ἀναγκ-αῖος G0316
Necessary, essential, indispensable; also of persons: close, intimate, bound by kinship or deep friendship.
An adjective built on ἀνάγκη (necessity, compulsion), conveying what is required by the nature of things or bound by strong ties. Paul uses it repeatedly to express theological and practical necessity — the gospel had to go to the Jews first (Acts 13:46), seemingly weaker members of the body are actually more necessary (1 Cor 12:22), and his continued life in the flesh is more necessary for the Philippians' sake (Phil 1:24). A striking second sense emerges in Acts 10:24, where Cornelius gathers his 'close' friends — people bound to him by ties as compelling as necessity itself. Spanish distinguishes the two senses cleanly: 'necesario' for essential, 'íntimos' for intimate.
Senses
1. necessary, essential, indispensable — Necessary, essential, or indispensable — that which circumstances or purpose require. Paul employs it in arguments about divine necessity (Acts 13:46, the word must go to Jews first), ecclesial interdependence (1 Cor 12:22, weaker members are 'more necessary'), pastoral obligation (Phil 1:24), and practical arrangements (2 Cor 9:5; Phil 2:25; Titus 3:14). The comparative form ἀναγκαιότερα in 1 Cor 12:22 intensifies the point about the body's mutual dependence. 7×
AR["-الضَّروريَّةِ", "أَلْزَمُ", "ضَرورَةٌ", "ضَرورِيًّا", "ضَرورِيَّةٌ"]·ben["অধিক-প্রয়োজনীয়", "আবশ্যক", "প্রয়োজনীয়"]·DE["notwendig", "ἀναγκαῖον"]·EN["more-necessary", "necessary"]·FR["notwendig", "nécessaire"]·heb["הֶכְרֵחִי", "הַכְרֵחִיִּים", "נְחוּצִים", "נֶחֱרָץ", "נַחוּץ", "נָחוֹץ-יוֹתֵר"]·HI["अअवश्यक", "अधिक-अअवश्यक", "आवश्यक", "ज़रोओरि"]·ID["lebih perlu", "mendesak", "perlu", "sangat-perlu"]·IT["anagkaias", "anagkaion", "anagkaioteron", "necessario"]·jav["langkung-prelu", "perlu", "prelu"]·KO["긴급한", "더-필요하노라", "필수이니", "필요하다고", "필요한"]·PT["mais-necessário", "necessárias", "necessário", "necessários"]·RU["необходимо", "необходимы", "необходимым", "необходимых", "нужнее"]·ES["más-necesario", "necesarias", "necesario", "necesarios"]·SW["lazima", "muhimu", "ni-lazima-zaidi", "za-lazima"]·TR["daha-gerekli", "gerekli", "var", "zorunlu"]·urd["زیادہ-ضرُوری", "ضروری", "ضروری-ہے", "ضرُوری"]
2. close, intimate (of persons) — Of persons: close, intimate, bound by ties of kinship or deep friendship. In Acts 10:24, Cornelius summons his relatives and his ἀναγκαίους φίλους — friends so close they are 'necessary' to him. The semantic development from external compulsion to intimate bond parallels Latin 'necessarius,' which likewise means both 'necessary' and 'closely connected.' Spanish 'íntimos' captures this warmth, while French and German default to the primary 'nécessaire/notwendig,' missing the relational nuance. 1×
AR["ٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ"]·ben["ঘনিষ্ঠ"]·DE["ἀναγκαίους"]·EN["close"]·FR["nécessaire"]·heb["יְדִידִים"]·HI["घनिष्ठ"]·ID["karib"]·IT["necessario"]·jav["cedhak"]·KO["가까운"]·RU["близких"]·ES["íntimos"]·SW["wa-lazima"]·TR["yakın"]·urd["قریبی"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀναγκ-αῖος, α, ον, in Attic dialect also ος, ον Refs 5th c.BC+: of, with, or by force: __I active, constraining, applying force, μῦθος ἀ. a word of force, Refs 8th c.BC+; χρειὼ ἀ. urgent necessity, Refs 8th c.BC+; ἦμαρ ἀ. day of constraint, i.e. life of slavery, Refs; ἀ. τύχη a doom imposed by fate, or fateful chance, Refs 5th c.BC+ (but, fatal chance, Refs 6th c.BC+; τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ ἀ.…