Bible Dictionary
BEGIN
To begin means to make the first movement toward an action or event. In Scripture, “begin” may introduce a real starting point or simply emphasize the vivid commencement of the following action.
Definition
To begin means to make the first movement toward an action or event. In some biblical expressions it marks an actual starting point; in others, such as “began to teach” or “began to speak,” it may vividly introduce the action without adding a separate preliminary event.
Biblical Usage
The term occurs in passages describing the beginning of Jesus’ teaching, the start of His life’s public record, and the apostles’ activity. The related noun beginning may refer to an earlier stage, a starting point, or a source.
Historical Background
The entry distinguishes Hebrew chalal and Greek archomai for “begin,” and arche for “beginning.” The latter can denote a relative starting point or, figuratively, the first cause or source.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>be-gin': To make the first movement toward a given end (chalal; archomai). Those who interpret it in many passages pleonastically mean by this, that in such passages as "began to teach" or "began to speak," nothing more is intended than to express vividly and graphically the thought of the dependent infinitive. Mt 4:17; Lu 3:23; Ac 1:1 are so understood. For contrary opinion, see Thayer's Lexicon and Winer's Grammar of New Testament Greek.</p><p>The noun, arche, "beginning," in the writings of John, is used sometimes in an abstract sense, to designate a previous stage (Joh 1:1,2; 8:25; 1Jo 1:1; 3:8) and, sometimes, the Source or First Cause (Re 3:14; 21:6; 22:13). Often used also, not for the absolute beginning, but, relatively, for the starting-point of some important movement (1Jo 2:7,24; Ac 11:15; Php 4:15).</p><p>H. E. Jacobs</p>