ἐξανίστημι (exanistēmi)
exanistēmi
to raise up
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb exanistēmi means to raise someone up or to cause something to rise. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, all within the Gospels of Mark and Luke. Its primary use is transitive, describing an action where one person lifts another into a standing position. This physical act often carries symbolic weight, signaling restoration or authority.
For example, in Mark 12:19 and Luke 20:28, the word describes raising up offspring in the context of levirate marriage laws. Here, it translates the Hebrew concept of producing an heir for a deceased brother. The term emphasizes the active role of causing life or lineage to continue, rather than merely existing.
Etymologically, the word combines ex- ("out") and anistēmi ("to stand"). This structure highlights the movement from a lower state to an upright one. While most uses are physical, the root suggests a deliberate act of elevation. Translators often render it simply as "raise up," capturing both the literal motion and its theological implication of new life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word exanistēmi describes the deliberate act of raising someone up from a lower state into an upright position. In the Gospels, this term appears in discussions about Levirate marriage, where brothers were expected to raise up offspring for a deceased sibling who left no children. This was not merely about biological reproduction but about restoring dignity, continuing a family line, and ensuring that no one was forgotten or left without a legacy in Israel.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that God is deeply concerned with restoration and continuity. He does not leave situations of loss or barrenness as final endpoints. Instead, He works to raise up what seems lost, giving new purpose and standing to those who feel overlooked. Whether in physical healing or spiritual renewal, the image of being raised up speaks to His power to bring life out of death and order out of chaos.
Even when circumstances seem stagnant or broken, this term points to a God who actively intervenes. It invites trust that He can lift you from your current struggles into a place of stability and hope. You are not defined by your past failures or present limitations, but by the One who has the power to raise you up again.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- shall raise up1×
- may raise up1×
- Rose up1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐξαναστήσῃ2×
- Ἐξανέστησαν1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 12:19
“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
This verse highlights the legal and familial duty to restore a brother's lineage through raising up offspring, showing the word's connection to preserving identity and legacy.
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Luke 20:28
They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.
Here the same concept is repeated in a parallel Gospel account, reinforcing the cultural importance of continuing a family line when a brother dies childless.
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Acts 15:5
But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
In this narrative context, the word describes believers rising up to speak, illustrating its broader use for standing up in authority or testimony within the early church.