Bible Encyclopedia: Alpha

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ALPHA AND OMEGA

al'-fa, o'-me-ga, o-me'-ga (Alpha and Omega = A and O): The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, hence, symbolically, "beginning and end"; in Revelation "The Eternal One" in Revelation 1:8 of the Father, in Revelation 21:6 and Revelation 22:13 of the Son. Compare Theodoret, Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica, iv. 8: "We used alpha down to omega, i.e. all." A similar expression is found in Latin (Martial, v.26). Compare Aretas (Cramer's Catenae Graecae in New Testament) on Revelation 1:8 and Tertullian (Monog, 5): "So also two Greek letters, the first and last, did the Lord put on Himself, symbols of the beginning and the end meeting in Him, in order that just as alpha rolls on to omega and omega returns again to alpha, so He might show that both the evolution of the beginning to the end is in Him and again the return of the end to the beginning." Cyprian, Testim, ii0.1; vi.22, iii.100, Paulinus of Nola Carm. xix0.645; xxx0.89; Prudentius, Cathem., ix.10-12. In Patristic and later literature the phrase is regularly applied to the Son. God blesses Israel from 'aleph to taw (Leviticus 26:3-13), but curses from waw to mem (Leviticus 26:14-43). So Abraham observed the whole law from 'aleph to taw. Consequently, "Alpha and Omega" may be a Greek rendering of the Hebrew phrase, which expressed among the later Jews the whole extent of a thing.

J. E. Harry

Greek

1. alpha -- alpha
... 8674, 1. alpha. 2 . alpha. Part of Speech: Indeclinable Letter (Noun)
Transliteration: alpha Phonetic Spelling: (al'-fah) Short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1.htm - 7k

256a. Alpha -- Alpha
... 256, 256a. Alpha. 256b . Alpha. Transliteration: Alpha Short Definition:
Alpha. Word Origin the first letter of the Gr. alphabet ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/256a.htm - 5k

256. Alphaios -- Alpha
... Alpha. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Alphaios Phonetic Spelling:
(al-fah'-yos) Short Definition: Alphaeus Definition: Alphaeus; apparently ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/256.htm - 5k

505. anupokritos -- unhypocritical, unfeigned
... 505 (an adjective, derived from alpha-privative 1 "not" and 5271 , "to act as a
hypocrite") -- properly, ("put on"), describing sincere behavior free from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/505.htm - 7k

761. asaleutos -- unmoved
... [Heb 12:26b-28b prophesies the coming of "the new heavens and the new earth"
for the New Jerusalem.]. Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/761.htm - 7k

690a. araphos -- unsewn, ie without seam
... Word Origin from a comp. of alpha (as a neg. prefix) and rhapto (to sew) Definition
unsewn, ie without seam NASB Word Usage seamless (1). 690, 690a. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/690a.htm - 5k

790. astateo -- to be unsettled, ie homeless
... Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and histemi Definition to be unsettled,
ie homeless NASB Word Usage homeless (1). have no certain dwelling-place. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/790.htm - 6k

50. agnoeo -- to be ignorant, not to know
... fact), sometimes with the idea of willful ignorance. Word Origin from alpha
(as a neg. prefix) and the same as ginosko Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/50.htm - 7k

781. asophos -- unwise
... 781 (an adjective, derived from 1 "not" and 4680 , "wise") -- properly, not wise;
because rejecting God's leading (His will). Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/781.htm - 6k

504. anudros -- waterless
... Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and hudor Definition waterless NASB
Word Usage waterless (2), without water (2). dry, without water. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/504.htm - 6k

Library

Why Jesus is Called Alpha.
... Book VI. Chapter XLV."Why Jesus is Called Alpha. ... And that on this account He is called
Alpha (and Omega), indicating His generation (to be) from all. [774]. ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter xlv why jesus is called.htm

"My Word Will not Pass Away"
... "MY WORD WILL NOT PASS AWAY". {GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI}{GREEK SMALL
LETTER MU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH VARIA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER NU} {GREEK ...
/.../my word will not pass.htm

Appendix (E). Text of the Concluding Scholion of victor of ...
... LETTER IOTA WITH PSILI} {GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH
VARIA} {GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK SMALL ...
/.../appendix e text of the.htm

Notanda.
... LETTER IOTA} {GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON}{GREEK SMALL
LETTER UPSILON}{GREEK SMALL LETTER NU} {GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK SMALL ...
//christianbookshelf.org/binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/notanda.htm

Second Greek Form.
... 7. And Zacchæus, having written the alphabet in Hebrew, says to Him: Alpha. And
the child says: Alpha. And again the teacher: Alpha; and the child likewise. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the gospel of thomas/second greek form .htm

Appendix (F). On the Relative Antiquity of the Codex Vaticanus (B) ...
... S. Mark 10:29. {GREEK CAPITAL LETTER ETA} {GREEK CAPITAL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK CAPITAL
LETTER DELTA}{GREEK CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON}{GREEK CAPITAL LETTER LAMDA ...
/.../appendix f on the relative.htm

The Fifth Seal.
... Says Mr. Lord: "The term {GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA} {GREEK
SMALL LETTER PI}{GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA}{GREEK ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the fifth seal.htm

The Early Fathers Appealed To, and Observed to Bear Favourable ...
... LETTER NU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU}{GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON}{GREEK SMALL LETTER
FINAL SIGMA} {GREEK SMALL LETTER PI}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK SMALL ...
/.../chapter iii the early fathers.htm

Errata.
... Page 697, line 1. For, {GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI}{GREEK SMALL LETTER
SIGMA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER PI}{GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA}{GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/ayer/a source book for ancient church history/errata.htm

Connection of These Primeval Testimonies with Christ.
... which concur in Himself: so that, just as Alpha rolls on till it reaches Omega,
and again Omega rolls back till it reaches Alpha, in the same way He might show ...
/.../tertullian/on monogamy/chapter v connection of these primeval.htm

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Alpha

(A), the first letter of the Greek alphabet. With Omega, the last letter, it is used in the Old Testament and in the New to express the eternity of God, as including both the beginning and the end. (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22;13; Isaiah 41:4; 44:6) hence these letters became a favorite symbol of the eternal divinity of our Lord, and were used for this purpose in connection with the cross, or the monogram of Christ (i.e. the first two letters, ch and r, of Christ's name in Greek). Both Greeks and Hebrews employed the letters of the alphabet as numerals.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Alpha

See the letter A.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(n.) The first letter in the Greek alphabet, answering to A, and hence used to denote the beginning.

Thesaurus

Alpha (3 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ALPHA AND OMEGA. ... 8: "We used alpha down to omega,
ie all." A similar expression is found in Latin (Martial, v.26). ...
/a/alpha.htm - 9k

Omega (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The last letter of the Greek alphabet. See Alpha. 2. (n.) The last; the
end; hence, death. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ALPHA AND OMEGA. ...
/o/omega.htm - 9k

A (102073 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet,
as Omega is the last. These letters occur in the text of ...
/a/a.htm - 9k

Apostles (79 Occurrences)
... considers that it was issued at Rome. The later edition, abridged and revised,
he calls alpha. Curiously enough, in Acts 11:28, Codex ...
/a/apostles.htm - 62k

Lasciviousness (9 Occurrences)
... outrageousness"): 1. Sources: Etymologists assign three probable sources of aselgeia,
namely: (1) from a compound of the alpha privitive (negation) and Selge ...
/l/lasciviousness.htm - 11k

Acts (271 Occurrences)
... considers that it was issued at Rome. The later edition, abridged and revised,
he calls alpha. Curiously enough, in Acts 11:28, Codex ...
/a/acts.htm - 101k

Alphabet (2 Occurrences)
... 2. Name: The name alphabet comes from the fist two letters of the Greek, alpha beta,
just as the old English name for the alphabet, abc or abece, is simply the ...
/a/alphabet.htm - 24k

Beginning (187 Occurrences)
... Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord,
which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (KJV WBS YLT). ...
/b/beginning.htm - 38k

Naathus
... Ezra 10:30, of which it is a transposition. Codex Vaticanus reads Lathos,
probably confusing a capital Alpha and a capital Lambda. ...
/n/naathus.htm - 6k

Offices (14 Occurrences)
... of the Creation of God (Revelation 3:14); Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4); Express
Image of His Person (Hebrews 1:3 the King James Version); Alpha and Omega ...
/o/offices.htm - 43k

Bible Concordance

Alpha (3 Occurrences)

Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 21:6 He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Alpha

Alpha and Omega

Alpha: A Title of Christ

Alpha: Compare

Related Terms

Omega (3 Occurrences)

A (102073 Occurrences)

Apostles (79 Occurrences)

Lasciviousness (9 Occurrences)

Acts (271 Occurrences)