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: τινός [Buttmann, 169 (147)], Mark 10:42; Romans 15:12 (from Isaiah 11:10). See ἄρχων. Middle, present ἄρχομαι; future ἄρξομαι (once [twice], Luke 13:26 [but not Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading; Luke 23:30]); 1 aorist ἠρξάμην; to begin, make a beginning: ἀπό τινος, Acts 10:37 [Buttmann, 79 (69); cf. Matthew § 558]; 1 Peter 4:17; by brachylogy ἀρξάμενος ἀπό τινος ἕως τινός for, having begun from some person or thing (and continued or continuing) to some person or thing: Matthew 20:8; John 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, Luke 24:27 (so in Herodotus 3, 91; cf. Winers Grammar, 624 (580); [Buttmann, 374f (321)]); carelessly, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ Μωυσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων προφητῶν διηρμήνευεν for, beginning from Moses be went through all the prophets, Luke 24:27; Winers Grammar, § 67, 2; [Buttmann, 374 (320f)]. ὧν ἤρξατο ποιεῖν τε καὶ 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: Matthew 11:7 (the disciples of John having retired, Christ began to speak concerning John, which he did not do while they were present); Luke 3:8 (do not even begin to say; make not even an attempt to excuse yourselves); Luke 15:14 (the beginning of want followed hard upon the squandering of his goods); Luke 21:28; 2 Corinthians 3:1; especially when the beginning of an action is contrasted with its continuance or its repetition, Mark 6:7; Mark 8:31 (cf. Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33f); or with the end of it, Luke 14:30 (opposed to ἐκτελέσαι); John 13:5 (cf. 12).
b. ἄρχ. denotes something as begun by someone, others following: Acts 27:35f [Winers Grammar, § 65, 7 d.].
c. ἄρχ. indicates that a thing was but just begun when it was interrupted by something else: Matthew 12:1 (they had begun to pluck ears of grain, but they were prevented from continuing by the interference of the Pharisees); Matthew 26:22 (Jesus answered before all had finished), Matthew 26:74; Mark 2:23; Mark 4:1 (he had scarcely begun to teach, when a multitude gathered unto him); Mark 6:2; Mark 10:41; Luke 5:21; Luke 12:45; Luke 13:25; Acts 11:15 (cf. Acts 10:44); Acts 18:26, 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: Mark 14:65; Luke 14:18; Acts 2:4, etc.
e. ἄρχ. occurs in a sentence which has grown out of the blending of two statements: Matthew 4:17; Matthew 16:21 (from ἀπὸ τότε ἐκήρυξε... ἔδειξε, and τότε ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν... δεικνύειν). The infinitive is lacking when discoverable from the context: ἀρχόμενος, namely, to discharge the Messianic office, Luke 3:23 [Winer's Grammar, 349 (328)]; ἀρξάμενος namely, λέγειν, Acts 11:4. [Compare: ἐν- (-μαι), προεν- (-μαι), ὑπ-, προϋπ -άρχω.]

ἄρχομαι, see ἄρχω.