ἱκᾰν-ός G2425
Sufficient, considerable, competent, or numerous; an adjective spanning adequacy of persons, greatness of degree, large quantity, and (substantivized) a legal security bond.
The adjective hikanos derives from hikneomai ('to reach, arrive at') and carries the root idea of 'reaching the mark' — being enough, adequate, or up to the task. In the Gospels it frequently describes considerable extent: a 'considerable' crowd (Mark 10:46), a 'long' time (Luke 8:27), 'many' days (Acts 9:23). Yet some of its most memorable appearances convey personal unworthiness — John the Baptist declares himself 'not worthy' to untie Jesus' sandals (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16), and the centurion protests he is 'not fit' for Jesus to enter his house (Matt 8:8; Luke 7:6). The Spanish bastante/suficiente/digno and German genug trace the same range from quantity through quality to moral standing. In one remarkable legal usage (Acts 17:9), the neuter substantive to hikanon becomes a technical term for bail or bond money — sufficiency crystallized into a financial guarantee.
Senses
1. considerable, great in degree — Indicating considerable degree, extent, or duration — great in size, intensity, or length of time. In Matthew 28:12 the chief priests give the soldiers 'a considerable sum of money,' and in Luke 8:27 a man had been demon-possessed 'for a considerable time.' Mark 10:46 describes 'a considerable crowd' leaving Jericho with Jesus. The Spanish bastante/grande and French suffisant render the quantitative amplification. This sense extends hikanos beyond mere adequacy into the territory of impressively large scope. 15×
AR["طَويلٍ", "عَظِيمٌ", "كافِيًا", "كَبيرٌ", "كَثيرَةً", "كَثيرَةٍ", "كَثِيرًا", "كَثِيرٌ", "كَثِيرٍ", "وَكَثِيرٌ"]·ben["অনেক", "অনেকক্ষণ", "দীর্ঘ", "বড়", "বহু", "যথেষ্ট"]·DE["genug"]·EN["Considerable", "considerable", "for-a-long", "great", "long", "sufficient"]·FR["capable", "suffisant"]·heb["גָּדוֹל", "דַּי", "הָמוֹן", "רַב", "רַבִּים"]·HI["बड़ा", "बड़ी", "बहुत", "बहुत-से", "बहुती", "लंबे"]·ID["Banyak", "banyak", "besar", "cukup", "cukup-banyak", "cukup-besar", "cukup-lama", "lama", "yang-cukup-besar", "yang-lama"]·IT["sufficiente"]·jav["Kathah", "akèh-sanget", "cekap", "dangu", "dangunipun", "gedhé", "ingkang-dangu.", "kathah", "kathah."]·KO["긴", "많은", "오래", "오랜", "큰"]·PT["Considerável", "Muito", "considerável", "grande", "muito", "muitos"]·RU["Довольно", "Достаточного", "большая", "великая", "великий", "великую", "давних", "долгие", "долгим", "долгое", "достаточно", "значительной", "значительную", "много"]·ES["Bastante", "Grande", "a-mucha", "considerable", "grande", "mucho", "suficientes"]·SW["Nyingi", "kikubwa", "kubwa", "mkubwa", "mkubwa.", "mrefu", "muda", "muda-mrefu", "nyingi", "siku", "wengi"]·TR["büyük", "büyük,", "uzun", "çok"]·urd["بڑی", "بڑے", "بہت", "بہت-سی", "تھی", "لمبے", "کافی"]
Matt 28:12, Mark 10:46, Luke 7:12, Luke 8:27, Luke 20:9, Luke 23:8, Acts 8:11, Acts 11:24, Acts 11:26, Acts 14:3, Acts 19:26, Acts 20:11 (+3 more)
2. many, numerous — Quantitative sense indicating a large number of persons or things: many, numerous. In Acts 9:23 'many days had passed,' in Acts 12:12 'many' had gathered to pray, and in Luke 23:9 Herod questioned Jesus 'at considerable length' (literally 'with many words'). The Spanish muchos/bastantes confirms the purely numerical reading. While sense 1 emphasizes degree or magnitude, this sense foregrounds countable plurality — many people, many days, many words. 12×
AR["كَافِيَةِ", "كَثيرونَ", "كَثيرينَ", "كَثيرَةٍ", "كَثِيرَةً", "كَثِيرَةٌ", "كَثِيرَةٍ", "كَثِيرُونَ", "وَكَثِيرُونَ"]·ben["অনেক", "অনেককে", "অনেকে", "অনেকে।", "বহু", "যথেষ্ট"]·DE["genug"]·EN["many"]·FR["capable", "suffisant"]·heb["דַּיֵּהֶם", "מַסְפִּיקוֹת", "רַבִּים", "רַבּוֹת"]·HI["काफ़ी", "बहुत", "बहुत-से", "बहुते", "बहुतों-को"]·ID["banyak", "besar", "cukup-banyak"]·IT["sufficiente"]·jav["kathah", "kathah,", "kathah-tiyang", "kathah-tiyang,", "kathah.", "sawetawis"]·KO["많은", "많은-이들이", "많은-자들을", "많은-자들이", "적지-않은-이들이", "충분한"]·PT["muitas", "muitos", "muitos,", "muitos."]·RU["больших", "достаточно", "достаточные.", "многие", "многих"]·ES["Muchos", "a-muchos", "bastantes", "muchas", "muchos"]·SW["mengi", "miaka", "nyingi", "wengi", "wengi."]·TR["birkaç", "birçok", "birçoğu", "birçoğunu", "yeterli", "çok", "çokları"]·urd["بہت", "بہت-سی", "بہت-سے", "کئی", "کافی"]
3. worthy, fit, competent — Of persons: worthy, fit, competent, or qualified for a role or task. John the Baptist's confession 'I am not worthy to carry his sandals' (Matt 3:11) and the centurion's 'I am not fit for you to come under my roof' (Matt 8:8; Luke 7:6) are among the New Testament's most poignant expressions of humility. The Spanish digno/capaz and the Pauline use in 2 Corinthians 2:16 ('who is sufficient for these things?') and 2 Corinthians 3:5 ('not that we are sufficient of ourselves') elevate this sense into the theological register of human inadequacy before divine calling. The word tests whether a person 'reaches' the standard required. 9×
AR["أَكْفاءَ", "أَهلٌ", "أَهْلًا", "أَهْلًا-أَنْ", "كافينَ", "كافٍ", "مُستَحِقًّا"]·ben["যোগ্য", "যোগ্য,", "যোগ্য?"]·DE["genug"]·EN["competent", "fit", "sufficient", "worthy"]·FR["capable", "suffisant"]·heb["מֻכְשָׁרִים", "רְאוּיִים", "רָאוּי"]·HI["योग्य"]·ID["cakap", "layak", "layak,", "mampu"]·IT["ikanoi", "sufficiente"]·jav["cekap", "cekap?", "pantes", "pantes,"]·KO["유능한-자들이리라", "자격-있는", "합당하다", "합당한", "합당한-자들", "합당한가"]·PT["capaz", "capazes", "digno", "digno,"]·RU["достоин", "способен", "способны", "способными", "я"]·ES["capaces", "digno", "suficiente", "suficientes"]·SW["anayefaa?", "kwamba", "mwenye-kustahili,", "nastahili", "sistahili", "stahili", "tunaweza", "wenye-uwezo"]·TR["bunlar", "değil", "dır-", "layık", "layık,", "layığım", "yeterli"]·urd["آئے", "قابل", "لائق"]
4. sufficient, enough — Sufficient or enough in quantity or degree to meet a particular need. In Luke 22:38 the disciples say 'here are two swords' and Jesus replies 'it is enough.' Mark 15:15 uses it when Pilate, 'wishing to satisfy the crowd,' releases Barabbas. In 2 Corinthians 2:6 the punishment inflicted by the majority is 'sufficient.' The Spanish suficiente and German genug map directly onto this sense of adequacy — neither excess nor deficit, but precisely enough to meet the demand at hand. 3×
AR["كافٍ", "كَافِيَ"]·ben["যথেষ্ট"]·DE["genug"]·EN["Enough", "satisfaction", "sufficient"]·FR["capable", "suffisant"]·heb["דַּי", "מַסְפִּיק", "רָצוֹן"]·HI["पर्याप्त", "बहुत-है"]·ID["Cukup", "cukup"]·IT["sufficiente"]·jav["Cekap", "cekap"]·KO["만족할-것을", "충분하다"]·PT["suficiente"]·RU["Довольно", "достаточно", "достаточное"]·ES["Suficiente", "suficiente"]·SW["Inatosha", "inatosha", "kuridhisha"]·TR["Yeterli", "yeterince", "yeterli"]·urd["مناسب", "کافی"]
5. bond, security deposit — A substantivized legal-commercial term (to hikanon) meaning a bond, security deposit, or bail. In Acts 17:9 the Thessalonian authorities release Jason and the others only after 'taking security' (labontes to hikanon) from them. The Spanish fianza ('bail/surety') precisely captures the legal technicality. This is a specialized outgrowth of the core meaning: what is 'sufficient' to guarantee an obligation becomes, in legal parlance, the guarantee itself. Latin translations used satis dare ('to give surety'), confirming the juridical register. 1×
AR["كفالَةَ"]·ben["জামিন"]·DE["genug"]·EN["bond"]·FR["capable"]·heb["הָעֵרָבוֹן"]·HI["ज़मानत"]·ID["jaminan"]·IT["sufficiente"]·jav["jaminan"]·KO["보증금을"]·RU["залог"]·ES["fianza"]·SW["dhamana"]·TR["kefili"]·urd["کافی"]
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
ἱκᾰν-ός [ῐ], ή, όν, (ἱκνέομαι) sufficing, becoming, befitting; prose adjective, used two or three times by Trag. (see. below): __I of persons, sufficient, competent to do a thing, with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἱ. τεκμηριῶσαι sufficient to prove a point, Refs 5th c.BC+; τίς σοῦ -ώτερος πεῖσα; Refs 5th c.BC+; ἱ. ζημιοῦν with sufficient power to punish, Refs 5th c.BC+ with accusative _of things_,…