Brief Overview of ἀνά (G303)

ἀνά (aná) is a preposition in Greek with a variety of meanings and uses.

Possible Meanings:

1. Upwards or Upon: ἀνά commonly means “up” or “upon,” indicating movement or direction towards a higher place or position.
2. According to: It can denote “according to” or “in accordance with,” used to express relationship or distribution according to a certain standard or measure.
3. Through or Throughout: In some contexts, it can mean “through” or “throughout,” implying movement across or within a space or time period.

Detailed Overview with Concordances

1. BDAG (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature):

• BDAG provides a comprehensive examination of ἀνά. It details how the preposition is used to express upward movement, such as in “up” or “upon” a place. It also notes its use in indicating distribution or measure, as in “according to” or “by means of.” BDAG discusses the preposition’s role in various syntactical structures, providing detailed examples from the New Testament and other early Christian literature.

2. LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon):

• LSJ describes ἀνά as a preposition used to indicate upward direction, proportionate measures, or traversal through space and time. It explains its classical usage and provides examples where ἀνά means “up,” “upon,” or “through,” showing its versatility in different contexts.

3. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:

• Thayer outlines the primary uses of ἀνά as indicating movement upwards, proportion or measure (“according to”), and traversal across (“through”). Thayer emphasizes its function in various prepositional phrases in the New Testament, providing examples that illustrate its different applications.

4. Strong’s Concordance:

• Strong’s Concordance identifies ἀνά under G303 and provides a general definition of the preposition as “up,” “upon,” or “according to.” It includes brief examples and highlights its role in forming phrases that convey direction or proportion.

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Summary:
ἀνά (aná) is a Greek preposition with meanings including “upwards,” “upon,” “according to,” and “through.” It is used to indicate direction, proportion, or traversal across space and time. This usage is documented in various lexicons, including BDAG, LSJ, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, and Strong’s Concordance, each providing a detailed explanation of its applications in different contexts within Greek literature and the New Testament.