αὐτάρκ-εια G0841
self-sufficiency, contentment, competence, adequate resources
A noun denoting self-sufficiency or contentment with what one has. Paul speaks of God providing sufficiency so believers abound in good works (2 Corinthians 9:8). He commends godliness with contentment as great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). Classical philosophy, especially Stoicism, prized autarkeia as the ideal of needing nothing external. Paul transforms this virtue: Christian contentment depends not on internal resources but on God's provision.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The two Pauline occurrences show different nuances. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, 'sufficiency' or 'all you need' emphasizes God supplying adequate resources for generosity. In 1 Timothy 6:6, 'contentment' emphasizes satisfaction with what one has rather than craving more. Both contrast with self-reliant Stoic autarkeia by grounding sufficiency in divine provision. German 'Genügsamkeit' (enough-ness) captures the contentment aspect while 'sufficiency' captures the adequacy aspect. 2×
AR["القَناعَةِ", "كِفايَةٍ"]·ben["পরিতৃপ্তির।", "পরিপূর্ণতা"]·DE["Genuegsamkeit"]·EN["contentment", "sufficiency"]·FR["se-suffire", "αὐταρκείας"]·heb["דַּי", "הִסְתַּפְּקוּת"]·HI["पर्याप्तता", "सन्तोश"]·ID["kecukupan", "kepuasan"]·IT["autarkeias", "autosufficienza"]·jav["kacukupan", "marem."]·KO["자족.", "자족함을"]·PT["contentamento", "suficiência"]·RU["довольство", "довольством"]·ES["contentamiento", "suficiencia"]·SW["kujitosheleza", "kuridhika"]·TR["yeterliliğe", "yetinme"]·urd["قناعت۔", "کفایت"]
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
αὐτάρκ-εια, ἡ, self-sufficiency, independence, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II concrete, a sufficiency, Refs 3rd c.AD+; a competence, Refs 2nd c.AD+