Lexical Summary anagké: Necessity, compulsion, distress, hardship Original Word: ἀνάγκη Strong's Exhaustive Concordance distress, necessity.From ana and the base of agkale; constraint (literally or figuratively); by implication, distress -- distress, must needs, (of) necessity(-sary), needeth, needful. see GREEK ana see GREEK agkale HELPS Word-studies 318 anágkē (perhaps cognate with 43 /agkálē, "arm," which is derived from angkos, "a bent/uplifted arm poised to meet a pressing need") – necessity; a compelling need requiring immediate action, i.e. in a pressing situation. 318 /anágkē ("a necessity") calls for timely help, i.e. strong force needed to accomplish something compulsory (absolutely required). This kind of situation is typically brought on by great pain or distress (so Diod., LXX, Abbott-Smith). ["In classical Greek many words take their stem from anank-. The verb anankazō denotes the outward influence or pressure exerted by someone upon another. . . . At times there is implied in anankazō the idea of 'force,' thus it can even mean 'to torture' someone" (Liddell-Scott).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ana and agchó (to compress, press tight) Definition necessity NASB Translation compulsion (3), constraint (1), distress (3), distresses (1), hardships (1), inevitable (1), necessary (2), necessity (3), need (2), obliged* (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 318: ἀνάγκηἀνάγκη, (ης, ἡ; 1. necessity, imposed either by the external condition of things, or by the law of duty, regard to one's advantage, custom, argument: κατ' ἀνάγκην perforce (opposed to κατά ἑκούσιον), Philemon 1:14; ἐξ ἀνάγκης of necessity, compelled, 2 Corinthians 9:7; Hebrews 7:12 (necessarily); ἔχω ἀνάγκην I have (am compelled by) necessity, (also in Greek writings): 1 Corinthians 7:37; Hebrews 7:27; followed by an infinitive, Luke 14:18; Luke 23:17 R L brackets; Jude 1:3; ἀν. μοι ἐπίκειται necessity is laid upon me, 1 Corinthians 9:16; ἀνάγκη (equivalent to ἀναγκαῖον ἐστι) followed by an infinitive: Matthew 18:7; Romans 13:5; Hebrews 9:16, 23 (also in Greek writings). 2. in a sense rare in the classics (Diodorus 4, 43), but very common in Hellenistic writings (also in Josephus, b. j. 5, 13, 7, etc.; see Winers Grammar, 30), calamity, distress, straits: Luke 21:23; 1 Corinthians 7:26; 1 Thessalonians 3:7; plural ἐν ἀνάγκαις, 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:10. The term encompasses two interwoven notions: (1) an inward or outward constraint that makes an action unavoidable, and (2) the pressure of circumstances that produces hardship or distress. Scripture applies it both to the certainty of God’s unfolding plan and to the exigencies that press upon human life and ministry. Providential Necessity in the Purposes of God Jesus underscores the inevitability of prophetic fulfillment: “it is necessary that offenses should come” (Matthew 18:7). Luke sets the destruction of Jerusalem within the same framework of divine decree: “For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people” (Luke 21:23). The word thus affirms that history cannot swerve from what God has written, even when that includes judgment. Moral and Civil Obligation Paul calls for conscientious submission to governing authorities because “it is necessary to submit, not only to avoid punishment but also for the sake of conscience” (Romans 13:5). Here the constraint is ethical rather than coercive: believers obey because the renewed heart recognizes God-ordained structures. Apostolic Compulsion to Preach “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). The inner necessity laid on Paul mirrors the Old Testament prophets (“the word of the LORD is like a fire in my heart,” Jeremiah 20:9). Ministry is not a career choice but a divine imperative that overrides personal preference. Pastoral Counsel amid Present Distress Paul advises celibacy “because of the present distress” (1 Corinthians 7:26) yet frees the individual whose situation involves “no necessity” (1 Corinthians 7:37). The term gauges the weight of circumstances without negating liberty; wisdom discerns when constraint is real and when it is imagined. Voluntary Generosity versus Compulsion Giving must be “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Christian stewardship flourishes when the heart moves freely; external pressure empties obedience of its joy. Endurance under Hardship Paul catalogs “distresses” alongside beatings and imprisonments as credentials of authentic ministry (2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:10). “In all our distress and affliction, we were comforted” (1 Thessalonians 3:7). The vocabulary treats suffering neither as accident nor as defeat but as a necessary pathway through which servants of Christ authenticate the message they carry. Eschatological Distress Luke depicts the Great Tribulation using the same word (Luke 21:23). The term’s eschatological reach warns the church to expect pressure that tests faith, while assuring that such events remain under divine sovereignty. Covenant and Cultic Necessities in Hebrews Hebrews grounds the change from Levitical to Melchizedekian priesthood: “when the priesthood is changed, a change of law must also take place” (Hebrews 7:12). The same necessity governs Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27) and the purifying of the heavenly realities (Hebrews 9:23). Salvation history advances by divine musts that secure redemption. Freedom of Consent in Christian Relationships Paul will not press Philemon: “so that your goodness would not be by compulsion, but of your own free will” (Philemon 1:14). Love thrives where necessity is removed and willing obedience rises in its place. Jude’s Urgent Appeal “I felt the necessity to write and exhort you to contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3). Doctrinal vigilance is not optional; in times of creeping error, urgency becomes a moral duty. Practical Ministry Insights • Recognize the difference between God-given mandates and human-imposed pressures. Summary Strong’s 318 portrays an unbreakable thread running from divine decree to daily discipleship. Whether announcing prophetic inevitabilities, compelling apostles, testing saints, or safeguarding voluntary love, it reveals a God who directs history through indispensable steps while preserving the willing response of His people. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 18:7 N-NFSGRK: τῶν σκανδάλων ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐλθεῖν NAS: blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks KJV: for it must needs be INT: the temptations to sin for necessary [is] indeed to come Luke 14:18 N-AFS Luke 21:23 N-NFS Luke 23:17 Noun-AFS Romans 13:5 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 7:26 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 7:37 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 9:16 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 6:4 N-DFP 2 Corinthians 9:7 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 12:10 N-DFP 1 Thessalonians 3:7 N-DFS Philemon 1:14 N-AFS Hebrews 7:12 N-GFS Hebrews 7:27 N-AFS Hebrews 9:16 N-NFS Hebrews 9:23 N-NFS Jude 1:3 N-AFS Strong's Greek 318 |
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