ἄνωθεν
From above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does ἄνωθεν (ánōthen) mean in the Bible?
ἄνωθεν (ánōthen) is a Greek word meaning "from above; by analogy, from the first; by implication, anew". ἄνωθεν adv (ἄνω), __(a) from above: ἀπὸ ἄ. Affirms God's ultimate control. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Wisdom.
Meaning
Spatial origin (heavenly realm) versus temporal origin (beginning), with theological force in rebirth language.
adv (ἄνω),
Why This Word Matters
Affirms God's ultimate control. James 3:13–18
Emphasizes divine origin of regeneration. John 19:1–16
Affirms Christ's heavenly origin. John 3:1-21
Affirms divine sovereignty over human authority. James 3:13–18
Defines the divine origin of spiritual rebirth. Mounce and Wuest both clarify why the term points to heavenly origin, not merely a second attempt at religion.
Identifies divine origin of true wisdom.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain