Quick Definition
original, primitive, ancient
Strong's Definition
original or primeval
Derivation: from G746 (ἀρχή);
KJV Usage: (them of) old (time)
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀρχαῖος, ἀρχαῖα, ἀρχαῖον (from ἀρχή beginning, hence) properly, that has been from the beginning, original, primeval, old, ancient, used of men, things, times, conditions: Luk_9:8; Luk_9:19; Act_15:7; Act_15:21; Act_21:16; 2Pe_2:5; Rev_12:9; Rev_20:2; οἱ ἀρχαιοι the ancients, the early Israelites: Mat_5:21; Mat_5:27 (Rec.),33; τά ἀρχαῖα the man's previous moral condition: 2Co_5:17. (In Greek writings from Pindar and Herodotus down.) [SYNONYMS: ἀρχαῖος, παλαιός: In παλαιός the simple idea of time dominates, while ἀρχαῖος ("σημαίνει καί τό ἀρχῆς ἔχεσθαι," and so) often carries with it a suggestion of nature or original character. Cf. Schmidt, chapter 46; Trench, § lxvii.]
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀρχαῖος archaios 11x
old, ancient, of former age, Mat_5:21 ; Mat_5:33 ; of long standing, old, veteran, Act_21:16 ; ἀφ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων , from early days, from an early peri od, of the Gospel, Act_15:7 ancient; old.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἀρχαῖος , -αία , -αῖον
( < ἀρχή ),
[in LXX chiefly for H6924 ;]
original, ancient: Mat_5:21 ; Mat_5:33 , Luk_9:8 ; Luk_9:19 , Act_15:7 ; Act_15:21 ; Act_21:16 , 2Co_5:17 , 2Pe_2:5 , Rev_12:9 ; Rev_20:2 .†
SYN.: παλαιός G3820 , old , without the reference to beginning and origin contained in ἀ . The distinction is observed in Papyri ( MM , s.v. ). ἀ . is the antithesis to καινός G2537 : παλ . to νέος G3501 ( v. Westc ., He., 223; Cremer , 116).
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀρχαῖος [page 80]
That this word retains in general the sense of original , as distinguished from παλαιός = old , is seen commonly in vernacular sources as in the NT. Thus Act_21:16 , where Mnason is described as an ἀρχαῖος μαθητής , an original disciple, one who belongs to the beginning of the Gospel ( Php_4:15 ), is illustrated by Magn 215 b , a contemporary inscription, where an ἀρχαῖος μύστης inscribes an ἀρχαῖος χρησμός : the ancient initiate is opposed to the neophyte, the ancient oracle to one just uttered the citation is made by Thieme, p. 26. So BGU III. 992 ii. 6 (B.C. 160) καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι κύριοι ἐκ [έκ ]τηντο , the original owners. It is from the meaning original that τὸ ἀρχαῖον becomes a term for capital, as in the Will, Michel 1001 viii. 8 (Thera, c. B.C. 200), or principal, as in Syll 517 .16f. (ii/B.C., Amorgos), opposed to τόκος . For the more general sense of ancient, recurrent in Mat_5:21 , etc., we may comcompare the horoscope P Oxy II. 235 .6 (A.D. 20 50) where a date is given κατ [ὰ δὲ τοὺς ] ἀρχαίους χρόνους , i.e. old style : see also P Fay 139 .6 (late ii/A.D.), Preisigke 1011 (ii/A.D.), 3462 (A.D. 154 5), and P Grenf II. 67 .10 (A.D. 237) (= Selections , p. 108). The reference is to the old Egyptian system of reckoning 365 days to the year without a leap-year, which continued to be used in many non-official documents even after the introduction of the Augustan calendar. The neuter = original condition may be seen in OGIS 672 .6 ff. (A.D. 80) where a river is dredged, etc., καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀπεκατεστάθη : similarly in 2Co_5:17 , the original conditions pass away before the fiat that καινὰ ποιεῖ πάντα ( Rev_21:5 ). The standard of antiquity may be illustrated by Syll 355 .11 ( c. A.D. 3), where ἀρχαιοτάτου δό (γ )μα [τος refers to a senatus consultum of B.C. 80. We find towns partial to the adj. : cf. P Lond 1157 verso .2 (A.D. 246) (= III. p. 110) Ἑρμουπόλεως τῆς μεγα l avrcai,aj kai. lampra/j kai. semnota,τ̣η̣ς . The standing title of Heracleopolis (as BGU III. 924 .1 iii/A.D.), ἀ . καὶ θεόφιλος , reminds us of ancient and religious foundations at Oxford or Cambridge to-day. Reference may also be made to a payment for ἀρχαίων ἱππέων , Ostr 323 ( c. i/B.C.), evidently a cavalry regiment (the Old Guard ), see ib , i. p. 161 f., Archiv ii. p. 155; and to a land survey, P Tebt II. 610 (ii/A.D.) [ἄλ ]λης ποταμοφο (ρήτου ) ἀρχαίας . In P Par 60 bis .2 ( c. B.C. 200) we find τὸ ἀνήλωμα εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἀπὸ τῶν πληρωμάτων [ἀρ ]χαίων : on the grammar cf. Proleg. p. 84 n .1 . The distinction between ἀ . and παλαιός is naturally worn thin on occasion, as in BGU III. 781 (i/A.D.), an inventory including sundry old crockery, as πινάκια βωλητάρια ἀρχαῖα i. 1 , ἄλλα ἀρχαῖα ὠτάρια ἔχοντα iv. 4 . ᾽Α of relative antiquity is well illustrated by Kaibel 241a .8 (p. 521) ἀρχαίων κηδομένη λεχέων . Note further the comparative in a British Museum papyrus, cited in Archiv vi. p. 103 (A.D. 103), ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχεωτέρων χρόνω (ν ). The adj. survives in MGr.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀρχαῖος [Etym: ἀρχή 1] "from the beginning": of things, "ancient, primeval, olden", Hdt. , attic like ἀρχαϊκός, "old-fashioned, antiquated, primitive", Aesch. , Ar. "ancient, former", τὸ ἀρχ. ῥέεθρον Hdt. , etc. of persons, "ancient, old", Aesch. , Thuc. , etc.: οἱ ἀρχαῖοι "the Ancients, the old Fathers, Prophets", NTest. adv. ἀρχαίως, "anciently", Dem. ; so, τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ionic contr. τὠρχαῖον Hdt. , attic τἀρχαῖον Aesch. "in olden style", Plat. , Aeschin. as Subst., τὸ ἀρχαῖον, "the original sum, the principal", Lat. sors, Ar. , Oratt.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀρχαῖος, -αία, -αῖον
(ἀρχή), [in LXX chiefly for קֶדֶם ;]
original, ancient: Mat.5:21, 33, Luk.9:8, 19, Act.15:7, 21 21:16, 2Co.5:17, 2Pe.2:5, Rev.12:9 20:2.†
SYN.: παλαιός, old, without the reference to beginning and origin contained in ἀ. The distinction is observed in π. (MM, see word). ἀ. is the antithesis to καινός: παλ. to vέος (see Westc., He., 223; Cremer, 116) (AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Old (744) archaios
Old (744) (archaios from arche = beginning) is strictly speaking that which has been from the beginning. Archaios reaches back to a beginning, whenever that beginning may have been.
TDNT says archaios...
means “from the beginning,” then “past” or “old,” often with a reference to origins and with something of the dignity of “ancient.” In the LXX it can sometimes have the sense of pre-temporal, as in Is 37:26....in 2Co 5:17 pre-resurrection (Ed: Before our "co-crucifixion" and "co-resurrection" with Christ) religious relations and attitudes are in view.
Archaios is used of Satan the "serpent of old" [from the beginning] in Rev 12:9-note and Re 20:2-note.
In the beginning of creation, at the time of the fall of man, sinless Adam became sinner Adam, and henceforth gave birth to a continual stream of "little sinners" for all were in a spiritual sense born "in Adam" (cp Ro 5:12-note, Eph 2:1-note, 1Co 15:22). At regeneration, the new birth, sinners were taken from "in Adam" and transferred to our new spiritual position as saints who are now and forever "in Christ" as described in the present passage.
Archaios when used of things, as here, means "old-fashioned, "antiquated" or "worn out".
Archaios can also mean that which is ancient or old and thus speaks of former things or of what was long ago...
"the ancient world" (before the flood) = 2Pe 2:5-note
"the early days" = Acts 15:7
"from ancient generations" = Acts 15:21
"a disciple of long standing" =Acts 21:16
"the ancients" = Mt 5:21-note and Mt 5:33-note
"prophets of old" = Lk 9:8, 19
Archaios is contrasted with another Greek word for "old", palaios [word study] which describes that which has existed a long period of time.
Archaios - 11x in 11v in the NAS - Mt 5:21-note, Mt 5:33-note; Lk 9:8, 19; Acts 15:7, 21; 21:16; 2Cor 5:17; 2Pe 2:5-note; Rev 12:9-note Re 20:2-note
Archaios - 19x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Jdg 5:21; 1Sa 24:13; 1 Kgs 2:35; 4:30; Ps 44:1; 77:5; 79:8; 89:49; 139:4; 143:5; Isa 22:9, 11; 23:17; 25:1; 37:26; 43:18; Lam 1:7; 2:17; Ezek 21:21;
Thomas Constable has an interesting comment on what is new and what is old in believers...
Obviously there is both continuity and discontinuity that takes place at conversion (justification). Paul was not denying the continuity. We still have the same physical features, basic personality, genetic constitution, parents, susceptibility to temptation (1Co 10:13-note), sinful environment (Gal 1:4), etc. These things do not change. He was stressing the elements of discontinuity: perspectives, prejudices, misconceptions, enslavements, etc. (cf. Gal 2:20-note). God adds many new things at conversion including new spiritual life, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, the righteousness of Christ, as well as new viewpoints (2Co 5:16-note). (2 Corinthians Expository Notes) (Bolding added)
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