noun · feminine

anankas

Greekἀνάγκη (anankē)

Strong’sG318

necessity, constraint, compulsion

stem anank-17 times in the New Testamentin 9 of 27 books5 of 10 forms occur

Translated as

distress3×must3×necessity3×compulsion2×hardships2×necessary2×*1×need,1×

What it means

ἀνάγκη, -ης, ἡ

[in LXX chiefly for מָצוֹק, צַר;]

1. necessity: ἔχειν ἀ-, c. inf., to be compelled, Lk 14:18 23:17 (Rec., R, mg.), I Co 7:37, Ju 3, He 7:27; ἐξ ἀ., κατ' ἀ., of necessity, II Co 9:7, He 7:12, Phm 14; ἀ. μοι ἐπίκειται, n. is laid on me, I Co 9:16; c. inf. (= ἀναγκαῖον ἐστι), Mt 18:7, Ro 13:5, He 9:16, 23

2. force, violence, hence pain, distress (Diod., al.; LXX; v. M, Th., 41; MM, VGT, s.v.; cf. θλίψις): Lk 21:23, I Co 7:26, I Th 3:7; pl. (v. Bl., § 32, 6; Swete, Mk., 153), ἐν ἀ., II Co 6:4 12:10.†

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G318 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidan-ang-kay'

constraint (literally or figuratively); by implication, distress

Fromfrom G303 and the base of G43;

King Jamesdistress, must needs, (of) necessity(-sary), needeth, needful.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Every form

Job in the sentence case	one singular	more than one plural
subject nominative	anankas6×ἀνάγκη	anankais
object accusative	anankan6×ἀνάγκην	anankain
direct address vocative	anankar	anankair
of, belonging to genitive	anankau2×ἀνάγκης	anankaiu
to, for dative	ananka1×ἀνάγκῃ	anankai2×ἀνάγκαις

Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.

Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them

anankstem+agender+snru—its job in the sentence case+—ione · more than one number

ananka is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.

same in every form varies — every value shown

Where it appears

17 occurrences, every one of them listed

anankas“must”subjectnominative singular6×

Matthew 18:7“must”ouai to kosmo apo teiu skandaleiu; anankas gar erchara teim skandaleim, plēn ouai to anthrōpo dia hou tem skandalem erchetō.Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

Luke 21:23“distress”ouai tai en gastēra echarōtai kai tai thēlazarōtai en ekeinai tai hēmerai; eti gar anankas megas epi tau gēau kai orgas to lao houto,How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.

Romans 13:5“must”dio anankas hupotassirō, ouk monem dia tan organ alla kai dia tan suneidēsian,Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.

1 Corinthians 9:16“necessity”ean gar euangelizemeiō, ouk atō mi kauchēmem, anankas gar mi epikeietō; ouai gar mi atō ean mē euangelizemeia.Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

Hebrews 9:16“must”hopou gar diathēkas, thanaton anankas ferirō tou diatitheratou;In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,

Hebrews 9:23“necessary”Anankas oun teim men hupodeigmeim teiu en toi ouranoi houtei katharizirō, auteim de teim epouraneim kreittōnai thusiai para houtain.So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

anankan“*”objectaccusative singular6×

Luke 14:18“*”kai archela apo henau pantois paraiterō. tos prōtos legata auto; Agron agorazama kai echamō anankan exercharatos horara auton; erōtamō sin, echasōr min paraitirēton.But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’

1 Corinthians 7:26“distress”nomizamō oun houtem kalem huparcharō dia tan enistanarētan anankan, hoti kalem anthrōpo tem houtōs arō.Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.

1 Corinthians 7:37“necessity”hos de histanatē en ta kardia autou hedraios mē echarōtos anankan, exousian de echatō peri teu idieu thelēmeu, kai houtem krinatē en ta idia kardia, tērarō tan heautou parthenan, kalōs poiati;But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.

Philemon 1:14“compulsion”chōris de tau sau gnōmau oudenem thelama poiara, hina mē hōs kata anankan tem agathem su ateiō alla kata hekousiem;But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

Hebrews 7:27“need,”hos ouk echatō kata hēmeran anankan, hōsper tois archierevois, proterem huper taiu idiaiu hamartaiu thusiain anaferarō, epeita taiu tou laou houtem gar poiata efapax heauton anaferaratos;Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

Jude 1:3“necessary”Agapētoir, pantan spoudan poierōtos grafarō vi peri tau koinau nu sōtērēau anankan echama grafara vi parakalarōtos epagōnizerō ta hapax paradōirata toi hagioi pistia.Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints.

anankau“necessity”of, belonging togenitive singular2×

2 Corinthians 9:7“compulsion”hekastos kathōs proairetē ta kardia, mē ek lupau ē ek anankau; hilaron gar doton agapatō tos theos.Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

Hebrews 7:12“necessity”metatithirōtau gar tau hierōsunau ek anankau kai nomou metathesias ginetō.For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed as well.

ananka“distress”to, fordative singular1×

1 Thessalonians 3:7“distress”dia houtem parakalina, adelfoir, epi vi epi panta ta ananka kai thlipsia nu dia tau vu pistiau,For this reason, brothers, in all our distress and persecution, we have been reassured about you, because of your faith.

anankai“hardships”to, fordative plural2×

2 Corinthians 6:4“hardships”alla en pante sunistanarōtois heautoin hōs theou diakonois; en hupomona polla, en thlipsiai, en anankai, en stenochōriai,Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

2 Corinthians 12:10“hardships”dio eudokamō en astheniai, en hubriai, en anankai, en diōgmoi kai stenochōriai, huper Christou; hotan gar asthenameiō, tote dunatos amō.That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.