Reference: ALPHA
American
See the letter A.
Fausets
(ALPHA (? - ?), Greek): (ALEPH (?), "chief," "guide," Hebrew.) The first letter, as OMEGA (? - ?) is the last, of the Greek alphabet. So Christ is the First and the Last, including all that comes between, the Author and Finisher of the visible and invisible, and of the spiritual creations (Re 1:8; 21:6; 22:13; Heb 12:2; Isa 41:4; 44:6). As He made originally, so will He complete the whole. ALPHABET comes from the first two Greek letters, Alpha (? - ?), Beta (? - ?) equating in Hebrew to 'Aleph (?), Bet[h] (?).
The Moabite stone of Dibon, probably of the reign of Ahaziah, Ahab's son, who died 896 B.C., exhibits an alphabet so complete that at that early date it can have been no recent invention. It has been discovered as mason's marks on the foundation stones of Solomon's temple. Yet even it was not the earliest form of the Palestinian alphabet. The fine discrimination of sounds, implied in inventing an alphabet, could hardly be brought to perfection at once Rawlinson fixes the invention 15 centuries B.C.
The language of the Dibon stone, and the Hebrew of the Bible, most closely agree. Mesha's victories are recorded there in the same character, and even the same idiom, as in 2 Kings 3. In symbols of the early Christian church A and were often combined with the cross, or with Christ's monogram, e.g., on a tablet in the catacombs at Melos, of the early part of the second century. The rabbis (Jalkut Rubeni, fol. 17, 4, Sohoettgen, Hor. Heb., 1:1086) say, "Adam transgressed the whole law from Aleph (?) to Tau (?)" (the last Hebrew letter); so Christ fulfilled it from Alpha (? - ?) to Omega (? - ?) (Mt 3:15).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? I, the Lord -- "the first [existing before history began] and with the last [an ever-present, unchanging God] -- "I am He.
Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? I, the Lord -- "the first [existing before history began] and with the last [an ever-present, unchanging God] -- "I am He.
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.
But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him.
But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him.
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).
And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Morish
The first letter of the Greek Alphabet, and which also signifies the numeral 1. A title or character of God and of Christ, which points to His eternity as 'the beginning,' 'the first,' the I AM. Re 1:8; 21:6; 22:13. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end," or "the first and the last;" which is similar to a passage in Isa 41:4: "I Jehovah, the first, and with the last; I am he."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? I, the Lord -- "the first [existing before history began] and with the last [an ever-present, unchanging God] -- "I am He.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).
And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Smith
(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.
Re 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13; Isa 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Who has prepared and done this, calling forth and guiding the destinies of the generations [of the nations] from the beginning? I, the Lord -- "the first [existing before history began] and with the last [an ever-present, unchanging God] -- "I am He.
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).
Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia -- "to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Watsons
ALPHA, the first letter of the Greek alphabet; Omega being the last letter. Hence Alpha and Omega is a title which Christ appropriates to himself, Re 1:8; 21:6; 22:13; as signifying the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and thus properly denoting his perfection and eternity.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all).
And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).