Word Study for G321 (ἀνάγω) | Strong's Concordance

anágō /an-ag'-o/ Ask about this word

Numbers 3203 through 3302 were not used.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of anágō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word anágō, represented by G321, is a versatile verb of motion. It appears 27 times across 24 unique verses in the Bible. A base definition is not provided, as the source material states that for Strong's numbers, "Numbers 3203 through 3302 were not used." Based on its usage, it carries meanings related to leading up, bringing forth, or setting sail.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G321 is frequently used in two primary contexts. First, it is a key term in nautical accounts, signifying the beginning of a sea voyage, as when Paul and his companions launched from Adramyttium Acts 27:2 or when the disciples launched forth onto the lake Luke 8:22. Second, it describes being led or brought to a new location or state, often with a sense of upward movement. This is seen when Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness Matthew 4:1, when the devil was taking Him up into a high mountain Luke 4:5, and most significantly, when God brought again Jesus from the dead Hebrews 13:20.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the specific actions associated with anágō:

G1684 embaínō (to walk on, i.e. embark): This word specifies the act of boarding a vessel, often preceding the action of G321. In Luke 8:22, Jesus and his disciples went G1684 into a ship before they launched forth G321.
G4126 pléō (to pass in a vessel): This verb describes the act of sailing itself, which follows the launching action of G321. In Acts 27:2, they first launched G321 with the intent to sail G4126 along the coast.
G2597 katabaínō (to descend): As a direct counterpart to the "leading up" sense of G321, this word means to go down. This contrast is highlighted in Romans 10:7, which rhetorically asks who shall descend G2597 into the deep, which is to bring up G321 Christ from the dead.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of G321 is tied to its role in pivotal divine actions.

Christ's Resurrection: The word is used to describe the pinnacle of God's power in the new covenant, when He brought again G321 the Lord Jesus from the dead, establishing Him as the great shepherd Hebrews 13:20. This act is presented as the counterpart to Christ's descent Romans 10:7.
Spiritual Direction: G321 is used to show movement directed by spiritual forces for a key purpose. The Holy Spirit led up G321 Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, demonstrating a trial initiated under divine guidance Matthew 4:1.
Fulfillment of God's Plan: The word often initiates a journey that is part of God's redemptive plan. Mary and Joseph brought G321 the infant Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord according to the law Luke 2:22. Likewise, the many missionary voyages in Acts that begin with "launching" or "sailing" G321 are instrumental in the spread of the gospel Acts 18:21.

Summary

In summary, G321 is a dynamic word that conveys purposeful movement. While it literally describes actions like setting sail on a voyage or leading a person to a higher elevation, its deeper meaning is found in the context of divine purpose. From the journeys that spread the gospel across the sea to the ultimate act of God bringing Christ up from the grave, anágō signifies a transition guided by a divine hand.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 24 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 4×
Aorist Passive Indicative 1st Plural 4×
2nd Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 3×
Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
2nd Aorist Active Infinitive 2×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Passive Infinitive 2×
Present Passive Infinitive 2×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Passive Participle Dative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Dative: The indirect object — often "to" or "for".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 24 verses across 5 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (17 verses); never once in the other 22.

Matthew

Luke

Acts

Romans

Hebrews

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.