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 hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am He.
Who hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am He.
Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: 'I am the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.
Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: 'I am the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.
But Jesus answering said to him, 'Suffer now, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfil all righteousness,' then he doth suffer him.
But Jesus answering said to him, 'Suffer now, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfil all righteousness,' then he doth suffer him.
looking to the author and perfecter of faith -- Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him -- did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;
looking to the author and perfecter of faith -- Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him -- did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;
I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
and He said to me, 'It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
and He said to me, 'It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.
I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.
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 hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am He.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
and He said to me, 'It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.
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 hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I am He.
Thus said Jehovah, king of Israel, And his Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts: 'I am the first, and I the last, And besides Me there is no God.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last;' and, 'What thou dost see, write in a scroll, and send to the seven assemblies that are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.'
and He said to me, 'It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.
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, beginning and end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is coming -- the Almighty.'
and He said to me, 'It hath been done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; I, to him who is thirsting, will give of the fountain of the water of the life freely;
I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.