Lexical Summary anerchomai: To go up, to ascend, to rise Original Word: ἀνέρχομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance go up. From ana and erchomai; to ascend -- go up. see GREEK ana see GREEK erchomai NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ana and erchomai Definition to go up NASB Translation go (1), went (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 424: ἀνέρχομαιἀνέρχομαι: 2 aorist ἀνῆλθον; (from Homer down); to go up: John 6:3; to a higher place; to Jerusalem, Galatians 1:17 (L Tr marginal reading ἀπῆλθον), Galatians 1:18; (1 Kings 13:12). (Compare: ἐπανέρχομαι.) Topical Lexicon Range and Setting of the VerbThe verb ἀνέρχομαι appears only three times in the Greek New Testament (John 6:3; Galatians 1:17; Galatians 1:18). Each occurrence involves an intentional movement “upward” toward a place of spiritual or strategic importance—either a mountainside in Galilee or the holy city of Jerusalem. John 6:3 – Jesus, the Disciples, and the Mountainside John records that “Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with His disciples” (John 6:3). The action inaugurates the setting for the feeding of the five thousand. The “going up” underscores several themes: • Deliberate withdrawal: Christ separates Himself from the crowds to teach and test His disciples (John 6:5-6). Galatians 1:17–18 – Paul’s Journeys and Apostolic Authentication Paul twice uses ἀνέρχομαι to describe travel to Jerusalem: • Negatively (Galatians 1:17) – “I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was.” Paul safeguards the divine origin of his gospel, stressing that it did not derive from the Jerusalem leadership but from the risen Christ (Galatians 1:12). Jerusalem: Geographic Height and Redemptive Centrality Because Jerusalem sits approximately 2,500 feet above sea level, biblical writers routinely speak of “going up” to the city. Yet the term carries theological weight as well: • Covenant Center – The Temple mount signified God’s dwelling among His people (Psalm 122:3-4). Ministry Implications 1. Intentional retreats for prayer and instruction often precede significant ministry moments (John 6). Summary Though rare, ἀνέρχομαι highlights pivotal movements in the ministries of Jesus and Paul. Whether ascending a Galilean hillside or the slopes of Jerusalem, the verb accents purposeful steps that advance God’s redemptive plan and model obedient responsiveness for every disciple. Forms and Transliterations ανήλθε ανηλθεν ανήλθεν ἀνῆλθεν ανηλθον ανήλθον ἀνῆλθον anelthen anêlthen anēlthen anē̂lthen anelthon anêlthon anēlthon anē̂lthonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance John 6:3 V-AIA-3SGRK: ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς NAS: Jesus went up on the mountain, KJV: And Jesus went up into a mountain, INT: went up moreover into Galatians 1:17 V-AIA-1S Galatians 1:18 V-AIA-1S Strong's Greek 424 |
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