ἀρκέω G0714
To be sufficient or enough; in the middle voice, to be content or satisfied with what one has.
A verb that in the active voice means 'to be enough' and in the middle/passive voice shifts to 'be content, be satisfied.' When Philip says two hundred denarii would not 'suffice' for bread (John 6:7), and when Jesus tells Philip that seeing the Father would 'be enough' (John 14:8), the focus is on objective adequacy. But when John the Baptist tells soldiers to 'be content' with their wages (Luke 3:14), and when the writer of Hebrews urges contentment with what one has (Heb 13:5), the focus moves inward to a disposition of the heart. Paul's encounter with divine grace bridges both: 'My grace is sufficient for you' (2 Cor 12:9) — objectively enough, and a call to rest content in it.
Senses
1. be sufficient, be enough — To be sufficient, to be enough — used of things, provisions, or resources that meet a need or satisfy a requirement. Philip calculates that two hundred denarii of bread would not 'suffice' for the crowd (John 6:7), the foolish virgins are told there may not be 'enough' oil for all (Matt 25:9), and Jesus responds to Philip's request to see the Father with 'does that not suffice you?' (John 14:8). The Lord's declaration to Paul — 'my grace is sufficient for you' (2 Cor 12:9) — elevates this sense to its theological summit. Spanish 'basta' (it is enough) captures the crisp impersonal force. 4×
AR["تَكْفيكَ", "يَكْفِي", "يَكْفِيَ"]·ben["যথেষ্ট", "যথেষ্ট-হয়"]·DE["genuegen", "ἀρκέσῃ"]·EN["are-sufficient", "it-is-enough", "sufficient", "there-is-enough"]·FR["suffire"]·heb["דַּי", "דַּיָּה", "יַסְפִּיק", "מַסְפִּיק"]·HI["काफी-है", "पर्याप्त-है", "पर्याप्त-होतीं", "पूरा-पड़े"]·ID["Cukuplah", "cukup"]·IT["arkei", "arkese", "arkousin", "bastare"]·jav["Cekap", "cekap"]·KO["족하다", "충분하다", "충분하리니", "충분하지"]·PT["basta", "basta-te", "baste"]·RU["довольно", "достаточны", "хватило"]·ES["Te-basta", "alcance", "basta", "bastan"]·SW["Inakutosha", "inatosha", "yatatosha"]·TR["Yeter", "yeterli", "yetmez"]·urd["اُنہیں", "کافی ہے", "کافی-ہو", "کافی-ہے"]
2. be content, be satisfied — To be content, to be satisfied with one's circumstances — middle/passive voice forms expressing an inner disposition of satisfaction rather than objective quantity. John the Baptist commands soldiers to 'be content' with their wages (Luke 3:14), Paul teaches that food and covering should make us content (1 Tim 6:8), Hebrews exhorts contentment free from the love of money (Heb 13:5), and Diotrephes, ironically, is 'not content' with his position (3 John 1:10). Spanish 'contentaos/contentándoos' and English 'being-content' consistently mark this as a settled posture of the will, not merely having enough. 4×
AR["اكْتَفُوا", "مُكتَفياً", "مُكْتَفِينَ", "نَكْتَفي"]·ben["আমরা-সন্তুষ্ট-হব।", "সন্তুষ্ট", "সন্তুষ্ট-থাকো", "সন্তুষ্ট-হচ্ছে"]·DE["genuegen", "ἀρκεῖσθε"]·EN["be-content", "being-content", "being-satisfied", "we-will-be-content"]·FR["suffire"]·heb["הִסְתַּפְּקוּ", "מִסְתַּפְּקִים", "מִסְתַפֵּק", "נִסְתַּפֵּק"]·HI["संतुष्ट-रहो", "संतुष्ट-होते-हुए", "सन्तुशत-रहेनगे", "सन्तुष्ट-होकर"]·ID["cukupkanlah", "kita-akan-puas", "puas"]·IT["arkeisthe", "arkesthēsometha", "arkoumenoi", "arkoumenos"]·jav["cekap", "cekap-marem-kemawon", "kita-bakal-marem.", "marem"]·KO["만족하는", "만족하라", "만족하리라.", "만족하면서"]·PT["contentai-vos", "contentando-vos", "nos-contentaremos", "satisfeito"]·RU["довольны-будем", "довольствуйтесь", "довольствующийся", "довольствуясь"]·ES["contentaos", "contentándoos", "contentándose", "estaremos-contentos"]·SW["mkiridhika", "shindwi", "toshekeni", "tutaridhika"]·TR["yetineceğiz", "yetinerek", "yetinin"]·urd["راضی-رہو", "قناعت-کرتے-ہوئے", "قناعت-کریں-گے۔"]
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
ἀρκέω, imperfect 3rd.pers.singular ἤρκειRefs 8th c.BC+future ἀρκέσω: aorist ἤρκεσα, Doric dialect ἄρκεσαRefs 5th c.BC+ —middle, aorist ἠρκεσάμην, 2nd pers.singular ἠρκέσω uncertain in Refs 4th c.BC+:—passive, infinitive ἀρκέεσθαιRefs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἤρκεσμαιRefs 5th c.AD+: aorist ἠρκέσθηνRefs 1st c.AD+: future ἀρκεσθήσομαιRefs 1st c.BC+:—ward off, keep off, with dative person et accusative of…