BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Egeirō — To Rise or Raise
The Greek verb ἐγείρω (G1453) means to awaken, rise, or raise, including resurrection from the dead.
Meaning of the word
The basic sense of ἐγείρω (G1453) is to wake, rise, or raise. It can describe physical action, such as arising from a seated or lying position, and the example in John 14:31 uses it as a command: “Arise, let us go hence.”
It can also refer to being raised from disease or death, as in the resurrection of Christ in Romans 6:4, Romans 6:9, and Romans 7:4. In a broader scriptural use, the word describes God raising Jesus and giving life, as stated in Romans 8:11.
The passages in 1 Corinthians 15 show the term functioning as a central statement about resurrection: Christ “hath been raised,” and the reality of his resurrection stands in contrast to the claim that there is no resurrection of the dead.
Usage in Scripture
In John 14:31, ἐγείρω is an immediate command to leave and continue on, so its everyday sense is to get up. The surrounding statement emphasizes that Jesus acts in obedience to the Father and that the world may know his love.
In Romans and 1 Corinthians, the same word carries a major theological use: Christ’s resurrection and the believer’s participation in new life. The repetition in 1 Corinthians 15:12–1 Corinthians 15:14 makes the term important to the argument about the resurrection of the dead.
The word in detail
- G1453 The lexicon defines ἐγείρω (G1453) as waking or rousing, literally from sleep, sitting, lying, disease, or death, and figuratively from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, or nonexistence. The examples also show its use in commands, resurrection, and life-giving divine action.
Example verses
- John 14:31 Here the verb is an immediate command: “Arise, let us go hence.”
- Romans 6:4 The term describes Christ being raised from the dead and believers walking in newness of life.
- Romans 8:11 The verse speaks of the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus and of God giving life to mortal bodies.
- 1 Corinthians 15:13 The statement links the reality of Christ’s being raised with the reality of resurrection from the dead.
Common questions
What does ἐγείρω mean?
It means to wake, rise, or raise, including being raised from disease or death.
How is ἐγείρω used in John 14:31?
It is used in the command “Arise, let us go hence,” describing getting up to leave.
Why is ἐγείρω important in 1 Corinthians 15?
Its repeated use connects Christ’s resurrection with the biblical claim that the dead are raised.