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ἀναβαίνω

anabaínō

G305 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

to move upward, to ascend, go up from a lower to a higher place (literally or figuratively); in some contexts, to make an upward journey (such as to a city or place of significance); in extended usage, to rise, to mount, or spring up (as of plants, crowds, or smoke); contextually, to approach a higher social or spiritual status.

Semantic Range

to go up, to ascend, to climb, to come up, to arise (of persons or things), to mount (as boarding a ship, mounting an animal), to grow or spring up (of plants), rise (of phenomena such as smoke or voices), advance (metaphorical), approach a more honored or sacred place or status

Root / Etymology

ἀναβαίνω is a compound of ἀνά ('up, upward') and βαίνω ('to go, to walk'). The stem βαίνω relates to the act of going or stepping. Hence, the composite sense is 'to go up.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb ἀναβαίνω is common in Koine Greek and carries both literal and metaphorical applications. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it frequently describes physical movement to a higher location, such as ascending a mountain, entering a city situated on elevated ground (notably Jerusalem), or boarding a ship. In Second Temple and Roman contexts, 'going up' to Jerusalem possesses both geographic and ceremonial dimensions, given the city's elevation and its religious centrality. Metaphorically, ἀναβαίνω can depict an increase in intensity (e.g., opposition, crowds), the rise of phenomena (smoke, voices), or even someone's social advancement. Classical Greek typically uses it for spatial elevation, and this continued into later periods. English translations often use 'go up,' 'ascend,' 'come up,' or 'rise,' but may obscure the cultural meaning of pilgrimage or the importance of topography in Judean and Hellenistic contexts. Distinct from words like ἀνάγω ('to lead up' often with a subject being led), ἀναβαίνω emphasizes the subject's own movement upward. The word is not unique to religious or spiritual contexts but acquires special resonance in texts where ascent has theological or cultic significance (such as pilgrimages).

Translation Consistency

primary "go up" 9 occurrences

“Go up” is the most natural, flexible rendering that covers the full, typical range of ἀναβαίνω — literal upward movement (climb, mount), journeys to a higher place (e.g. go up to Jerusalem), and figurative rising (rise, advance, spring up). It matches the most common P2 renderings (e.g. “went”) and yields natural English forms across persons/tenses (go up, goes up, went up, going up, gone up).

Alternatives (73 occurrences):
"went up" (35x) "having gone up" (10x) "ascending" (10x) "going up" (5x) "those ascending" (3x) "he/she/it goes up" (2x) "sprang up" (1x) "those having gone up" (1x) "things going up" (1x) "grows up" (1x) "arise" (1x) "gone up" (1x) "ascended" (1x) "goes up" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀνά and the base of βάσις; to go up (literally or figuratively):--arise, ascend (up), climb (go, grow, rise, spring) up, come (up).

Root Family

ἀναβαίνω (anabainō) — to go up, to ascend, to move upward

Root ἀνα- + βαιν- to go, to step, to move upward

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G305-23 ἀνέβη anebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went up went up he went up 22
G305-26 ἀνέβησαν anebesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they came up they went up they went up 10
G305-15 ἀναβὰς anabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having gone up having gone up having gone up 7
G305-06 ἀναβαίνων anabainon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG coming up ascending ascending 7
G305-02 ἀναβαίνει anabainei V PRS ACT IND 3P SG rises he/she/it goes up he/she/it goes up 4
G305-03 ἀναβαίνειν anabainein V PRS ACT INF come up to go up to go up 3
G305-25 ἀνέβην aneben V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I went up I went up I went up 3
G305-07 ἀναβαίνοντα anabainonta V PRS ACT PTCP NOM N PL ascending things going up ascending 3
G305-05 ἀναβαίνομεν anabainomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we are going up we are going up we are going up 3
G305-10 ἀναβαινόντων anabainonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL going up of those ascending of those ascending 2

Occurrences in Scripture

82 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G305-23 Matthew 3:16 ἀνέβη anebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG went up went up he went up
G305-23 Matthew 5:1 ἀνέβη anebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he went up went up he went up
G305-26 Matthew 13:7 ἀνέβησαν anebesan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL came up they went up sprang up
G305-23 Matthew 14:23 ἀνέβη anebe V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he went up went up he went up
G305-14 Matthew 14:32 ἀναβάντων anabanton V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M PL they got up of those having gone up of those having gone up
G305-15 Matthew 15:29 ἀναβὰς anabas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having gone up having gone up having gone up
G305-12 Matthew 17:27 ἀναβάντα anabanta V AOR ACT PTCP ACC M SG having come up having gone up having gone up
G305-06 Matthew 20:17 ἀναβαίνων anabainon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG going up ascending ascending
G305-05 Matthew 20:18 ἀναβαίνομεν anabainomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL we are going up we are going up we are going up
G305-06 Mark 1:10 ἀναβαίνων anabainon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG coming up ascending ascending
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