Lexical Summary anaspaó: To draw up, to pull up, to uproot Original Word: ἀνασπάω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance draw up, pull out. From ana and spao; to take up or extricate -- draw up, pull out. see GREEK ana see GREEK spao NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ana and spaó Definition to draw up NASB Translation drawn (1), pull (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 385: ἀνασπάωἀνασπάω, ἀνάσπω: ἀνασπάσω; 1 aorist passive ἀνεσπασθην; to draw up: Luke 14:5; Acts 11:10. (From Homer down.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Core Idea The verb carries the idea of forcefully or decisively drawing something or someone upward and away from danger or defilement. It pictures an urgent rescue rather than a casual lift, stressing both direction (upward) and purpose (deliverance). Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Luke 14:5 – “…will not immediately pull him out?” Though the forms differ, both settings stress swift, compassionate action in response to need or divine command. Old Testament Background and Greco-Roman Usage In the Septuagint the cognate verb is used for hauling Jacob’s well-water (Genesis 29:10) and David’s retrieval of the ark (2 Samuel 6:2). Classical writers employ the term for raising anchors or drawing swords. These images—rescue, elevation, decisive movement—feed into New Testament usage, linking the mundane act of lifting with the larger biblical motif of divine deliverance. Jesus’ Teaching in Luke 14:5 By asking whether anyone would fail to “pull” a child or ox from a well on the Sabbath, Jesus unmasked legalistic rigidity. The verb underscores immediacy: compassion overrides calculated delay. The upward rescue parallels the Lord’s own ministry of lifting the fallen (Luke 13:10-17) and anticipates the ultimate raising of believers (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Peter’s Vision in Acts 11:10 The sheet laden with animals is “pulled up to heaven.” The motion from earth to heaven signals God’s sovereign authority to purify and redefine what is acceptable. The upward draw mirrors the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant community (Acts 10:34-35), emphasizing that cleansing comes from above, not from human tradition. Theological Significance 1. Deliverance: The verb illustrates God’s pattern of rescuing the helpless (Psalm 40:2; Jeremiah 38:13). Pastoral and Practical Implications • Swift Mercy: Believers are to meet urgent needs without procrastination, even when traditions or schedules are challenged. Related Biblical Themes Upward motion (Psalm 3:3), lifting the fallen (Psalm 145:14), drawing men to Christ (John 12:32), raising the dead (Ephesians 2:6). Intertextual Echoes and Typology The well in Luke 14 evokes Joseph’s pit (Genesis 37:24) and Jeremiah’s cistern (Jeremiah 38:6-13), both precursors of divine deliverance. The sheet in Acts 11 anticipates Revelation’s descending New Jerusalem, later “pulled” into full communion with heaven (Revelation 21:2-3). Summary Strong’s Greek 385 portrays decisive, upward rescue—whether extracting a creature from peril or drawing a vision back to heaven. In both uses the verb affirms God’s priority of mercy and His sovereign right to cleanse and include. For the Church, it calls to prompt compassion, gospel openness, and confidence that the same Lord who lifts the helpless continues to raise a people for His name. Forms and Transliterations ανασπάσατε ανασπασει ανασπάσει ἀνασπάσει ανέσπασε ανεσπασθη ανεσπάσθη ἀνεσπάσθη anaspasei anaspásei anespasthe anespasthē anespásthe anespásthēLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 14:5 V-FIA-3SGRK: οὐκ εὐθέως ἀνασπάσει αὐτὸν ἐν NAS: and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath KJV: pull him out on the sabbath INT: not immediately he will pull up him on Acts 11:10 V-AIP-3S Strong's Greek 385 |
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