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Lexicon NASEC Dictionary: Helps

1. The Greek letter "alpha" is typically used as a prefix meaning "not" or "without." It negates terms that do not begin with the letter alpha. Rarely, it can imply a collective sense. 2. Alpha and omega represent eternity past ("alpha") and eternity future ("omega") - the infinite boundaries. This expression refers to Christ who is eternally preexistent and without end. 3. Christ is appropriately called the Alpha as the eternal Creator of all things from the beginning. As Alpha and Omega, Christ has dominion and authority over the entire universe from the start to the finish.

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93 views2 pages

Lexicon NASEC Dictionary: Helps

1. The Greek letter "alpha" is typically used as a prefix meaning "not" or "without." It negates terms that do not begin with the letter alpha. Rarely, it can imply a collective sense. 2. Alpha and omega represent eternity past ("alpha") and eternity future ("omega") - the infinite boundaries. This expression refers to Christ who is eternally preexistent and without end. 3. Christ is appropriately called the Alpha as the eternal Creator of all things from the beginning. As Alpha and Omega, Christ has dominion and authority over the entire universe from the start to the finish.

Uploaded by

Eduardo Barrientos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HELPS Lexicon | NASEC dictionary

1 A – alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet.  1/A is nearly always used as a negative prefix meaning "not" (un-)
– and rarely as a collective (see 537/hápas, collectively "all").

1. 1/a (alpha) is used as a prefix (called its "privative use") and typically means "no" or "not" (= "un-," "without").

[Greek words whose first letter (of the root) is alpha can not take an "alpha-privative" to negate them.  So the only way
to express their "antithesis" is by using a negative particle before them (e.g. mē, ou).]

Example: There is no single word for "unforgiveness" in the NT because the first letter of forgive (release,
aphiēmi) is already alpha ("a").  Hence a separate(d) negative has to be used like "not forgive" (ou or mē
aphiēmi).  "Righteousness/judge" (dikē) however is negated with the Greek letter "a"(alpha) because it
does not start with the letter alpha.  "Unrighteousness" (dik-) therefore is formed with the prefix alpha
(adikia).

[As a prefix, 1/A (alpha) nearly always negates a term – e.g. a-dikos, "unrighteous" (but when before a Greek vowel, an).

Rarely, prefixed alpha lends a collective sense to express "community" or "fellowship" – respectively for example with
adelphos ("brother") or akolouthos ("follower") (J. Thayer).]

Example: (Mt 12:36) every idle word (pan rhēma argon) – "An ineffective, useless word (note the alpha
privative and ergon)" (WP, 1, 97).

2. 1 (alpha) is also used as the initial member of the phrase, "alpha and omega."  These two terms respectively
represent the "ultimate ends" of the infinity spectrum, i.e. "eternity past" (alpha) and "eternity future" (ōmega).  

This expression is used of the Lord who is absolutely boundless (unlimited).  As the Alpha, Christ is the
eternally preexistent One, i.e. is Himself all our beginnings (the start of all we need).  Christ is also infinitely
the ōmega (the limitless one without an end boundary).  Hence all things – from eternity past to eternity
future – are in Him, with everything in between!  See Rev 1:8, 21:6.

Reflection: 1/A (alpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, appropriately expresses Christ as the Creator
of all things – the eternal one who is the "uncaused cause" (cf. Jn 1:1-14).  

[See also Christ as the eternal Creator in Jn 1:3,15,30; Col 1:15; Rev 1:17, 2:8.]

The Lord also completes everything He begins in us, i.e. as the mega in conjunction with being the Alpha.
 See also 5598 ( ), the final letter of the Greek alphabet which symbolizes Christ's infinity.

Commentary
(Rev 1:8)  Tertullian (about AD 200), "In the same way the Lord applied to Himself two Greek letters, the first and the
last, as figures of the beginning and the end which are united in Himself.  For just as Alpha continues on until it

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reaches Omega and Omega completes the cycle back again to Alpha, so he meant to show us that in Him is found
the course of all things from the beginning to the end and from the end back to the beginning.  Every divine
dispensation should end in him through whom it first began, that is, in the Word make flesh" (On Monogamy 5, ala
Ancient Christian Commentary, XII, Rev., gen. ed. T. Oden, 6).

"The combination of alpha and omega in secular literature came to designate the entire universe and all kinds of
divine and demonic powers , so that in Revelation this title could refer to Christ's dominion over the universe.  In
the use of such an expression as 'the alpha and the omega,' there is obviously also an important element of
status" (L & N, 1, 61.7).

(Rev 1:17)  DNTT (2, 282), "In Rev 1:8 God is the subject of the sentence, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega who is and
who was and who is to come,' while in Rev 1:17 f the Son of man speaks, 'I am the first and the last, and the living
one.'  Both verses are derived from Is 44:6."  

[This identifies Christ, with God, as divine.  See also Rev 21:6, "I (God) am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning
and the end" and Rev 22:13 where the same words are attributed directly to Christ who is God.]

Alpha and Omega – "The Rabbinical writers used the phrase from 'Aleph to Tav,' to signify 'completely, from
beginning to end.'  Thus one says, 'Adam transgressed the whole law from Aleph even to Tav.'  Compare Is 41:4,
43:10, 44:6" (WS, 570).

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