'First' in the Bible

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you are to celebrate the Passover, a festival of seven days during which unleavened bread will be eaten.

Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary of his account.

“The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.

“While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. There were eyes in this horn like a man’s, and it had a mouth that spoke arrogantly.

The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king.

In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans:

In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.

while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the first vision, came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering.

On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.

In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.

The king of the North will again raise a multitude larger than the first. After some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

“At the appointed time he will come again to the South, but this time will not be like the first.

When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:Go and marry a promiscuous wifeand have children of promiscuity,for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuityby abandoning the Lord.

I discovered Israellike grapes in the wilderness.I saw your fatherslike the first fruit of the fig tree in its first season.But they went to Baal-peor,consecrated themselves to Shame,and became detestable,like the thing they loved.

Woe to those who are at ease in Zionand to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria—the notable people in this first of the nations,those the house of Israel comes to.

Therefore, they will now go into exileas the first of the captives,and the feasting of those who sprawl outwill come to an end.

The Lord God showed me this: He was forming a swarm of locusts at the time the spring crop first began to sprout—after the cutting of the king’s hay.

Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!”

He prayed to the Lord: “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster.

Nineveh has been like a pool of waterfrom her first days,but they are fleeing.“Stop! Stop!” they cry,but no one turns back.

All your fortresses are fig treeswith figs that ripened first;when shaken, they fall—right into the mouth of the eater!

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet:

“The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Hosts. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.

The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot black horses,

The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of David’s house and the glory of Jerusalem’s residents may not be greater than that of Judah.

All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be changed into a plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain on its site from the Benjamin Gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.

leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

“Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”

These are the names of the 12 apostles:First, Simon, who is called Peter,and Andrew his brother;James the son of Zebedee,and John his brother;

How can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.

Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.’”

So the disciples questioned Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

“Yes,” he said.When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from? From their sons or from strangers?”

“But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for Me and you.”

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay, starting with the last and ending with the first.’

So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each.

“So the last will be first, and the first last.”

and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;

“But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’

“Which of the two did his father’s will?”“The first,” they said.Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you!

Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother.

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so the outside of it may also become clean.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”

Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.

“On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he will rob his house.

The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head.

He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Then they began to question Him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

“Elijah does come first and restores everything,” He replied. “How then is it written about the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

Sitting down, He called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.

There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying, left no offspring.

And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”

Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.

[Early on the first day of the week, after He had risen, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven demons.

It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck in your brother’s eye.

Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first.”

When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that He did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

In these circumstances, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling on one another. He began to say to His disciples first: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

“But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’

“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?

“So he summoned each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first one.

But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.

When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, these things must take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which means “Anointed One”),

and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”

Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].

When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

First they led Him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him.

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.

The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed.

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”“Feed My lambs,” He told him.

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach