The Greek verb anatellō means to rise, to spring up, or to cause to rise — used of the sun, stars, plants, and figuratively of the coming of the Messiah as the rising light. It occurs about 9 times in the New Testament and carries deep Messianic resonance from the Old Testament 'branch' and 'rising sun' prophecies.
Anatellō appears in one of the most beautiful Messianic texts of the New Testament — Zechariah's prophetic song (the Benedictus, Luke 1:78): 'Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise (anatolē) shall visit us from on high.' This draws on Malachi 4:2 ('the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings') and Numbers 24:17 ('a star will rise from Jacob'). Matthew 5:45 uses anatellō of the sun rising on the evil and good — a picture of God's common grace. The Messianic 'Branch' (Anatolē in LXX Zechariah 3:8; 6:12) bridges the Hebrew concept of the sprouting branch to the Greek concept of the rising dawn — both pointing to Christ.