Pronunciation Guide: ah-nah-lahm-BAH-noh

Basic Definition

Strong’s G353: A compound verb meaning “to take up” or “receive up,” combining the preposition ἀνά (up) with λαμβάνω (to take/receive). In biblical usage, it carries profound theological significance, especially regarding the Messiah’s ascension into heaven. The word powerfully conveys both the physical action of being taken up and the divine reception into heavenly glory.

Etymology and Morphology

• Compound verb formed from ἀνά (up, again) + λαμβάνω (to take, receive)
• Primary usage in narrative sections, particularly in ascension accounts
• Found in both active and passive voices
• Used in Classical Greek for physical lifting and metaphorical elevation
• Frequently employed in theological contexts in the New Testament

ἀναλαμβάνω Morphology:

• ἀναλαμβάνω (present active indicative) – I take up
• ἀνέλαβον (aorist active indicative) – I took up
• ἀνελήμφθη (aorist passive indicative) – he/she/it was taken up
• ἀναληφθείς (aorist passive participle) – having been taken up
• ἀναλημφθῆναι (aorist passive infinitive) – to be taken up

Origin & History

The term ἀναλαμβάνω has deep roots in classical Greek literature, where it was commonly used to describe the physical action of lifting or taking up objects. In Xenophon’s Anabasis, it appears frequently to describe soldiers taking up their arms. The Septuagint (LXX) employs this word in several significant passages, notably in the account of Elijah’s ascension in 2 Kings 2:11, where it describes him being “taken up” into heaven.

In early Christian literature, the Church Fathers extensively used ἀναλαμβάνω when discussing the ascension of the Messiah. Justin Martyr, in his “Dialogue with Trypho,” employs this term to emphasize the physical and spiritual reality of Jesus’s ascension. Origen, in his “Contra Celsum,” uses it to defend the doctrine of the ascension against pagan critics.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• To take up physically from a lower to a higher place
• To receive up into heaven (especially of divine reception)
• To take up mentally, comprehend
• To take upon oneself, assume responsibility

ἀναλαμβάνω Translation Options:

• “To take up” – Best for contexts involving physical elevation
• “To receive up” – Preferred for theological contexts, especially the ascension
• “To lift up” – Appropriate for general contexts of elevation
• “To assume” – Suitable for contexts involving taking on responsibilities or attributes
• “To gather up” – Useful for contexts of collecting or assembling

Biblical Usage

The most theologically significant use of ἀναλαμβάνω occurs in Mark 16:19, where it describes the Messiah being “taken up into heaven.” This usage establishes a profound theological connection with Old Testament precedents, particularly Elijah’s ascension. The word appears strategically in Acts, forming a crucial theological framework for understanding the Messiah’s exaltation and the promise of His return.

The term creates a beautiful theological symmetry between the Old and New Testaments, connecting the extraordinary events of Elijah’s assumption into heaven with the glorious ascension of Jesus. Luke, in particular, employs this word with precise theological intent in both his Gospel and Acts.

• “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was taken up [ἀναλαμβάνω] into heaven” Mark 16:19
• “Until the day in which He was taken up [ἀναλαμβάνω]” Acts 1:2
• “While they watched, He was taken up [ἀναλαμβάνω]” Acts 1:9
• “Beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up [ἀναλαμβάνω]” Acts 1:22
• “Take up [ἀναλαμβάνω] the whole armor of God” Ephesians 6:13
• “He was taken up [ἀναλαμβάνω] in glory” 1 Timothy 3:16

Cultural Insights

In ancient Jewish thought, the concept of being “taken up” carried profound implications of divine approval and glorification. The clearest precedent is found in the account of Elijah’s assumption into heaven, where the Hebrew word לָקַח (laqach) is translated in the Septuagint using ἀναλαμβάνω. This created a theological framework that Jews would have immediately recognized when hearing about Jesus’s ascension.

The use of ἀναλαμβάνω in both Elijah’s and Jesus’s ascensions creates a deliberate parallel that would have resonated deeply with first-century Jewish believers. This parallel helped establish Jesus’s divine authority and messianic identity, as only one other figure in Jewish history had experienced such a dramatic heavenly reception.

Theological Significance

The use of ἀναλαμβάνω in describing the Messiah’s ascension carries profound theological implications. It signifies not merely a physical elevation but a divine reception into heavenly glory. This reception marks the completion of Jesus’s earthly ministry and His exaltation to the right hand of the Father.

The word’s usage in 1 Timothy 3:16 connects the ascension to the broader narrative of redemption, placing it alongside the incarnation, resurrection, and proclamation of the gospel to the nations. This demonstrates that the ascension isn’t merely an epilogue to the resurrection but a crucial element of God’s redemptive plan.

The passive form often used in ascension accounts (ἀνελήμφθη) emphasizes that this was God’s act of receiving and exalting His Son, confirming His completed work of redemption and establishing Him as the exalted Lord of all creation.

Personal Application

When we meditate on ἀναλαμβάνω, we’re reminded that our Messiah wasn’t simply elevated but divinely received into glory. This has profound implications for believers today. Just as He was “taken up,” we too have been raised up with Him spiritually (Ephesians 2:6) and await our final glorification.

The word also appears in Ephesians 6:13 regarding taking up the whole armor of God, suggesting that our spiritual equipment comes from the same heavenly realm where our Lord was received. This connects our daily spiritual warfare with the authority of our ascended Messiah.

Related Words

• ἀνάληψις (analēpsis) – a taking up, ascension, used specifically of Jesus’s ascension – carries similar connotations of divine reception See G354
• μεταλαμβάνω (metalambanō) – to partake of, share in – related through the root λαμβάνω but emphasizes participation rather than upward movement See G3335
• παραλαμβάνω (paralambanō) – to receive, take to oneself – shares the root but emphasizes reception alongside rather than upward See G3880
• προσλαμβάνω (proslambanō) – to take to oneself, accept – emphasizes personal reception rather than upward movement See G4355

Did you Know?

• The same word ἀναλαμβάνω is used in modern Greek medical terminology to describe the uptake of substances by the body, maintaining its core meaning of “taking up” across millennia of language development.
• In ancient Greek athletics, ἀναλαμβάνω was used to describe the act of taking up the victor’s crown, creating a beautiful parallel with the Messiah’s ascension and coronation in glory.
• The word appears in ancient Greek maritime literature to describe the taking up of anchors before a journey, which early Christians might have seen as a metaphor for the Messiah’s departure from earth to heaven.

Remember This

ἀναλαμβάνω marks the glorious moment when heaven received its King, confirming His completed work of redemption and establishing Him as our eternal High Priest at the right hand of the Father.