☀️
← Back to Lexicon
G387 · Greek · New Testament
ἀναστατόω
Anastatoo
Verb
Unsettle; stir up; cause turmoil

Definition

The word appears in Acts 17:6, where Jason and the Christians are dragged before city authorities with the accusation: "These men who have turned the world upside down (anastatoo) have come here also!" This is one of the most accurate and ironic descriptions of the Gospel's power: it genuinely does overturn existing orders — of sin, of death, of human pride. Paul's opponents in Galatia also "trouble" (anastatoo) the churches (Galatians 5:12). The Gospel is not meant to settle the comfortable but to unsettle the settled.

Usage & Theological Significance

Anastatoo means to cause an uprising, to unsettle or disturb profoundly, to turn upside down. It describes the kind of disruption that challenges existing order and produces social or spiritual upheaval.

Key Bible Verses

Acts 17:6 "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also."
Acts 21:38 "Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?"
Galatians 5:12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
Acts 15:24 "We have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds."
1 Kings 18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is it you, you troubler of Israel?"

Related Words

External Resources

🌙
☀️