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The structure of the entry under ἀρχή in some lexicons of the NT presents a number of problems: the list of meanings is not always complete; some definitions are ambiguous; the main paragraphs of the entry are distinguished on the basis of differing criteria, sometimes conceptual and sometimes referential. To overcome these difficulties, a classification of the meanings of ἀρχή is proposed based on a re-examination of its occurrences in the New Testament and in the Septuagint. A prerequisite was to find the earliest meaning expressed by the word, which was found to be that of a dynamic beginning, from which a rich polysemy had developed over time. Indeed the study of ἀρχή in biblical texts allows for the isolation of seven general concepts, contained in the different meanings. Each meaning is derived from the application of one of these concepts to the type of referent to be described, and can be further specified by the topic of the context and by the syntagmatic relationship to nearby words.
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