1.
(
!
, 949), “firm, steadfast, secure” (from
, “to go”), is translated
“firm” in Heb. 3:6, of the maintenance of the boldness of the believer’s hope, and in 3:14,
RV
, of “the beginning of our confidence” (
KJV
, “steadfast). See
STEADFAST
,
SURE
.
2.
(
$
, 4731), “solid, hard, stiff,” is translated “firm” in 2 Tim. 2:19,
RV
,
“the firm (foundation of God),”
KJV
, “(standeth) sure”;
is not part of the predicate;
“solid (food)” in Heb. 5:12, 14,
RV
; “steadfast” in 1 Pet. 5:9. See
SOLID
,
STEADFAST
,
STRONG
.¶
Note:
Cf.
, “to make strong, establish,” Acts 3:7, 16; 16:5, and
,
“steadfastness,” Col. 2:5.¶
FIRST
A. Adjective.
(
$
, 4413), the superlative degree of
, “before,” is used (I) “of time or
place,” (a) as a noun, e.g., Luke 14:18; Rev. 1:17; opposite to “the last,” in the neuter
plural, Matt. 12:45; Luke 11:26; 2 Pet. 2:20; in the neuter singular, opposite to “the
second,” Heb. 10:9; in 1 Cor. 15:3,
, lit., “in the first (things, or matters)”
denotes “first of all”; (b) as an adjective, e.g., Mark 16:9, used with “day” understood,
lit., “the first (day) of (i.e., after) the Sabbath,” in which phrase the “of” is objective, not
including the Sabbath, but following it (cf. B, No. 3); in John 20:4, 8; Rom. 10:19, e.g.,
equivalent to an English adverb; in John 1:15, lit., “first of me,” i.e., “before me” (of
superiority); (II) “of rank or dignity,” see
CHIEF
. Cf. B, Nos. 3 and 4.
B. Adverbs.
1.
(
$ $
, 4386), the comparative degree of
(see No. 1), “former,
before,” denotes “first” in Heb. 7:27; in 4:6,
RV
, “before” (
KJV
, “first”), speaking of Israel
as having heard God’s good tidings previously to the ministry of the Gospel; in Gal. 4:13,
“I preached … unto you the first time” means on the former of his two previous visits.
2.
(
/
, 509), “from above,” is rendered “from the first” in Luke 1:3,
RV
,
it may mean “from their beginning, or source.”
3.
(
$
, 4413), “firstly,” is used in Acts 11:26, “first” (some mss. have No.
4 here).¶
4.
(
$
, 4412), the neuter of the adjective
, is used as an adverb,
signifying “first, firstly,” e.g., of time, Matt. 8:21; of order, Rom. 3:2 (
KJV
, “chiefly”); in
John 7:51,
RV
, “except it first hear from himself” (the
KJV
“before it hear him,” follows
the mss. which have No. 1).
C. Numeral.
(
&
, 3391), a grammatically feminine form of
, “one,” is translated “first” in
certain occurrences of the phrase “on the first day of the week,” e.g., Luke 24:1; 1 Cor.
16:2; cf. A, and see
DAY
; also in Titus 3:10, of a “first” admonition to a heretical man.
See
ONE
.
D. Noun.
(
$ )
, 746), “a beginning,” is translated “first” in Heb. 5:12, “of the first
(principles of the oracles of God),” lit. “(the principles) of the beginning (of the oracles of