fûrst ( אחד , 'eḥādh , ראשׁון , ri'shōn ; πρῶτον , prōton , τὸ πρῶτον , tó prō̇ton , πρῶτος , prō̇tos ): Of these words, which are those most frequently used for "first," ri'shōn is from rōsh , "the head, and is used for the highest, chief, etc.; also of time, the beginning, e.g. Genesis 8:13 , in the first month"; in Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 48:12 , it is used of Yahweh as Eternal and solely Supreme - the First and the Last (compare Isaiah 41:4 ). Special usages are in connection with "firstborn," "first-fruit," etc.; prōton is used of that which is first in order; but also of that which is first or chief in importance, etc. (Matthew 6:33; James 3:17 ). In 1 Timothy 1:15 , Paul says Jesus came "to save sinners; of whom I am chief," literally, "first"; the same word is used by Jesus of the "first" of the commandments (Mark 12:29 ); where we read in 1 Corinthians 15:3 , "I delivered unto you first of all," it is en prō̇tois ("in the foremost place"); "The first and the last" is applied to Christ as Eternal and Supreme (Revelation 1:17; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 22:13 ); prōtos is "the first day" (Matthew 26:17; Mark 16:9 ); in Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1 , John 20:19; Acts 20:7 , it is mı́a ("one").
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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