ἀνάγκη G0318
Necessity, compulsion, constraint; also distress, hardship, or dire circumstances forcing action.
A Greek noun carrying two related but distinguishable loads. In its primary sense, ananke denotes necessity or compulsion — something that must be, whether by divine decree, moral obligation, or practical constraint. Paul's 'necessity is laid upon me' regarding the gospel (1 Cor 9:16) and the 'necessity' of obeying governing authorities (Rom 13:5) both invoke unavoidable obligation. Spanish 'necesidad' and German 'Notwendigkeit' track this sense closely. But in several Pauline and Lukan passages, the word shifts toward distress and hardship — the crushing pressure of difficult circumstances. In 2 Cor 6:4 and 12:10, it appears alongside tribulations and persecutions; in Luke 21:23, it describes the eschatological anguish coming upon the land. Spanish 'angustia' (anguish) signals this darker register.
Senses
1. necessity, compulsion — Necessity, compulsion, or unavoidable constraint — the state of something being required or obligatory. Covers divine necessity (Matt 18:7, 'it is necessary that offenses come'), moral compulsion (Rom 13:5, subjection 'for conscience' sake'), practical obligation (Luke 14:18, 'I must go'), and apostolic duty (1 Cor 9:16, 'necessity is laid upon me'). Spanish 'necesidad' and French 'nécessité' consistently render this as abstract obligation. The word implies a force that overrides choice — not merely preference but inescapable requirement. 13×
amh["አስፈላጊነት"]·AR["اضطِرارٍ", "ضرورة", "ضَرورَةٌ", "ضَرورَةٍ", "ضَرُورَةٌ"]·ben["আবশ্যক", "আবশ্যকতা", "আবশ্যকতার", "জোর", "প্রয়োজন", "প্রয়োজন,", "বাধ্যতা"]·ces["nutnost"]·dan["nødvendighed"]·DE["<Ἀνάγκην", "Notwendigkeit", "ἀνάγκη", "ἀνάγκην"]·ell["ανάγκην"]·EN["Necessary", "Necessity", "just-as-", "necessary", "necessity"]·FR["nécessité"]·guj["જરૂરિયાત"]·hat["nesesite"]·hau["dole"]·heb["הֶכְרֵח", "הֶכְרֵחִי", "הֶכְרֵחַ", "צֹרֶךְ", "צורך"]·HI["अनिवार्यता", "आवश्यक", "आवश्यकता", "आवश्यकता,", "ज़रुरि", "ज़रूरत", "मजबुरेए", "मजबूरी-से"]·hun["szükséget"]·ID["Keharusan", "kebutuhan", "keharusan", "keharusan,", "paksaan", "paksaan,", "perlu"]·IT["anagke", "anagken", "necessita", "necessità"]·jav["Kedah", "kabetahan", "kapeksa", "kapeksa,", "kaperlu", "kepepet,", "perlu", "prelu"]·JA["必要"]·KO["강제로", "필수이니", "필연", "필연적으로", "필요", "필요-를", "필요가", "필요를", "필요하다"]·mar["गरज"]·mya["လိုအပ်ခြင်း"]·nld["noodzaak"]·nor["nødvendighet"]·pnb["لوڑ"]·pol["konieczność"]·PT["Necessário", "necessidade", "necessidade,"]·ron["nevoie"]·RU["Необходимость", "Нужду", "неизбежно", "необходимо", "необходимости", "необходимость", "нужду", "нужды,", "принуждению,", "принуждения"]·ES["Necesario", "Necesidad", "necesidad"]·SW["Idhaa", "Lazima", "dharura", "kulazimishwa;", "lazima", "lazima,", "ulazima"]·swe["nödvändighet"]·tam["அவசியம்"]·tel["అవసరము"]·tgl["pangangailangan"]·TH["ความจําเป็น"]·TR["Gereklilik", "Zorunluluğu", "gerekli", "gereklilik", "zorunluluk", "zorunluluk,", "zorunluluktan"]·ukr["потребу"]·urd["ضرورت", "ضروری-تھا", "ضروری-ہے", "مجبوری"]·VI["sự-cần-thiết"]·yor["àìní"]·yue["必要"]·ZH["必要"]
Matt 18:7, Luke 14:18, Luke 23:17, Rom 13:5, 1 Cor 7:37, 1 Cor 9:16, 2 Cor 9:7, Phlm 1:14, Heb 7:12, Heb 7:27, Heb 9:16, Heb 9:23 (+1 more)
2. distress, hardship — Distress, hardship, or calamity — the pressure of dire circumstances. In Luke 21:23, ananke describes the great tribulation coming upon the land alongside wrath. Paul catalogs it among his apostolic sufferings: 'in necessities, in distresses' (2 Cor 6:4), 'in necessities... in persecutions' (2 Cor 12:10). Spanish 'angustia' (anguish) and the contextual pairing with thlipsis (tribulation) in 1 Thess 3:7 confirm this is not abstract obligation but lived affliction. The semantic bridge between the two senses is pressure — necessity presses from without, and distress is what it feels like from within. 5×
AR["الضِّيقَةِ", "الضّيقِ", "شَدائِدَ", "ضيقٌ", "ضَروراتٍ"]·ben["আবশ্যকতায়,", "কষ্ট", "প্রয়োজনে", "সংকটের,"]·DE["Notwendigkeit", "ἀνάγκη"]·EN["distress", "hardships", "necessities"]·FR["nécessité"]·heb["הֶכְרֵחוֹת", "חֲרֵת", "מְצוּקָה", "מְצוּקוֹת", "צָרָה"]·HI["आवश्यकताओं", "कठिनाई", "ज़रुउरत", "संकट"]·ID["kesukaran", "kesulitan,", "kesulitan-kesulitan", "kesusahan"]·IT["anagke", "necessita", "necessità"]·jav["kabutuhan,", "karépotanipun", "kasusahan", "kasusahan-kasusahan", "kepepet,"]·KO["고통이", "곤경들에", "곤란", "궁핍과"]·PT["angústia", "necessidade", "necessidade,", "necessidades"]·RU["бедствие", "нуждах", "нужде", "нужды,"]·ES["angustia", "necesidad", "necesidades"]·SW["dhiki", "dhiki,", "shida", "shida,"]·TR["sıkıntı", "sıkıntılarda", "sıkıntının-", "zorunluluk", "zorunluluklarda"]·urd["تنگی", "مجبوری", "مجبوریوں", "مصیبت"]
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×)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×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀνάγκη, Ionic dialect and Epic dialect ἀναγκαίη, ἡ, force, constraint, necessity, κρατερὴ δ᾽ ἐπικείσετ᾽ ἀ.Refs 8th c.BC+; ἀναγκαίη γὰρ ἐπείγειRefs 8th c.BC+adverb, ἀνάγκῃ perforce, of necessity, ἀείδεινRefs 8th c.BC+: in active sense, forcibly, by force, ἴσχειν, ἄγειν, Refs 8th c.BC+; opposed to ἑκόντες, Refs 5th c.BC+ with infinitive, it must be that.., is necessary that..,Refs 8th c.BC+: with…