G1876 G1876
necessary, compulsory
An adverb meaning 'of necessity' or 'by compulsion,' derived from ἀνάγκη (necessity). Acts 15:28 uses it in the apostolic decree to the Gentile believers: 'It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things' (ἐπάναγκες). The term distinguishes essential requirements from optional practices, marking minimal non-negotiable standards.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Jerusalem Council identifies a short list of 'necessary' requirements for Gentile believers. The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'necesarias,' German form preserved) converges on compulsion or obligation. These are not suggestions but binding minimums: abstaining from food offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. The adverb marks these as indispensable for fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. 1×
AR["ضَرورِيَّةِ"]·ben["প্রয়োজনীয়"]·DE["ἐπάναγκες"]·EN["necessary-things"]·FR["nécessaire"]·heb["הֶכְרֵחִי"]·HI["आवश्यक-बातों-के"]·ID["yang-perlu"]·IT["necessariamente"]·jav["perlu"]·KO["필수적인"]·PT["necessárias-coisas:"]·RU["необходимого"]·ES["necesarias"]·SW["lazima"]·TR["zorunlu-olanların"]·urd["ضروری"]
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
Included with: ἐπᾰνάγκ-ης, used only in neuter: __1 ἐπάναγκές [ἐστι] it is compulsory, necessary, with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; μηδὲν ἐ. ἔστω let there be no compulsion,Refs __2 as adverb, on compulsion, ἐ. κομῶντες wearing long hair by fixed custom, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. λέγειν, ἐντίθεσθαι, NT+4th c.BC+