Lexical Summary anér: Man, husband Original Word: ἀνήρ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fellow, husband, man, sir. A primary word (compare anthropos); a man (properly as an individual male) -- fellow, husband, man, sir. see GREEK anthropos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a man NASB Translation brethren* (13), gentlemen (1), husband (39), husbands (13), man (71), man's (2), men (70), virgin* (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 435: ἀνήρἀνήρ, ἀνδρός, ὁ, a man, Latinvir. The meanings of this word in the N. T. differ in no respect from classic usage; for it is employed 1. with a reference to sex, and so to distinguish a man from a woman; either a. as a male: Acts 8:12; Acts 17:12; 1 Timothy 2:12; or b. as a husband: Matthew 1:16; Mark 10:2; John 4:16ff; Romans 7:2ff; 1 Corinthians 7:2ff; Galatians 4:27; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6, etc.; a betrothed or future husband: Matthew 1:19; Revelation 21:2, etc. 2. with a reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy: Matthew 14:21; Matthew 15:38 (where ἄνδρες, γυναῖκες and παιδία are discriminated): with the added notion also of intelligence and virtue: 1 Corinthians 13:11 (opposed to νήπιος); Ephesians 4:13; James 3:2 (in the last two passages τέλειος ἀνήρ). 3. universally, any male person, a man; so where τίς might have been used: Luke 8:41; Luke 9:38; Acts 6:11; Acts 10:5, etc. where ἀνήρ and τίς are united: Luke 8:27; Acts 5:1; Acts 10:1. or ἀνήρ and ὅς he who, etc.: Romans 4:8; James 1:12. where mention is made of something usually done by men, not by women: Luke 22:63; Acts 5:36. where angels or other heavenly beings are said to have borne the forms of men: Luke 9:30; Luke 24:4; Acts 10:30. where it is so connected with an adjective as to give the adjective the force of a substantive: ἀνήρ ἁμαρτωλός a sinner, Luke 5:8; λεπροί ἄνδρες, Luke 17:12; or is joined to appellatives: ἀνήρ φονεύς, Acts 3:14; ἀνήρ προφήτης, Luke 24:19 (נָבִיא אִישׁ, Judges 6:8; (cf. Winers Grammar, 30; § 59, 1; Buttmann, 82 (72); other references under the word ἄνθρωπος, 4 a. at the end)) or to gentile names: ἄνδρες Νινευῖται, Matthew 12:41; ἀνήρ Ἰουδαῖος, Acts 22:3; ἀνήρ Αἰθίοψ, Acts 8:27; ἄνδρες Κύπριοι, Acts 11:20; especially in addresses of honor and respect (Winers Grammar, § 65, 5 d.; Buttmann, 82 (72)), Acts 1:11; Acts 2:14; Acts 13:16; Acts 17:22, etc.; even ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, Acts 1:16; (Acts 2:29, 37; Acts 7:2); 13:(15),26, etc. 4. when persons of either sex are included, but named after the more important: Matthew 14:35; Acts 4:4; (Meyer seems inclined (see his commentary on Acts, the passage cited) to dispute even these examples; but others would refer several other instances (especially Luke 11:31; James 1:20) to the same entry). Topical Lexicon Overview of New Testament Usage The word ἀνήρ and its inflected forms appear 216 times, describing an adult male in distinction from a child or a woman, designating a husband in covenant with his wife, or identifying men as a corporate group. The term ranges from simple narrative description (Matthew 14:21) to formal address (“Men of Israel,” Acts 2:22) and to doctrinal statements concerning Christ as “the man” (Acts 17:31). Adult Male Human in Narrative and Miracle Accounts The Gospel writers use ἀνήρ for eyewitness detail, underscoring the historicity of the events. Five thousand men ate the loaves apart from women and children (Matthew 14:21); the paralytic was carried by men (Luke 5:18); an unnamed man in the tombs met Jesus (Luke 8:27). Such reports reinforce that the Christian faith is grounded in space-time history, witnessed by concrete persons. Husband as Covenant Partner In family passages the word carries the legal and relational sense of “husband.” The reciprocal obligations—sacrificial love and respectful submission—reflect the creation order (Genesis 2) and portray Christ’s union with His church. Representative Male Figures and Public Address ἀνήρ is the standard vocative in apostolic preaching. Peter opens Pentecost proclamation with “Men of Israel” (Acts 2:22), appealing to male household heads who could act for their families (cf. Exodus 12:3). Paul addresses “Men of Athens” (Acts 17:22) when engaging the Areopagus, modeling evangelism that meets culture without compromise. Corporate Identity and Collective Responsibility When Luke records census numbers or conversions, he often counts men, signaling societal structure in which adult males bore civic and familial responsibility (Acts 4:4; Acts 5:14). Household salvation narratives (Acts 10:24–48; Acts 16:31–34) begin with the man who then influences his entire sphere. Christological Fulfillment: “The Man” Appointed by God Paul proclaims that God “has set a day when He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed” (Acts 17:31). Jesus, fully divine yet true man, is the representative head of a new humanity (Ephesians 4:13). His perfect obedience and sacrificial death contrast Adam’s failure and redeem both men and women. Male Leadership in the Church The pastoral epistles require elders and deacons to be “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 1:6), grounding office-bearers’ qualifications in proven faithfulness at home. Public prayer is led by “men in every place” who lift holy hands without anger (1 Timothy 2:8), reflecting spiritual leadership marked by purity and peace. Maturity and Integrity Paul urges believers to “act like men” (1 Corinthians 16:13, implied by the cognate verb andrízomai), meaning courageous, steadfast conduct. He illustrates growth from childhood to manhood: “When I became a man, I set aside childish ways” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Manhood is measured not by dominance but by Christ-like character. Warnings and Judgment Directed at Men Jesus warns that “the men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation” (Matthew 12:41), underscoring accountability. Unbelieving men who resisted the gospel—Ananias (Acts 5:1), Elymas (Acts 13:8), or the rioters at Ephesus (Acts 19:25)—illustrate the peril of rejecting truth. Statistical Snapshot Gospels: 55 occurrences Acts: 114 occurrences Pauline Epistles: 37 occurrences General Epistles and Revelation: 10 occurrences The heavy concentration in Acts mirrors Luke’s historical emphasis on eyewitness testimony and the early church’s engagement with civic authorities and household heads. Ministry Significance Today 1. Evangelism: Address men as responsible leaders while offering grace that transforms entire households. Thus ἀνήρ, while a common Greek term, becomes a theological vehicle by which Scripture reveals divine order, redemptive history, and practical patterns for godly manhood. Forms and Transliterations ανδρα άνδρα ἄνδρα ανδρας άνδρας ἄνδρας ανδράσι ανδρασιν ανδρασίν ανδράσιν άνδρασιν ἀνδράσιν ανδρες άνδρες ἄνδρες ανδρι ανδρί ἀνδρί ἀνδρὶ ανδρος ανδρός ἀνδρός ἀνδρὸς ανδρων ανδρών ἀνδρῶν ανερ άνερ ἄνερ ανηρ ανήρ ἀνήρ ἀνὴρ ανθείτω ανθέμιον ανθήσαι ανθήσαν ανθήσει άνθινον βασιλεύς ήνθηκεν ήνθησαν ήνθησεν andra ándra andras ándras andrasin andrásin andres ándres andri andrí andrì andron andrôn andrōn andrō̂n andros andrós andròs aner anēr anḗr anḕr ánerLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 1:16 N-AMSGRK: Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἄνδρα Μαρίας ἐξ NAS: of Joseph the husband of Mary, KJV: begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of INT: Joseph the husband of Mary of Matthew 1:19 N-NMS Matthew 7:24 N-DMS Matthew 7:26 N-DMS Matthew 12:41 N-NMP Matthew 14:21 N-NMP Matthew 14:35 N-NMP Matthew 15:38 N-NMP Mark 6:20 N-AMS Mark 6:44 N-NMP Mark 10:2 N-DMS Mark 10:12 N-AMS Luke 1:27 N-DMS Luke 1:34 N-AMS Luke 2:36 N-GMS Luke 5:8 N-NMS Luke 5:12 N-NMS Luke 5:18 N-NMP Luke 6:8 N-DMS Luke 7:20 N-NMP Luke 8:27 N-NMS Luke 8:38 N-NMS Luke 8:41 N-NMS Luke 9:14 N-NMP Luke 9:30 N-NMP Strong's Greek 435 |
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