιατρος, ἀρχιευνοῦχος, ἀρχυπερετης (in Egyptian inscriptions), etc., most of which belong to Alexandrian and Byzantine Greek. Cf. Thiersch, De Pentateuehi versione Alex., p. 77f.
G757 — ἄρχω
; (from Homer down); to be first.
1. to be the first to do (anything), to begin — a sense not found in the Greek Bible.
2. to be chief, leader, ruler: τίνος (Buttmann, 169 (147)), Mk 10:42; Rom 15:12 (from Isa 11:10). See ἄρχων. Middle, present ἄρχομαι; future ἄρξομαι (once (twice), Lk 13:26 (but not Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading; )); 1 aorist ἠρξάμην; to begin, make a beginning: ἀπό τίνος, Acts 10:37 (Buttmann, 79 (69); cf. Matth. § 558); 1 Pet 4:17; by brachylogy ἀρξάμενος ἀπό τίνος ἕως τίνος for, having begun from some person or thing (and continued or continuing) to some person or thing: Mt 20:8; Jn 8:9 (i. e. Rec.); Acts 1:22; cf. Winers Grammar, § 66, the passage cited; (Buttmann, 374 (320)); ἀρξάμενον is used impersonally and absolutely, a beginning being made, Lk 24:27 (so in Herodotus 3, 91; cf. Winers Grammar, 624 (580); (Buttmann, 374f (321))); carelessly, ἀρξάμενος ἀπό Μωϋσέως καί ἀπό πάντων προφητῶν διηρμήνευεν for, beginning from Moses be went through all the prophets, Lk 24:27; Winers Grammar, § 67, 2; (Buttmann, 374 (320f)). ὧν ἤρξατο ποιεῖν τέ καί διδάσκειν, ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας which he began and contnued both to do and to teach, until etc., Acts 1:1 (Winers Grammar, § 66, 1 c.; Buttmann, as above). ἄρχομαι is connected with an infinitive and that so often, especially in the historical books, that formerly most interpreters thought it constituted a periphrasis for the finite form of the verb standing in the infinitive, as ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν for ἐκήρυξε. But through the influence principally of Fritzsche (on Matthew, p. 539f), cf. Winers Grammar, § 65 7 d., it is now conceded that the theory of a periphrasis of this kind was a rash assumption, and that there is scarcely an example which cannot be reduced to one of the following classes:
a. the idea of beginning has more or less weight or importance, so that it is brought out by a separate word: Mt 11:7 (the disciples of John having retired, Christ began to speak concerning John, which he did not do while they were present); Lk 3:8 (do not even begin to say; make not even an attempt to excuse yourselves); Lk 15:14 (the beginning of want followed hard upon the squandering of his goods); Lk 21:28; 2 Cor 3:1; especially when the beginning of an action is contrasted with its continuance or its repetition, Mk 6:7; Mk 8:31 (cf. Mk 9:31; Mk 10:33f); or with the end of it, Lk 14:30 (opposed to ἐκτελέσαι); Jn 13:5 (cf. 12).
b. ἄρχειν denotes something as begun by someone, others following: Acts 27:35f (Winers Grammar, § 65, 7 d.).
c. ἄρχειν indicates that a thing was but just begun when it was interrupted by something else: Mt 12:1 (they had begun to pluck ears of grain, but they were prevented from continuing by the interference of the Pharisees); Mt 26:22 (Jesus answered before all had finished), Mt 26:74; Mk 2:23; Mk 4:1 (he had scarcely begun to teach, when a multitude gathered unto him); Mk 6:2; Mk 10:41; Lk 5:21; Lk 12:45; Lk 13:25; Acts 11:15 (cf. Acts 10:44); , and often.
d. the action itself, instead of its beginning, might indeed have been mentioned; but in order that the more attention may be given to occurrences which seem to the writer to be of special importance, their initial stage, their beginning, is expressly pointed out: Mk 14:65; Lk 14:18; Acts 2:4, etc.
e. ἄρχω occurs in a sentence which has grown out of the blending of two statements: Mt 4:17; Mt 16:21 (from ἀπό τότε ἐκήρυξε... ἔδειξέ, and τότε ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν... δεικνύειν). The infinitive is lacking when discoverable from the context: ἀρχόμενος, namely, to discharge the Messianic office, Lk 3:23 (Winer's Grammar, 349 (328)); ἀρξάμενος namely, λέγειν, Acts 11:4. (Compare: ἐνάρχω (ἐνάρχομαι), προενάρχομαι, ὑπάρχω, προϋπάρχω.