ἀναζάω
anazáō
G326 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To live again, come back to life, regain vitality. In contexts, signifies the restoration of life after death (literal resurrection), or a metaphorical renewal/revival of strength, spirit, or faith. The primary meaning is the actual or figurative resumption of life or animation after a period of cessation or decline.
Semantic Range
to live again, to come back to life after death, to revive from physical death, to recover strength or vitality, to be restored to a former state of life or vigor, to experience renewal (spiritually or metaphorically)
Root / Etymology
Compound from ἀνά ('up, again') + ζάω ('to live'). The prefix ἀνά indicates repetition or return, resulting in the meaning 'to live again' or 'to revive.' Not attested as a simplex prior to Koine usage; derived regularly from its elements.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ἀναζάω is rare in classical Greek, and its attestation primarily begins in Hellenistic and Koine sources, particularly in the Septuagint and the New Testament. In the LXX, ἀναζάω translates Hebrew verbs indicating revival, renewed life, or restoration (e.g., חָיָה, ḥayah). In the New Testament (notably Luke 15:24, 32; Romans 7:9), it is used both for physical restoration to life (as in the parable of the prodigal son: 'he was dead and has come to life again') and for figurative/spiritual renewal. The standard English translation 'live again' or 'revive' conveys the basic sense, but ἀναζάω may also carry undertones of renewed moral, communal, or existential vitality. Distinct from ἀναβιάζομαι ('to force oneself') and also from ἐζωοποιήθην ('to be made alive'), which is used for making alive more generally. The term does not carry later theological senses of 'resurrection' as a technical term for afterlife but is more neutral about renewal of life or vigor.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀνά and ζάω; to recover life (literally or figuratively):--(be a-)live again, revive.
Root Family
ἀναζάω (anazaō) — to live, to live again, to revive, to regain vitality
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G326-01 |
ἀνέζησεν | anezesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
has come to life | lived again | lived again | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G326-01 |
Luke 15:24 | ἀνέζησεν | anezesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
has come to life | lived again | lived again |
G326-01 |
Romans 7:9 | ἀνέζησεν | anezesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
revived | lived again | lived again |