Greek word · G744

ἀρχαῖος

archaios

ancient

Ancient, from the beginning, of old. As a group noun, “the ancients, the people of former times”.

Appears 11 times in 11 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀρχαῖος, -αία, -αῖον

(ἀρχή), [in LXX chiefly for קֶדֶם ;]

original, ancient: Matthew 5:21, 33, Luke 9:8, 19, Acts 15:7, 21 21:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Peter 2:5, Revelation 12:9 20:2.†

SYN.: παλαιός, old, without the reference to beginning and origin contained in ἀ. The distinction is observed in π. (MM, see word). ἀ. is the antithesis to καινός: παλ. to vέος (see Westc., He., 223; Cremer, 116) (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 5:27

Range of meaning

Ancient, from the beginning, of old. As a group noun, “the ancients, the people of former times”.

Against the English

KJV “by them of old time” takes the dative as “by” (they were the speakers). Most modern scholars read “to” (they were the hearers, the Sinai generation), as YLT does.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matt 5:21, 33 (secure there). Used in Greek for forefathers and earlier generations (compare Luke 9:8, 19, “one of the ancient prophets”).

From the study of 2 Corinthians 5:17

Range of meaning

Old, ancient, belonging to the beginning or to former times. In the neuter plural it means 'the old things', 'the things of old', the former state of affairs.

Against the English

'The old has passed away' (BSB) is accurate. Popular use often hears 'my old life', meaning past sins, habits and memories. Paul's word is broader: the whole former order of things, including the old way of judging people 'according to the flesh' (v. 16).

How it drifted

Readers who take the verse as a personal testimony fill 'the old' with autobiography.

Used elsewhere in the period

Isaiah 43:18 LXX: ta archaia mē syllogizesthe, 'do not consider the old things'. Elsewhere in the NT it is used of 'the ancients' (Matt 5:21) and 'the ancient world' (2 Pet 2:5).

From the study of Matthew 5:21

Range of meaning

Ancient, from the beginning, of old, belonging to former times ('the ancients' = earlier generations, forefathers). Compare Luke 9:8, 19 ('one of the ancient prophets') and Acts 15:7, 21 ('from ancient generations Moses has had those who preach him').

Against the English

BSB/WEB/YLT 'to the ancients' keeps the dative as recipient. KJV 'by them of old time' turns the ancients into the speakers. That reading makes the antithesis set Jesus against earlier teachers rather than against what was spoken to the forefathers.

Used elsewhere in the period

Acts 15:21 makes a close parallel: Moses has been preached 'from ancient generations' and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath. In Greek the dative after a passive 'it was said' normally marks the people addressed, as in Rom 9:12 (ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ, 'it was said to her') and Gal 3:16.

Where it appears

Matthew · 2

  1. Matthew 5:21 ἀρχαίοις· ancients;

    You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

    Here: "To the ancients," meaning the earlier generations, especially the generation that received the Law at Sinai. Grammatically it marks the people the words were spoken *to*, not the ones who said them.

  2. Matthew 5:33 ἀρχαίοις· ancients;

    Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’

    Here: "To the people of long ago": most likely the generation at Sinai who received the Law. The form is best read as 'to them', not 'by them' as the KJV has it.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 9:8 ἀρχαίων ancients

    others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a prophet of old had arisen.

  2. Luke 9:19 ἀρχαίων ancients

    They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that a prophet of old has arisen.”

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 15:7 ἀρχαίων early

    After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.

    Here: 'Early' or 'original'. It refers to the church's founding period, roughly ten years earlier. The word gives the Cornelius event the weight of an early, settled precedent.

  2. Acts 15:21 ἀρχαίων of old

    For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

  3. Acts 21:16 ἀρχαίῳ an early

    Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple.

2 Corinthians · 1

  1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ἀρχαῖα old things

    Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

    Here: 'Old' in the sense of belonging to the former order of things. It is the exact word of Isaiah 43:18 in the Greek Old Testament: 'do not consider the old things'.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 2:5 ἀρχαίου [the] ancient

    if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

    Here: 'Ancient' in the sense of the original, first-age world, the world before the Flood. It sets up the contrast the letter develops in 3:5–7 between 'the world of that time', which perished by water, and 'the present heavens and earth', kept for fire.

Revelation · 2

  1. Revelation 12:9 ἀρχαῖος, ancient,

    And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

    Here: Ancient in the sense of going back to the beginning. It points to Eden: this is the serpent who was there at the start of human history. It does not mean 'aged'.

  2. Revelation 20:2 ἀρχαῖος, ancient,

    He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

    Here: This means 'from the earliest times, primeval', not 'elderly'. It identifies this foe with the serpent of the very beginning, in the garden.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.