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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #316 - ἀναγκαῖος
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- necessary
- what one can not do without, indispensable
- connected by bonds of nature or friendship
- what ought according to the law of duty be done, what is required by the circumstances
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
ἀναγκ-αῖος, α, ον,
in Att. also ος, ον Th. 1.2, Pl. R. 554a, etc.: of, with, or by force:
I Act.,
1. constraining, applying force, μῦθος ἀ. a word of force, Od. 17.399; χρειὼ ἀ. urgent necessity, Il. 8.57; ἦμαρ ἀ. day of constraint, i.e. life of slavery, 16.836; ἀ. τύχη a doom imposed by fate, or fateful chance, S. Aj. 485, cf. 803 (but, fatal chance, Id. El. 48); πᾶν γὰρ ἀ. χρῆμ' ἀνιηρὸν ἔφυ Thgn. 472, cf. 297, E. Or. 230; τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ ἀ. παροξυνομένους by the compulsory nature of our rule, Th. 5.99; δεσμὸς ἀ. Theoc. 24.33; ἐξ ἀναγκαίου under stress of circumstances, Th. 7.60.
2. forcible, cogent, πειθώ Pl. Sph. 265d; ἀποδείξεις Ti. 40e; διαλλακτὰς πολὺ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ἀναγκαιοτέρους Th. 4.60; τὰ-ότερα τῶν ἀντιγράφων the more authoritative copies, Sch. S. OC 390.
II Pass.,
1. constrained, forced, twice in Od., πολεμισταὶ ἀ. soldiers perforce, Od. 24.499; so δμῶες ἀ. ib. 210 (where however Eust. expl. it χρειώδεις trusty, serviceable, v. infr. 6).
2. necessary (physically or morally), οὐκ ἀ. unnecessary (on its diff. senses in philosophy v. Arist. Metaph. 1015a20 ff.), ἀ. [ἐστί ] it is necessary to.., S. Ph. 1317, etc.; γίνεταί μοι ἀναγκαιότ ατον, c. inf., Hdt. 3.65; ἀ. κακόν a necessary evil, Men. 651, cf. Hybreasap. Str. 14.2.24: also c. inf., ἔνιαι τῶν ἀποκρίσεων ἀναγκαῖαι διὰ μακρῶν τοὺς λόγους ποιεῖσθαι Pl. Grg. 449b; ὁδὸν ἀναγκαιοτάτην εἶναι τρέπεσθαι Sph. 242b; [ μαθήματα] ἀναγκαῖα προμεμαθηκέναι necessary for us to have learnt them before, Lg. 643c.
3. τὰ ἀ. necessaries of life, Antipho 4.1.2, Pl. Lg. 848a; τὰ ἀ. τοῦ βίου Isoc. 4.40; ἀ. τροφή Th. 1.2. τὰ ἀ. things necessary to be done, X. Mem. 1.1.6; τὰ ἐκ θεοῦ ἀ. the appointed order of things, HG 1.7.33; θεῶν ἀναγκαῖον τόδε E. Hec. 584 codd.: τὸ ἀ., = cross ἀνάγκη, Arist. Ph. 200a31.
4. indispensable, i. e. a bare minimum, freq. in Sup., τὸ ἀναγκαιότατον ὕψος the least height that was absolutely necessary, Th. 1.90; ἡ ἀναγκαιοτάτη πόλις the least that could be called a city, Pl. R. 369d; ἐκ τεττάρων ἀναγκαιοτάτων συγκεῖσθαι πόλιν Arist. Pol. 1291a12; αὐτὰ τἀναγκαιότατ' εἰπεῖν give a bare outline of the facts, D. 18.126, cf. 168; ἡ ἀ. συγγένεια the most distant degree of kinship recognized by law, 44.26: less freq. in Posit., οὐδὲ τἀναγκαῖα ἐξικέσθαι Th. 1.70: hence, scanty, makeshift, παρασκευή 6.37.
5. of persons, connected by necessary or natural ties, i. e. related by blood, Antipho 1.4, Pl. R. 574b; ἀ. δόμοις E. Alc. 533; οἱ ἀ. kinsfolk, X. An. 2.4.1; ἀ. φίλοι E. Andr. 671; συγγενεῖς καὶ ἀ. ἄνθρωποι D. 19.290; τοὺς συγγενεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀ. φίλους Acts 10:24, cf. PFlor. 2.142.2 (iii A. D.).
6. Astrol., efficacious, Vett.Val. 63.1 (Comp.): ἀ. γραμμή line of fate, Cat.Cod.Astr. 7.238.
7. costly, ὄξος POxy. 1870 (v A. D.); ἐσθής Suid. s.v. cross βεστιάριον.
III Adv. -
1. ως of necessity, perforce, ἀ. ἔχει it must be so, Hdt. 1.89, A. Ch. 239, S. Tr. 723, Pl. Phd. 91e, etc.; ἀ. ἔχει μοι ποιέειν ταῦτα Hdt. 8.140. ά, al.; ἀ. φέρειν, opp. ἀνδρείως, Th. 2.64; as best might be, Pl. Ti. 69d.
2. γελοίως καὶ ἀ. λέγειν in a narrow sense (cf. 11.4, but prob. with play on 111.1), Id. R. 527a; πτωχῶς μέν, ἀλλ' ἀ. Babr. 55.2: — Sup. ἀναγκαιότατα, λέγεις Pl. Phlb. 40c.
3. strictly, κελεύειν OGI 669.41 (i A. D.). οἱ ἀ. τόποι privy parts, Vett.Val. 113.9. ἀναγκαῖον, τό, v. sub v.
ἀναγκαῖος, , (ἀνάγκη) (from Homer down (in various senses)), necessary;
a. what one cannot do without, indispensable: 1 Corinthians 12:22 (τά μέλη); Titus 3:14 b. connected by the bonds of nature or of friendship: Acts 10:24 (ἀναγκαῖοι (A. V. near) φίλοι).
c. what ought according to the law of duty to be done, what is required by the condition of things: Philippians 1:24. ἀναγκαῖον ἐστι followed by accusative with the infinitive, Acts 13:46; Hebrews 8:3. ἀναγκαῖον ἡγεῖσθαι to deem necessary, followed by an infinitive, Philippians 2:25; 2 Corinthians 9:5.
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** ἀναγκαῖος , -αῖα , -αῖον
(< ἀνάγκη ),
[in LXX: Ezra 8:13, Wisdom of Solomon 16:3, Sir prol.22, 2 Maccabees 4:23; 2 Maccabees 9:21, 4 Maccabees 1:2*;]
1. necessary: Acts 13:46, 1 Corinthians 12:22, 2 Corinthians 9:5, Philippians 2:25, Titus 3:14, Hebrews 8:3; comp. -αιότερον , Philippians 1:24.
2. Of persons connected by bonds of nature or friendship, near, intimate (Field, Notes, 118; ΜΜ , VGT, s.v.): ἀ . φίλοι , Acts 10:24.†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
P Fay 109.1 (early i/A.D.) πρὸς ἀναγκαῖν ( = -αῖον). Ordinary uses may be seen in P Tor I. 1iii. 6 (B.C. 116) κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ";necessitate coactus,"; P Leid Bii. 3 (ii/B.C.) εἰς τὸ μηθὲν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ήμᾶς ὑστερεῖν, P Flor II. 132.11 (A.D. 257) ὅπερ ἀναγκαῖόν σε ην γνῶναι (as Acts 13:46), ib. 170.8 (A.D. 255) εἰ περὶ τῶν οὐθαμινῶν ἀμελεῖτε, πόσῳ μ ̣α ̣̑λλον τῶν ἀναγκαιοτέρων. In combination with φίλος, meaning ";intimate,"; as in Acts 10:24, we have P Flor II. 142.8 (A.D. 264) ἐπειδήπερ ἐντολικὸν ἔχω ἀναγκαίου φίλου : cf. Syll 737.51 (ii/A.D.) (εἰ) σφόδρα ἀναγκαῖός τις ἦν. For the Pauline phrase ἀναγκαῖον ἡγεῖσθαι, as 2 Corinthians 9:5, Philippians 2:25, cf. P Fay 111.19 (A.D. 95–6) (= Selections, p. 67) [ἀ ]νανκαῖν ἡγήσα [ς ], ";considering that it is essential,"; Syll 656.9 (ii/A.D.) ὅθεν ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην (c. inf.) : cf. ὑπολαμβάνομεν ἀ. εἶναι, ib. 790.74. The RV margin at Titus 3:14 εἰς τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας, ";for necessary wants,"; that is ";for the necessities of life,"; is supported by P Oxy VII. 1068.16 (iii/A.D.) χάριν ἀναγκέας χρίας, and by Priene 108.80 (c. B.C. 129), where Moschion is thanked for having given a certain sum εἰς χρείας ἀναγκαίας. Cf. P Grenf II. 14 (c).1 f. (iii/B.C.) χρείαν ἔχομεν ἀναγκαίαν Τιμοξένου ὥστε ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. The superlative is found P Par 46.7 (B.C. 153) ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις καιροῖς, and P Giss I. 23.5 (ii/A.D.) πάντων τῶν εὐχῶν μου ἀναγκαιοτάτην ἔχω τὴν τῆς ὑγείας σου, al. Cf. the elative in P Lond 42.31 (B.C. 168) (= I. p. 30) εἴπερ μὴ ἀναγκαιότερόν σ [ε ] περισπᾶι, ";unless urgent business detains you,"; P Flor I. 61.15 (A.D. 86–8) ἐντυγχάνει σοι τὸ πρῶτον κ [α ]ὶ ἀναγκαιότατον. For the adverb, cf. P Flor II. 138.5 (A.D. 264) ἐπεὶ ἀναγκαίως σου χρη ̣ζω, OGIS 669.8 (i/A.D.) προέγραψα ἀναγ ̣καίως περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ἐπιζητουμένων, P Giss I. 68.8 (early ii/A.D.) ἀναγ ̣κα ̣ίως γράφω σοί · οὐδένα ᾽χω (l. ἔχω) [μ ]ετ ̣ὰ ̣ τὸν θε ̣ὸ ̣ν ̣ ε ̣ἰ μ ̣ή σε, etc.
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