ἀνάγω G0321
To lead up, set sail, bring up; used of sea voyages, upward movement, resurrection, and sacrificial offering
Built from ἀνά ('up') and ἄγω ('lead'), this verb's meaning pivots on what is being led upward and from where. In Acts it becomes nearly a technical nautical term — 'set sail, put out to sea' — appearing repeatedly in Paul's voyage narratives, where Spanish 'zarpar' and the consistent pattern of departure scenes make the maritime sense unmistakable. Yet the same upward motion applies to Jesus being led up into the wilderness (Matt 4:1), a child presented at the temple (Luke 2:22), and supremely to God bringing Christ up from the dead (Heb 13:20). Each sense preserves the root image of ascending movement, but the destination changes everything.
1. set sail, put out to sea — The dominant New Testament sense: to put out to sea, set sail, depart by ship. Fourteen of twenty-three occurrences describe maritime departures in Luke-Acts, where the verb functions almost formulaically to advance the travel narrative (Acts 13:13; 16:11; 27:21). Spanish 'zarpar' (to weigh anchor) captures the technical nautical flavor. The 'upward' component reflects the ancient perception of moving from harbor into the open deep as an ascent. 14×
AR["أَبحَرنا","أَبحَروا","أَبْحَرْنَا","أَقلَعوا","أَقْلَعَ","أَقْلَعْنَا","أَنْ-أَقْلَعْنَا","أَنْ-يُبْحِرُوا","أَنْ-يُقْلِعَ","تُبْحِرُوا","لَمَّا-أَبْحَرْنَا","مُبحِرينَ"]·ben["আমরা-যাত্রা-করলাম","তিনি-যাত্রা-করলেন","তুললেন","পাল-তুলে","যাইতেছিলদেরকে","যাত্রা-করতে","যাত্রা-করিতে","যাত্রা-করিয়া","যাত্রা-করিলাম","যাত্রাকারীরা"]·DE["führt-hinauf"]·EN["having-put-to-sea","having-set-sail","he-set-sail","putting-to-sea","set-sail","they-put-out","to-put-to-sea","to-set-sail","we-put-to-sea","we-set-sail"]·FR["faire-monter","mettre-en-mer"]·heb["הִפְלִיגָה","הִפְלִיגוּ","הִפְלַגְנוּ","לְהִפְלִיג","לְהַפְלִיג","לַמַּפְלִיגִים"]·HI["चढ़े","चलकर","चलते-समय,","चलने","चला","चले","जहाज़-से-चलना","जहाज़-से-जाने-को","निकल-पड़े","निकलकर","हम-रवाना-हुए","हमचले-"]·ID["Berlayar","berangkat","berangkat,","berangkat-","berlayar","dia-berlayar","mereka-bertolak"]·IT["anechthesan","condurre-fuori"]·jav["Layar","bidhal","bidhal.","kita-mangkat","layar","mangkat","mangkat,"]·KO["그가-출항했다","떠났다","배로-가서","오르려고","우리가-출항했다","출항하기를","출항하여","출항하였다","출항할-때에"]·PT["Tendo-navegado","de-zarpar","navegamos","navegar","partimos","partimos-","partimos.","partindo,","partiram","partirmos","tendo-partido,","zarpar"]·RU["Отплыв","мы-отплыли","отплывать","отплывающим,","отплывши","отплыл","отплыли","отплыли.","отплыть"]·ES["Zarpando","de-zarpar","habiendo-zarpado","zarpamos","zarpando","zarpar","zarparon","zarpó"]·SW["Tukisafiri-baharini","Wakisafiri","alisafiri-baharini","kuanza-safari","kuondoka","tulianza-safari","tuliondoka","tulipoondoka","walisafiri"]·TR["Denize-açılınca","açıldılar.","denize-açılanlar","denize-açıldı","denize-açıldık","denize-açılmak","denize-açılıp","yola-çıkarken","yola-çıktık"]·urd["جہاز-چلا-کر","روانہ-ہو-کر","روانہ-ہوئے","روانہ-ہوا","روانہ-ہوتے","روانہ-ہونا","چلنا","چلے"]
Luke 8:22, Acts 13:13, Acts 16:11, Acts 18:21, Acts 20:3, Acts 20:13, Acts 21:1, Acts 21:2, Acts 27:2, Acts 27:4, Acts 27:12, Acts 27:21 (+2 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. lead up, bring up physically — Physical upward movement: leading or bringing someone to a higher place or before an assembly. Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matt 4:1), taken up to a high mountain (Luke 4:5), or a child is brought up to the temple (Luke 2:22). In Acts 9:39, Peter is brought upstairs to the deceased Tabitha. The directional force of ἀνά remains literal here — ascent in physical space. 6×
AR["أَنْ-يُقَدِّمَ","أُصْعِدَ","صَعَدَ","صَعَدُوا-بِهِ","صَعِدَ-بِهِ","صَعِدُوا-بِهِ"]·ben["চালিত-হলেন","নিয়ে-গিয়ে","নিয়ে-গেল","নিয়ে-গেলেন","বের-করে-আনতে"]·DE["führt-hinauf"]·EN["having-brought-up","having-led-up","they-brought-up","they-led-up","to-bring-up","was-led-up"]·FR["faire-monter","mettre-en-mer"]·heb["הֶעֱלָה","הֶעֱלוּ","הוּעֲלָה","לְהַעֲלוֹת"]·HI["लाने-को","ले-गए","ले-जाकर","ले-जाया-गया"]·ID["dibawa","membawa","mereka-membawa"]·IT["anagagon","anechthe","anegagon","condurre-fuori"]·jav["kabeta","mbeta-minggah","ngadegaken","ngasta","ngirid","sami-mbeta"]·KO["끌어내려고","데려가서","데려갔다","데리고-올라가서","이끌려-갔다"]·PT["Tendo-levado","foi-levado","levaram"]·RU["Введя","возведя","возвели","вывести","принесли"]·ES["fue-llevado","habiendo-llevado-arriba","llevando","lo-llevaron","sacar","subieron"]·SW["akampandisha","akiwaleta","alipandishwa","kumleta","wakamleta","walimleta"]·TR["götürdüler","götürüldü","götürüp","çıkardılar","çıkarmak","çıkarıp"]·urd["لانے-کا","لے-جا-کر","لے-جایا-گیا","لے-گئے"]
3. bring up from the dead — A theologically charged extension: bringing up from the dead. Romans 10:7 asks 'Who will descend into the abyss to bring Christ up?' and Hebrews 13:20 celebrates God who 'brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus.' The upward motion transcends geography to span the cosmic boundary between death and life. This resurrection sense carries the verb's most profound theological weight. 2×
AR["أَصْعَدَ","أَنْ-يُصْعِدَ"]·ben["তুলে-আনতে","তুলে-আনলেন"]·DE["hinauffuehren"]·EN["having-brought-up","to-bring-up"]·FR["faire-monter","mettre-en-mer"]·heb["לְהַעֲלוֹת","מֵעִים"]·HI["उठाया","जिलाने-को"]·ID["membawa-keluar","menaikkan"]·IT["anagagōn","condurre-fuori"]·jav["nguningakaken.","sampun-nangekaken"]·KO["데려오게-함이라","이끌어-올리신"]·PT["fazer-subir.","trouxe-de-volta"]·RU["возведший"]·ES["hacer-subir","que-hizo-subir"]·SW["aliyemrudisha","kumpandisha."]·TR["geri-getiren","çıkarmak"]·urd["اوپر-لانا۔","اُٹھایا"]
4. offer up, present as sacrifice — To offer up or present as a sacrificial act. In Acts 7:41, the Israelites 'brought up a sacrifice' to the golden calf. The upward motion here is cultic — raising an offering toward the deity. Though only one occurrence carries this sense in the New Testament, it connects to the Septuagint's broader use of ἀνάγω for bringing offerings before God. 1×
AR["قَدَّمُوا"]·ben["নিয়ে-এল"]·DE["führt-hinauf"]·EN["brought-up"]·FR["mettre-en-mer"]·heb["הֶעֱלוּ"]·HI["चढ़ाया"]·ID["membawa"]·IT["condurre-fuori"]·jav["nyaosaken"]·KO["올렸다"]·PT["ofereceram"]·RU["принесли"]·ES["ofrecieron"]·SW["wakatoa"]·TR["sundular"]·urd["چڑھائی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀνάγω, future ἀνάξωRefs 5th c.BC+aorist 2 ἀνήγαγον, etc.: (see. ἄγω):—opposed to κατάγω, __I lead up from a lower place to a higher, ἐς ΟλυμπονRefs 6th c.BC+; ἱερὸν ἀ. ξόανον, of the Trojan horse, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁ πέπλος ἀνάγεται εἰς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν Refs __I.2 lead up to the high sea, carry by sea, λαὸν ἀνήγαγεν ἐνθάδ᾽ ἀείραςRefs 8th c.BC+ conduct, carry to a place, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἀ. ναῦν put a…