ἀνασπάω
anaspáō
G385 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To draw up, pull out, or lift by pulling. The primary meaning is to pull something upward or out from its place, especially with some effort. In various contexts, it can refer to drawing up a bucket from a well, pulling out a person or object from a difficult situation, or more generally raising or extricating from a position of constraint.
Semantic Range
to draw up, to pull out, to extricate, to lift upward with effort, to withdraw forcibly from a position or place
Root / Etymology
From the preposition ἀνά (up, upward) and the verb σπάω (to draw, pull), thus literally 'to pull up.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἀνασπάω is relatively rare in extant Greek literature. In classical and Hellenistic Greek, it generally refers to drawing or pulling something upwards, such as drawing up a net or extracting something from a confined space. In the Septuagint (LXX) and the New Testament, its usage is consistent with this literal sense, as in Acts 11:10, where it describes the action of an object being drawn up into the sky. The verb typically involves both movement and a sense of removal from a lower position to a higher one or from inside to outside. Standard English translations ('draw up,' 'pull out') capture the primary action, but may obscure the physical, effortful nuance present in Greek. The word differs from verbs like ἑλκω (draw, drag), which may not suggest upward or outwards motion.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀνά and σπάω; to take up or extricate:--draw up, pull out.
Root Family
σπάω (diaspáō) — to draw, to pull, to drag
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1288 | διασπάω | might be torn apart |
| G1986 | ἐπισπάομαι | let him draw over himself |
| G645 | ἀποσπάω | was pulling away |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G385-01 |
ἀνασπάσει | anaspasei | V FUT ACT IND 3P SG |
pull him out | will pull up | will pull up | 1 |
G385-02 |
ἀνεσπάσθη | anespasthe | V AOR PASS IND 3P SG |
was drawn up | was pulled up | was drawn up | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G385-01 |
Luke 14:5 | ἀνασπάσει | anaspasei | V FUT ACT IND 3P SG |
pull him out | will pull up | will pull up |
G385-02 |
Acts 11:10 | ἀνεσπάσθη | anespasthe | V AOR PASS IND 3P SG |
was drawn up | was pulled up | was drawn up |