ἀνά

ἀνά — aná

ἀνά, preposition, properly, upward, up (cf. the adverb ἄνω, opposed to κατά and κάτω), denoting motion from a lower place to a higher (cf. Winer's Grammar, 398 (372) n.); rare in the N. T. and only with the accusative

1. in the expressions ἀνά μέσον (or jointly ἀναμέσον (so Rst Tr in Rev 7:17)) into the midst, in the midst, amidst, among, between — with the genitive of place, Mat 13:25; Mar 7:31; Rev 7:17 (on this passage see μέσος, 2 at the end); of person, 1Co 6:5, with which cf. Sir. 25:18-17ἀνά μέσον τοῦ (Fritzsche, τῶν) πλησίον αὐτοῦ; cf. Winers Grammar, § 27, 1 at the end (Buttmann, 332 (285)) (Sir 27:2; 1Ma 7:28 1Ma 13:40, etc.; in the Sept. for בֲּתוך, Exo 26:28; Jos 16:9; Jos 19:1; Diodorus 2, 4 ἀνά μέσον τῶν χειλέων (see μέσος, 2)); ἀνά μέρος (Vulg.perpartes), in turn, one after another, in succession: 1Co 14:27 (where Rec.st writes ἀναμέρος) (Polybius 4, 20, 10 ἀνά μέρος ᾄδειν).

2. joined to numerals, it has a distributive force (Winers Grammar, 398 (372); Buttmann, 331f (285)): Joh 2:6 (ἀνά μετρητάς δύο ἤ τρεῖς two or three metretae apiece); Mat 20:9 f (ἔλαβον ἀνά δηνάριον they received each a denarius); Luk 9:3 (Tr brackets; WH omits ἀνά; ); (ἀνά δύο (WH ἀνά δύο (δύο)) two by two); Mar 6:40 (L T Tr WH κατά); (Rev 4:8); and very often in Greek writings; cf. Winer's Grammar, 398 (372). It is used adverbially in Rev 21:21 (ἀνά εἷς ἕκαστος, like ἀνά τέσσαρες, Plutarch, Aem. 32; cf. Winers Grammar, 249 (234); (Buttmann, 30 (26))).

3. Prefixed to verbs ἀνά signifies,

a. upward, up, up to (Latinad, German auf), as in ἀνακρούειν, ἀναβαίνειν, ἀναβάλλειν, ἀνακράζειν, etc.

b. it corresponds to the Latinad (German an), to (indicating the goal), as in ἀναγγέλλειν (others would refer this to d.), ἀνάπτειν.

c. it denotes repetition, renewal, equivalent todenuo, anew, over again, as in ἀναγεννᾶν.

d. it corresponds to the Latinre,retro, back, backward, as in ἀνακάμπτειν, ἀναχωρεῖν, etc. Cf. Winer's De verb. comp. Part iii., p. 3f