Lexical Summary anakainizó: To renew, to restore Original Word: ἀνακαινίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance renew. From ana and a derivative of kainos; to restore -- renew. see GREEK ana see GREEK kainos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 340 anakainízō (from 303 /aná, "up, completing a process" and kainizō, "make new," which is derived from 2537 /kainós, "new in quality") – properly, to restore (bring back) by renewing; literally, "make qualitatively new." See 342 (anakainōsis). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom anakainoó Definition to renew NASB Translation renew (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 340: ἀνακαινίζωἀνακαινίζω; (καινός); to renew, renovate (cf. German auffrischen): τινα εἰς μετάνοιαν so to renew that he shall repent, Hebrews 6:6. (Isocrates Arcop. 3; Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 11; Josephus, Antiquities 9, 8, 2; Plutarch, Marcell c. 6; Lucian, Philop c. 12; the Sept. Psalm 102:5 Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence and Immediate Context The verb appears once in the Greek New Testament, Hebrews 6:6, within a sober warning passage addressed to professing believers who have “tasted the heavenly gift” yet risk turning away. The author sets forth an impossibility: those who have once experienced the blessings of the gospel and then fall away cannot be “restored again to repentance” while they are “crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). The term underscores the gravity of apostasy by portraying a process that cannot simply be repeated at will; it is linked to the singular, unrepeatable work of Christ. Exegetical Insights 1. The surrounding imagery (Hebrews 6:7-8) likens hearts to cultivated land. Soil that repeatedly absorbs rain yet yields only thorns is burned; so too a life that receives gospel light yet bears no fruit confirms its own judgment. Old Testament and Inter-Testamental Background Hebrew Scripture speaks of God renewing covenant people after judgment (Psalm 80:3; Lamentations 5:21). Yet those who harden their hearts may pass a divinely set point of no return (Numbers 14:39-45; Proverbs 1:24-31). Inter-Testamental literature likewise warns against deliberate apostasy. Hebrews draws on this background, but places the decisive line at rejection of the Son. Theological Dimension • Christ’s sacrifice is once for all (Hebrews 10:10-14). To seek another “renewal” that would require Christ to be crucified again contradicts the sufficiency of the cross. Historical Interpretation • Early church writers (e.g., Tertullian, Cyprian) cited Hebrews 6 in debates over post-baptismal sin, some denying readmission for grave offenses. Later fathers tempered this with pastoral restoration for the repentant, recognizing the text’s focus on persistent, willful renunciation of Christ. Ministry and Pastoral Application 1. Preach the sufficiency and finality of Christ’s atonement; no human ritual can replicate or supplement His cross. Related Passages for Study • Warnings: Hebrews 3:12-19; Hebrews 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-22. The single New Testament occurrence of the verb serves as a solemn reminder: the grace that saves is too precious to be trifled with, and the cross of Christ stands as the decisive, once-for-all means of true renewal. Forms and Transliterations ανακαινιείς ανακαινιζειν ανακαινίζειν ἀνακαινίζειν ανακαινισθήσεται ανακαίνισον ανεκαινίσθη anakainizein anakainízeinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |