What does ἄνω (ánō) mean in the Bible?
Ano is the Greek adverb for above, upward, or on high. Sometimes it points physically upward, as when Jesus lifts His eyes in prayer.
Greek · G507
ἄνω
Upward or on the top
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ἄνω G507
Pronunciation ánō
What does ἄνω (ánō) mean in the Bible?
Ano is the Greek adverb for above, upward, or on high. Sometimes it points physically upward, as when Jesus lifts His eyes in prayer.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἄνω (G507) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G507?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include above (5), [the] brim (1), heavenly (1), up (1), upward (1).
Where does ἄνω (ánō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at John 2:7. Its strongest book concentrations include John (3), Colossians (2), Acts (1), Galatians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Ano is the Greek adverb for above, upward, or on high. Sometimes it points physically upward, as when Jesus lifts His eyes in prayer. In several New Testament passages, however, above marks a theological contrast between heavenly origin and earthly belonging. Jesus says He is from above while His opponents are from below. Paul speaks of the Jerusalem above as free, of God's upward call in Christ, and of believers seeking and setting their minds on the things above where Christ is seated.
The word should not be turned into vague heavenly-minded escape. It directs attention to the realm of Christ's origin, reign, promise, and calling. Ano teaches believers to locate identity and desire where the risen Christ is, while still living faithfully on earth.
How the Bible Uses It
Ano can describe upward direction, but its major New Testament uses press beyond spatial orientation. It contrasts Christ's heavenly origin with the world below and calls believers to seek the realm where the risen Christ reigns.
- John.8.23
Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
Jesus contrasts His origin from above with His opponents' belonging to what is below and of this world, making the adverb serve Christological distinction.
- John.11.41
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
Jesus lifts His eyes upward before calling Lazarus from the tomb, so the word marks prayerful address rather than a theory of heavenly space.
- Gal.4.26
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
The Jerusalem above is free and mother to God's people, placing ano inside Paul's contrast between slavery and promise.
- Php.3.14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
The upward calling of God in Christ Jesus gives Paul's pursuit its direction, prize, and hope.
- Col.3.1
Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Because believers have been raised with Christ, they seek the things above where Christ is seated at God's right hand.
- Col.3.2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Setting the mind on things above continues the resurrection logic of Colossians 3 and reorders desire away from earthly things.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It above 5× John 8:23, Acts 2:19, Galatians 4:26, Colossians 3:1
[the] brim 1× John 2:7
heavenly 1× Philippians 3:14
up 1× Hebrews 12:15
upward 1× John 11:41
Show sample aligned rows
John 2:7 ἄνω to [the] brim Adverb John 8:23 ἄνω to above Adverb John 11:41 ἄνω to upward Adverb Acts 2:19 ἄνω to above Adverb Galatians 4:26 ἄνω to above Adverb Philippians 3:14 ἄνω to heavenly Adverb Colossians 3:1 ἄνω to above Adverb Colossians 3:2 ἄνω to above Adverb Hebrews 12:15 ἄνω to up Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row John 2:7
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 6
John 3 Acts 1 Galatians 1 Philippians 1 Colossians 2 Hebrews 1
Source forms
ἄνω 9x anō John 2:7, John 8:23, John 11:41, Acts 2:19
Parsing patterns
Adverb 9x John 2:7, John 8:23, John 11:41, Acts 2:19
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use things above language to excuse neglect of ordinary obedience, work, family, church life, or neighbor love. Colossians 3 immediately unfolds earthly practices shaped by Christ.
- Do not turn ano into a general symbol for positive thinking. The key passages define above by Jesus' origin, the Father's presence, the promised Jerusalem, and Christ's reign.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that ano always means heaven in a technical sense. John 11:41 uses upward movement in a prayer scene.
- Do not claim that seeking things above means indifference to earthly responsibilities. Colossians applies that heavenly orientation to concrete holiness and love.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Directional term marking spiritual realm or transcendent reality, contrasting with earthly "below" (κάτω)
Strong's G507
Lexical occurrences 9 verses Greek text appearances 9 times Word forms 1 form 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Colossians 3:1–4 Source Gloss
upward or on the top
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Directional term marking spiritual realm or transcendent reality, contrasting with earthly "below" (κάτω)
adv (ἀνά),
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
John 2:7 Adverb
ἄνω. anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse John 8:23 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse John 11:41 Adverb
ἄνω, anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Acts 2:19 Adverb
ἄνω, anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Galatians 4:26 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Philippians 3:14 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Colossians 3:1 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Colossians 3:2 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verse Hebrews 12:15 Adverb
ἄνω anw
up, above, things above, heaven
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 1 case and number pattern. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 1 Aligned forms 9
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
John 2:7 · John 8:23 · John 11:41 · Acts 2:19 · Gal 4:26 · Phil 3:14 · Col 3:1 · Col 3:2 · Heb 12:15 9×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Spatial orientation toward heaven, contrasted with earthly things below
Heavenly origin and realm opposed to earthly origin, theological distinction
Upward calling or goal, spiritual aspiration toward higher prize
Physical directional movement of eyes toward heaven in prayer gesture
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἄνω is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Ano helps the church speak about direction without becoming vague. In John 8, above is not a mood or aspiration; it names the heavenly origin of Jesus in contrast with those who belong to this world. In John 11, Jesus lifts His eyes upward in prayer before the sign at Lazarus's tomb. In Galatians, the Jerusalem above speaks of freedom and promise. In Philippians, the upward call gives Paul's striving a Christ-centered goal.
In Colossians, the command to seek and set the mind above rests on union with the risen Christ. The word therefore does not invite believers to despise earthly obedience. It teaches them to live from the truth that their life, hope, citizenship, and desires are governed by Christ's exalted reign.
Anchor passage
Col.3.1
Doctrinal connections
- G1453 Egeiro: Colossians 3 grounds seeking things above in being raised with Christ.
- G5547 Christos: The things above are defined by Christ's session, not by generic spirituality.
- G3772 Ouranos: Above language overlaps with heavenly reality, but each passage supplies the theological meaning.
- G1657 Eleutheria: Galatians 4 connects the Jerusalem above with freedom rather than self-made religion.
- G3962 Pater: John 11:41 shows upward prayer as address to the Father, not mere symbolic posture.
- Philippians 3:14: The upward call gives Christian striving its prize, direction, and resurrection hope.
Ano functions adverbially and can be spatial, directional, or theological. The interpreter should not assume every upward reference carries the same weight; John 11:41 and Colossians 3:1 use the same direction language in different ways.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture often contrasts the Lord's throne in heaven with human life on earth, but the New Testament focuses that contrast on Christ's descent, resurrection, exaltation, and promised inheritance. Believers look above because their Lord reigns there and because their life is hidden with Him, not because earthly faithfulness no longer matters.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain