Lexical Summary hikanos: Sufficient, adequate, considerable, competent, worthy Original Word: ἱκανός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance able, sufficientFrom hiko (hikano or hikneomai, akin to heko) (to arrive); competent (as if coming in season), i.e. Ample (in amount) or fit (in character) -- able, + content, enough, good, great, large, long (while), many, meet, much, security, sore, sufficient, worthy. see GREEK heko HELPS Word-studies 2425 hikanós (an adjective, derived from the root, hikō, "arrive, come to") – "properly, reach to (attain); hence, adequate, sufficient" (J. Thayer). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom hikneomai (to come, reach, attain to) Definition sufficient, fit NASB Translation able (1), adequate (2), aloud (1), considerable (4), enough (1), fit (4), good many (1), large (1), large sum (1), length* (1), long (5), long while (1), many (9), number (1), pledge (1), satisfy* (1), sizeable (1), some (1), sufficient (1), very bright (1), worthy (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2425: ἱκανόςἱκανός, ἱκανή, ἱκανόν (from ἵκω, ἱκανῷ; properly, 'reaching to', 'attaining to'; hence, 'adequate'); as in Greek writings from Herodotus and Thucydides down, sufficient; a. of number and quantity; with nouns, many enough, or enough with a genitive: ὄχλος ἱκανός, a great multitude (A. V. often much people), Mark 10:46; Luke 7:12; Acts 11:24, 26; Acts 19:26; λαός, Acts 5:37 R G; κλαυθμός, Acts 20:37; ἀργύρια ἱκανά (A. V. large money, cf. the colloquial, 'money enough'), Matthew 28:12; λαμπάδες, Acts 20:8; λόγοι, Luke 23:9; φῶς ἱκανόν, a considerable light (A. V. a great light), Acts 22:6. of time: ἱκανῷ χρόνῳ (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133, 26) for a long time (Luke 8:27 T Tr text WH); Acts 8:11; also ἱκανόν χρόνον, Acts 14:3; and plural Luke 20:9; ἐξ ἱκανοῦ, of a long time, now for a long time, Luke 23:8 R G; also ἐκ χρόνων, ἱκανῶν, Luke 8:27 R G L Tr marginal reading; Luke 23:8 L T Tr WH; (ἀπό ἱκανῶν ἐτῶν, these many years, Romans 15:23 WH Tr text); ἱκανοῦ ... χρόνου διαγενομένου, much time having elapsed, Acts 27:9; ἐφ' ἱκανόν for a long while, Acts 20:11 (2 Macc. 8:25; Diodorus 13, 100; Palaeph. 28); ἡμέραι (cf. Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 89 n.), Acts 9:23, 43; Acts 18:18; Acts 27:7. absolutely, ἱκανοί, many, a considerable number: Luke 7:11 (R G L brackets T Tr marginal reading brackets); Acts 12:12; Acts 14:21; Acts 19:19; 1 Corinthians 11:30 (1 Macc. 13:49, etc.). ἱκανόν ἐστιν, it is enough, equivalent to enough has been said on this subject, Luke 22:38 (for Jesus, saddened at the paltry ideas of the disciples, breaks off in this way the conversation; the Jews, when a companion uttered anything absurd, were accustomed to use the phrase לָכֶם רַב (A. V. let it suffice thee, etc.), as in Deuteronomy 3:26, where the Sept. ἱκανούσθω) ἱκανόν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη, SC. ἐστι, sufficient ... is this punishment, 2 Corinthians 2:6; after the Latin idiom satisfacere alicui, τό ἱκανόν ποιεῖν τίνι, to take away from one every ground of complaint (A. V. to content), Mark 15:15 (Polybius 32, 7, 13; Appendix, Puff., p. 68, Toll. edition (sec. 74, i., p. 402 edition Schweig.); (Diogenes Laërtius 4, 50); τό ἱκανο λαμβάνω (Latinsatisaccipio), to take security (either by accepting sponsors, or by a deposit of money until the case had been decided), Acts 17:9. b. sufficient in ability, i. e. meet, fit (German tüchtig (A. V. worthy, able, etc.)): πρός τί, for something, 2 Corinthians 2:16; followed by an infinitive (Buttmann, 260 (223f)), Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Timothy 2:2; followed by ἵνα with subjunctive (Buttmann, 240 (207); cf. Winer's Grammar, 335 (314)): Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:6. Ἱκανός moves along two chief axes in Scripture: qualitative adequacy (“sufficient, competent, worthy”) and quantitative abundance (“many, considerable, long”). The contexts decide which nuance dominates, but both ideas often interlace, revealing how Scripture views sufficiency—whether of character, time, or number—as ultimately defined by God. Human Unworthiness before the Messiah John the Baptist and the Roman centurion use ἱκανός negatively to magnify Christ’s supremacy. Their confession of inadequacy prepares the reader for the revelation of Jesus’ divine authority. Paul echoes the theme: “I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Divine Sufficiency for Ministry While people are insufficient in themselves, God supplies the needed competence. In Acts 14:3 and Acts 20:11 the word marks an “ample” period in which Paul speaks or remains, showing that effective ministry is tied to God-allotted opportunity. Quantitative Force: Many, Great, Considerable Ἱκανός frequently describes crowds, quantities, or length: The word underscores the momentum of the gospel—large gatherings, extended preaching tours, far-reaching impact. Judicial and Diplomatic Adequacy In legal or political scenes ἱκανός signals grounds deemed “sufficient.” Luke 23:8–9 portrays Herod’s hope for “some sign” and his later barrage of questions “in many words,” yet no evidence proves adequate to condemn Jesus apart from the crowd’s pressure. Chronological and Spatial Adequacy Time and distance measured by ἱκανός show God’s providential pacing. Such notices reassure readers that mission advances within divinely permitted spans, even amid delay or danger. Pastoral and Ecclesiological Implications 1. Humility: Servants confess with John the Baptist, “I am not worthy,” guarding against self-promotion. Christological and Soteriological Insights The gospels juxtapose human insufficiency with Christ’s all-sufficiency. The Baptist’s unworthiness illumines the Lamb’s worthiness; the centurion’s confession precedes a healing accomplished by a mere word; Pilate’s and Herod’s misjudgments contrast with the Father’s declaration of the Son’s perfection. Thus ἱκανός, whether meaning “not worthy” or “many,” repeatedly drives readers to rely on the adequacy found in Jesus’ person and work. Summary Ἱκανός threads through the New Testament as a reminder that true sufficiency—of character, capacity, or quantity—originates with God. Believers acknowledge their own inadequacy, receive divine competence for service, and witness the gospel’s expansive reach, all under the gracious verdict that what God provides is always “sufficient.” Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:11 Adj-NMSGRK: οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα NAS: than I, and I am not fit to remove KJV: I am not worthy to bear: he INT: not I am fit the sandals Matthew 8:8 Adj-NMS Matthew 28:12 Adj-ANP Mark 1:7 Adj-NMS Mark 10:46 Adj-GMS Mark 15:15 Adj-ANS Luke 3:16 Adj-NMS Luke 7:6 Adj-NMS Luke 7:12 Adj-NMS Luke 8:27 Adj-DMS Luke 8:32 Adj-GMP Luke 20:9 Adj-AMP Luke 22:38 Adj-NNS Luke 23:8 Adj-GMP Luke 23:9 Adj-DMP Acts 8:11 Adj-DMS Acts 9:23 Adj-NFP Acts 9:43 Adj-AFP Acts 11:24 Adj-NMS Acts 11:26 Adj-AMS Acts 12:12 Adj-NMP Acts 14:3 Adj-AMS Acts 14:21 Adj-AMP Acts 17:9 Adj-ANS Acts 18:18 Adj-AFP Strong's Greek 2425 |
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