ἀνακρίνω
anakrinō
to investigate
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek verb ἀνακρίνω (anakrinō) is used to mean "to investigate" or "to question." This word has 16 occurrences in the Greek Bible. Analyzing its usage, we see that anakrinō often involves a process of inquiry or examination, where someone is actively seeking information, evaluating evidence, or challenging a claim. This verb can be used in various contexts, including social, legal, and intellectual settings. The instances of anakrinō in the Bible suggest that it can involve both positive and negative connotations. For example, it may refer to a genuine desire for knowledge or truth, or it may imply a more confrontational or adversarial approach. Despite these nuances, anakrinō fundamentally connotes a sense of inquiry and examination, highlighting the importance of critical thinking and evaluation in various areas of life. The significance of anakrinō lies in its emphasis on investigation and critical examination. By using this word, the authors of the Greek Bible stress the importance of verifying information, testing claims, and seeking truth. This value is still relevant today, as individuals and societies continue to navigate complex issues and confront different perspectives and information.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
16 total occurrences across the text
and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
Acts 4:9if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,
Acts 12:19When Herod had sought for him, and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, then commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
Acts 24:8By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.”
1 Corinthians 4:3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s judgment. Yes, I don’t judge my own self.
Acts 28:18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
1 Corinthians 2:14Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:15But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.
1 Corinthians 2:15But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.
1 Corinthians 4:3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man’s judgment. Yes, I don’t judge my own self.
1 Corinthians 4:4For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
1 Corinthians 9:3My defense to those who examine me is this:
1 Corinthians 10:25Whatever is sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience,
1 Corinthians 10:27But if one of those who don’t believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.
1 Corinthians 14:24But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all.
Acts 17:11Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.