The Greek verb anazaō (ἀναζάω) means "to live again" or "to revive" — from ana (again) + zaō (to live). It describes the return of life after a period of death or dormancy. The word appears in the New Testament in the parable of the prodigal son and in Paul's description of sin's activation through the law. In both cases, anazaō marks a decisive change of state — from death to life, or in Paul's case, from dormancy to active destructiveness.
The two uses of anazaō offer contrasting pictures of "life coming again." In Luke 15:24,32 (the prodigal son), the father declares "this my son was dead, and is alive again [anezēsen]" — a picture of spiritual resurrection, the sinner coming to himself and returning to the Father. This is the new birth, repentance, and restoration in miniature. In Romans 7:9, Paul writes "when the commandment came, sin came alive [anezēsen]" — here anazaō describes sin's awakening when the law confronted it, making Paul feel its lethal power. The same word describes gospel restoration and sin's revelation — both involve something dormant coming alive.