Original Word: ἀναβαίνω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: anabainó
Pronunciation: an-ab-ah'-ee-no
Phonetic Spelling: (an-ab-ah'-ee-no)
KJV: arise, ascend (up), climb (go, grow, rise, spring) up, come (up)
NASB: went, ascended, came, go, going, come, ascending
Word Origin: [from G303 (ἀνά - each) and the base of G939 (βάσις - feet)]

1. to go up
{literally or figuratively}

arise, ascend, climb up, rise up.

From ana and the base of basis; to go up (literally or figuratively) -- arise, ascend (up), climb (go, grow, rise, spring) up, come (up).

see GREEK ana

see GREEK basis

Word Origin
from ana and the same as basis
Definition
to go up, ascend
NASB Translation
arise (1), ascend (2), ascended (7), ascending (3), came (7), climbed (1), climbs (1), come (4), comes (2), coming (3), entered (2), go (6), goes (1), going (6), gone (3), got (2), grew (1), grows (1), rises (1), started on our way up (1), went (25).

STRONGS NT 305: ἀναβαίνω

ἀναβαίνω; (imperfect ἀνέβαινον Acts 3:1; future ἀναβήσομαι Romans 10:6, after Deuteronomy 30:12); perfect ἀναβέβηκα; 2 aorist ἀνέβην, participle ἀναβάς, imperative ἀνάβα Revelation 4:1 (ἀνάβηθι Lachmann), plural ἀνάβατε (for R G ἀνάβητε) Revelation 11:12 L T Tr (WH; cf. WHs Appendix, p. 168{b}); Winers Grammar, § 14, 1 h.; (Buttmann, 54 (47); from Homer down); the Sept. for עָלָה;

a. to go up, move to a higher place, ascend: a tree (ἐπί), Luke 19:4; upon the roof of a house (ἐπί), Luke 5:19; into a ship (εἰς), Mark 6:51; (Matthew 15:39 G Tr text; Acts 21:6 Tdf.); εἰς τό ὄρος, Matthew 5:1; Luke 9:28; Mark 3:13; εἰς τό ὑπερῷον, Acts 1:13; εἰς τόν οὐρανόν, Romans 10:6; Revelation 11:12 εἰς τόν οὐρανόν is omitted, but to be supplied, in John 1:51 (); , and in the phrase, ἀναβέβηκα πρός τόν πατέρα, John 20:17. (It is commonly maintained that those persons are figuratively said ἀναβεβηκέναι εἰς τόν οὐρανόν, who have penetrated the heavenly mysteries: John 3:13, cf. Deuteronomy 30:12; Proverbs 24:27 (); Baruch 3:29. But in these latter passages also the expression is to be understood literally. And as respects John 3:13, it must be remembered that Christ brought his knowledge of the divine counsels with him from heaven, inasmuch as he had dwelt there prior to his incarnation. Now the natural language was οὐδείς ἦν ἐν οὐρανῷ; but the expression ἀναβέβηκεν is used because none but Christ could get there except by ascending. Accordingly εἰ μή refers merely to the idea, involved in ἀναβέβηκεν of a past residence in heaven. Cf. Meyer (or Westcott) at the passage) Used of travelling to a higher place: εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, Matthew 20:17; Mark 10:32f, etc.; εἰς τό ἱερόν, John 7:14; Luke 18:10. Often the place to or into which the ascent is made is not mentioned, but is easily understood from the context: Acts 8:31 (into the chariot); Mark 15:8 (to the palace of the governor, according to the reading ἀναβάς restored by L T Tr text WH for R G ἀναβοήσας), etc.; or the place alone is mentioned from which (ἀπό, ἐκ) the ascent is made: Matthew 3:16; Acts 8:39; Revelation 11:7.

b. in a wider sense of things rising up, to rise, mount, be borne up, spring up: of a fish swimming up, Matthew 17:27; of smoke rising up, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 9:2; of plants springing up from the ground, Matthew 13:7; Mark 4:7, 32 (as in Greek writings; Theophrastus, hist. plant. 8, 3, and Hebrew עָלָה); of things which come up in one's mind (Latinsuboriri): ἀναβαίνειν ... ἐπί τήν καρδίαν or ἐν τῇ καρδία, Luke 24:38; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Acts 7:23 (ἀνέβη ἐπί τήν καρδίαν it came into his mind i. e. he resolved, followed by an infinitive), after the Hebrew אֶל־לֵב עָלָה, Jeremiah 3:16, etc. (Buttmann, 135 (118)). Of messages, prayers, deeds, brought up or reported to one in a higher place: Acts 10:4; Acts 21:31 (tidings came up to the tribune of the cohort, who dwelt in the tower Antonia). (Compare: προσαναβαίνω, συναναβαίνω).

Overview of Usage

Strong’s 305 describes movement “upward” in space or status. In the New Testament it ranges from simple physical climbing to the climactic exaltation of Jesus Christ. Eighty-two occurrences span every major literary group—Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation—showing a coherent biblical theology of ascent that is at once historical, devotional, and eschatological.

Literal Ascents in Daily Life

Many texts employ 305 for ordinary upward motion: stepping out of the Jordan after baptism (Matthew 3:16), entering a boat (Mark 6:51), climbing a sycamore tree (Luke 19:4), or being lifted through a roof (Luke 5:19). These mundane ascents anchor the word in tangible reality and prepare readers for its theological expansions.

Pilgrimage and Journey to Jerusalem

In Jewish idiom one “goes up” to Jerusalem, whose elevation and temple status made ascent the natural verb. The Synoptics repeatedly report, “We are going up to Jerusalem” as Jesus sets His face toward the Passover sacrifice (Matthew 20:18; Mark 10:33; Luke 18:31). Acts preserves the same language for apostolic travel (Acts 15:2; 21:12, 15). The word thereby links personal obedience with covenant worship.

Jesus Christ’s Own Ascents

1. Teaching: “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain” (Matthew 5:1).
2. Prayer: “After He had dismissed them, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23).
3. Transfiguration: “He went up on the mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28).
4. Post-Resurrection interaction: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…’” (John 20:17).

Each scene shows upward movement accompanying revelation, communion, or mission.

Ascension to Heaven and Exaltation

John’s Gospel prepares for the final ascent: “No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13). After resurrection Jesus announces, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father” (John 20:17). Paul interprets the event:
• “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men” (Ephesians 4:8).
• “He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10).

The motif unites incarnation (descent) with enthronement (ascent), guaranteeing the church’s giftedness and future glorification.

Spiritual and Symbolic Ascents

Romans 10:6 quotes Deuteronomy 30:12: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” Salvation is near, not achieved by human striving. John 1:51 envisions continual angelic traffic upon the Son of Man, the ultimate “ladder.” Such passages turn physical ascent into a metaphor for access to God granted in Christ.

Agrarian Imagery of Growth

Parables use 305 for seed sprouting upward: “Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—one growing up, increasing, and yielding thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:8; cf. Mark 4:32; Matthew 13:7). The verb pictures the invisible power of the kingdom bringing visible results.

Incense, Smoke, and Prayer Rising

Revelation blends liturgy and judgment:
• “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God” (Revelation 8:4).
• “The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11; 19:3).

The same verb thus conveys both acceptable worship and eternal retribution.

Eschatological Ascents of Evil Powers

Hostile forces also “come up”: the beast from the Abyss (Revelation 11:7; 17:8), from the sea (13:1), and from the earth (13:11); armies surround the camp of the saints (20:9). Their rise is temporary and doomed, contrasting sharply with Christ’s victorious ascent.

Implications for Ministry and Worship

1. Worship gathers believers to “go up” corporately, echoing pilgrimage language (Hebrews 12:22-24 implicitly shares the theme).
2. Prayer ascends like incense; purity of heart affects its trajectory (Psalm 24:3-4).
3. Mission follows Christ’s pattern: descent into service, ascent in glory.
4. Pastoral gifting derives from the ascended Lord (Ephesians 4:11), grounding ministry authority.

Intertextual Connections with the Old Testament

Psalm 68:18 underlies Ephesians 4:8, while Exodus motifs of ascending Sinai inform Gospel mountain scenes. The “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120–134) provide the liturgical backdrop for Jerusalem pilgrimages reflected in Acts and the Gospels.

Key Passages for Study

Matthew 5:1; 20:17-18

Mark 1:10; 4:8, 32; 10:33

Luke 9:28; 18:31; 19:4

John 1:51; 3:13; 7:8-10, 14; 20:17

Acts 2:34; 15:2; 21:15

Romans 10:6

Ephesians 4:8-10

Revelation 8:4; 11:7, 12; 13:1-11; 14:11; 19:3; 20:9

Together these texts portray ascent as movement toward divine presence, a theme fulfilled in Christ and experienced by His people both now and in the age to come.

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