Begin
King James Dictionary [1]
BEGIN', pret. began pp. begun. L.genero,gigno Heb.to make ready, to adapt,prepare, establish.
1. To have an original or first existence to take rise to commence.
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, who have been since the world began. Luke 1 .
Judgment must begin at the house of God. 1 Peter 4
From Nimrod first the savage race began.
And tears began to flow.
2. To do the first act to enter upon something new to take the first step as, begin, my muse.
Begin every day to repent.
When I begin, I will also make an end. 1 Samuel 3
BEGIN'v.t. To do the first act of any thing to enter on to commence.
Ye nymphs of Solyma, begin the song.
And this they begin to do. Genesis 11
2. To trace from any thing, as the first ground to lay the foundation.
The apostle begins our knowledge in the creatures, which leads us to the knowledge of God.
To begin with, to enter upon first to use or employ first as, to begin with the Latin Grammar to begin business with a small capital.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): (n.) Beginning.
(2): (v. i.) To have or commence an independent or first existence; to take rise; to commence.
(3): (v. i.) To do the first act or the first part of an action; to enter upon or commence something new, as a new form or state of being, or course of action; to take the first step; to start.
(4): (v. t.) To enter on; to commence.
(5): (v. t.) To trace or lay the foundation of; to make or place a beginning of.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [3]
bē̇ - gin ´: To make the first movement toward a given end (חלל , ḥālal ; ἄρχομαι , árchomai ). 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. Matthew 4:17; Luke 3:23; Acts 1:1 are so understood. For contrary opinion, see Thayer's Lexicon and Winer's Grammar of New Testament Greek .
The noun, ἀρχή , archḗ , "beginning," in the writings of John, is used sometimes in an abstract sense, to designate a previous stage ( John 1:1 , John 1:2; John 8:25; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 3:8 ) and, sometimes, the Source or First Cause ( Revelation 3:14; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13 ). Often used also, not for the absolute beginning, but, relatively, for the starting-point of some important movement ( 1 John 2:7 , 1 John 2:24; Acts 11:15; Philippians 4:15 ).
