ἀνά G0303
Preposition: distributively 'each, apiece'; spatially 'among, in the midst of'; sequentially 'in turn'
A versatile Greek preposition that in the New Testament most often carries a distributive force—'each' or 'apiece'—as when Jesus sends the seventy-two out 'two by two' (Luke 10:1) or the master pays workers 'a denarius each' (Matt 20:9). It can also mark spatial position, meaning 'among' or 'in the midst of,' as with tares sown among the wheat (Matt 13:25). In one specialized phrase (ana meros, 1 Cor 14:27) it conveys sequential ordering: 'in turn.' Spanish and French translations capture the distributive sense with 'cada uno/chacun,' while the spatial sense shows up as 'en medio de' and 'por.'
Senses
1. each, apiece (distributive) — Distributive use with numerals or nouns: 'each, apiece, by.' The pattern ana + number appears in Jesus' sending disciples 'two by two' (Luke 10:1), the denarius-each payment (Matt 20:9–10), and the six water jars holding 'two or three measures each' (John 2:6). Spanish 'cada uno' and French 'chacun' consistently mark this as individual distribution across all eight occurrences. 8×
AR["بِـ", "كُلٌّ", "كُلُّ", "كُلُّ-وَاحِدَةٍ"]·ben["প্রতি", "প্রতিটিতে", "প্রত্যেকে"]·DE["je", "ἀνὰ"]·EN["by", "each", "each-one"]·FR["chacun"]·heb["כָּל", "כָּל אַחַת", "כָּל-", "לְ-", "שְׁנַיִם"]·HI["-", "एक-एक", "करके", "प्रति", "प्रत्येक"]·ID["masing-masing"]·IT["ana", "ciascuno"]·jav["saben"]·KO["각각", "씩"]·PT["cada", "cada-um", "cada-um-", "cada-uma"]·RU["по", "по-"]·ES["cada-una", "cada-uno", "de-a", "por-cada-uno"]·SW["dinari", "kila-kimoja", "kila-moja", "kila-mtu", "na", "wawili-wawili"]·TR["-", "-her-biri", "her", "her-biri", "her-birinde", "her-birine", "kanatlar"]·urd["فی-کس", "ہر", "ہر-ایک"]
2. among, in the midst of (spatial) — Spatial preposition meaning 'among, in the midst of, through.' The enemy sows tares 'among' the wheat (Matt 13:25), Paul asks if there is not a wise one 'among' the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:5), and the Lamb leads his people 'to' living springs (Rev 7:17). Spanish 'en medio de' and 'por' reflect the spatial movement or location within a group. 4×
AR["بَيْنَ", "في", "فِي"]·ben["-মধ্যে", "মধ্যে"]·DE["je", "ἀνὰ"]·EN["-", "among", "between", "through"]·FR["chacun", "en-haut"]·heb["בְּ-", "בְּתוֹךְ", "בֵּין"]·HI["-के", "-में", "बीच"]·ID["antara", "di", "di-antara", "melalui"]·IT["ana", "ciascuno", "su-"]·jav["ing", "ing-antawis", "ngantos", "wonten-ing-tengah"]·KO["-을-통과하여", "~가운데", "사이에서", "에"]·PT["entre", "no", "no-", "pelo-meio"]·RU["между", "по-", "посреди"]·ES["en", "en-medio-de", "por"]·SW["aliye", "kati-ya", "katikati", "katikati-ya"]·TR["-", "-e", "-in", "ayırt etmeye"]·urd["بیچ", "میں", "کے"]
3. in turn, in succession (sequential) — Sequential adverbial phrase ana meros, 'in turn, one at a time,' governing the orderly speaking of tongues in the Corinthian assembly (1 Cor 14:27). This single occurrence forms a fixed idiom rather than a free prepositional use, with Spanish 'por' capturing the successive ordering. 1×
AR["بِالتّوالي"]·ben["পালাক্রমে,"]·DE["je"]·EN["in"]·FR["en-haut"]·heb["בְּ-תוֹרוֹ"]·HI["बारी-बारी-से"]·ID["secara-"]·IT["su-"]·jav["kanthi"]·KO["차례로"]·PT["-"]·RU["по-"]·ES["por"]·SW["kwa-zamu"]·TR["ve-"]·urd["ایک-ایک"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀνά [ᾰνᾰ], Aeolic dialect, Thess., Refs 4th c.AD+ ὀν, preposition governing genitive, dative, and accusative By apocope ἀνά becomes ἄν before dentals, as ἂν τὸν ὀδελό; ἄγ before gutturals, as ἂγ γύαλ; ἄμ before labials, as ἂμ βωμοῖσι, ἂμ πέτραις, etc.; ἀμπεπλεγμέναςRefs 4th c.AD+ __A WITH GEN., three times in Refs 8th c.BC+ go on board ship, Refs; ἂν τοῦ τοίχου, τᾶς ὁδοῦ, τοῦ ῥοειδίου, Refs __B…