ἀνακεφαλαιόομαι (anakephalaioomai)
anakephalaioomai
to summarise
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb anakephalaioomai means to sum up or gather things into a single whole. It describes the act of bringing scattered elements together under one head or summary. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, both in Paul’s letters (Romans 13:9; Ephesians 1:10), where it carries a rich theological weight beyond simple repetition.
Its root combines ana- ("up" or "again") with kephalē ("head"). This suggests not just listing items, but organizing them under a central authority or principle. In Ephesians 1:10, Paul uses it to describe God’s plan to unite all things in Christ. Here, the word implies cosmic reconciliation and order, where diverse parts find their true purpose when gathered under Jesus as the head.
Translators often render this term as "sum up" or "recapitulate," but these English words can feel dry compared to the Greek’s vivid imagery. The sense is more like gathering scattered threads into one tapestry, or aligning many voices into a single song under one conductor. It points to divine intentionality and unity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anakephalaioomai carries a vivid image of gathering scattered pieces into a single, coherent whole. It is not merely listing items, but organizing them under one central authority. In our daily lives, we often feel fragmented by competing demands and worries. This concept reminds us that God has a unifying purpose for all aspects of creation.
Paul uses this term to describe how Jesus Christ serves as the head who brings everything together. When we trust in Him, our disparate experiences find their true place within His plan. This offers deep comfort, knowing that nothing is left out or forgotten by God’s careful design.
This divine summary points toward a future where all things are restored and ordered under Christ. It invites us to rest in the certainty that God is working all things together for good. We can face life’s chaos with hope, trusting in His ultimate unity and peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to bring together1×
- it is summed up,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι1×
- ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται,1×
Key Verses
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Romans 13:9
For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
This verse shows the word summarizing many specific commandments into one principle of love.
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Ephesians 1:10
to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him.
Here the term describes God’s cosmic plan to unite all creation under Christ as head.