to ascend
Anabaino denotes moving upward, especially going up to Jerusalem or another elevated place, and also ascent into heaven.
The prevailing use describes people going up to Jerusalem, a festival, the sacred place, or another destination; it also marks upward movement onto, out of, or through a physical location, ascent into heaven, and a smaller set of clauses where something rises or goes upward.
Senses in use
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Going up to a destination · dominant
The term commonly marks travel toward Jerusalem or another stated destination. In Acts 21:15 the APB renders the group as having “went up to Jerusalem,” while John 11:55 describes many going there from the country; Mark 10:32 places the group on the road ascending toward Jerusalem.
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Moving upward onto, out of, or through a place · common
Several clauses show concrete upward movement in local settings: Peter goes up on the housetop in Acts 10:9, Philip is invited to come up and sit in Acts 8:31, and people go up on a roof in Luke 5:19. The form also occurs for coming up out of water in Mark 1:10 and Acts 8:39, entering a boat in Matthew 14:32, and climbing a tree in Luke 19:4.
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Ascending into heaven or to the Father · occasional
In Acts 2:34, the aorist form occurs in the statement that David did not ascend into the heavens. John 20:17 contrasts a completed ascent not yet made with an ongoing ascent to the Father, and Ephesians 4:10 speaks of ascent far above all the heavens.
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Rising or going upward in non-travel clauses · rare
The verb is used where something other than a traveler is described as rising or going upward. Acts 10:4 says prayers and alms “have ascended as a memorial before God”; Acts 21:31 says a report “went up” to the military officer; Mark 4:32 describes what is sown as rising, and 1 Corinthians 2:9 places the action in what has not entered human conception.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB variously uses “went up,” “ascended,” “ascending,” “coming up,” “climbed,” “rises,” and “went back upstairs.” Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings show the verse-level presentation rather than fixed English equivalents for the term.