beginning
te.chil.lah marks an initial point, whether the start of a time or event or the first position in a sequence.
The term most often marks the initial point of a period, event, or stated matter, such as a harvest, a reign, supplications, or words. It also identifies what comes first in an ordered action or sequence, including the first combatant or an earlier visit.
Senses in use
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Initial point of a time, event, or matter · dominant
In construct forms, the term marks the opening of a specified setting: in 2 Kings 17:25 the APB renders the clause “At the beginning of their dwelling there,” and in Daniel 9:23 it renders “At the beginning of your supplications.” It likewise frames the onset of the barley harvest in Ruth 1:22 and the opening of a person's words in Ecclesiastes 10:13.
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First position or earlier occurrence in a sequence · common
Absolute forms can identify what is first in a sequence or action. In Judges 20:18 the APB asks who will go up “at the beginning” and answers “Judah at the beginning,” while Genesis 43:18 and Genesis 43:20 refer to the earlier trip as “the first time” and “at the first.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously presents the term with “beginning,” “at the beginning,” “first,” and “the first time.” These renderings show the verses' contextual presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.