Lexical Definition

‎ἀνάγκη‎ anánkē (an-ang-kay') necessity ^G:N-F
from ‎ἀνά‎ and the base of ‎ἀγκάλη‎

distress, must needs, (of) necessity(-sary), needeth, needful.

• constraint (literally or figuratively)
• by implication, distress

Abbott-Smith

ἀνάγκη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX chiefly for מָצוֹק, צַר;]
1. necessity: ἔχειν ἀ-, c. inf., to be compelled, Lk 14:18 23:17 (Rec., R, mg.), I Co 7:37, Ju 3, He 7:27; ἐξ ἀ., κατ' ἀ., of necessity, II Co 9:7, He 7:12, Phm 14; ἀ. μοι ἐπίκειται, n. is laid on me, I Co 9:16; c. inf. (= ἀναγκαῖον ἐστι), Mt 18:7, Ro 13:5, He 9:16, 23
2. force, violence, hence pain, distress (Diod., al.; LXX; v. M, Th., 41; MM, VGT, s.v.; cf. θλίψις): Lk 21:23, I Co 7:26, I Th 3:7; pl. (v. Bl., § 32, 6; Swete, Mk., 153), ἐν ἀ., II Co 6:4 12:10.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἀνάγκη,

Ionic dialect and Epic dialect ἀναγκαίη, ἡ, force, constraint, necessity, κρατερὴ δ᾽ ἐπικείσετ᾽ ἀ.[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀναγκαίη γὰρ ἐπείγει[ἀνάγκη πτώσσει; 5.633; οἷσιν ἀ. (i.e. φυλάσσειν) 10.418, +others: but in 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus usually in \_dative\_ as ">Refs 8th c.BC+]adverb, ἀνάγκῃ perforce, of necessity, ἀείδειν[Refs 8th c.BC+]: in active sense, forcibly, by force, ἴσχειν, ἄγειν, [ἀνάγκης 19.156">Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to ἑκόντες, [ἀνάγκης 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 73, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 3.40, etc.; δι᾽ ἀνάγκης 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Timaeus” 47e; σὺν ἀνάγκᾳ 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “P.” 1.51; πρὸς ἀνάγκαν 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 569 codices (Lyric poetry), compare 1st-2nd c.AD: Epictetus Philosophus “Enchiridion” 29.2; κατ᾽ ἀνάγκην 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 4.3.7: ἀνάγκη ἐστί,">Refs 5th c.BC+] with infinitive, it must be that.., is necessary that..,[Refs 8th c.BC+]: with dative person, ἀ. μοι σχεθεῖν[Refs 4th c.BC+] —in Trag. frequently in answers and arguments, πολλή γ᾽ ἀνάγκη, πολλή᾽ στ᾽ ἀνάγκη, or πολλή μ᾽ ἀνάγκη, with which an infinitive may always be supplied, [ἀνάγκη “El.” 1497, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 441d">Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀνάγκη μεγάλη [ἐστί[ἀνάγκην ἔχω,">Refs 5th c.BC+] with infinitive, [NT]

__2 necessity in the philosophical sense, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; logical necessity, Metaphorical[Refs]laws of nature, τίσιν ἀνάγκαις ἕκαστα γίγνεται τῶν οὐρανίων[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.b natural need, γαστρὸς ἀνάγκαις[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__2.c ἡ ἀ. τοῦ τόπου the lie of the ground as a necessary condition, [Refs]
__2.d ἀνάγκη δαιμόνων, αἱ ἐκ θεῶν ἀνάγκαι, fate, destiny, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently personified in Poets, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 compulsion exerted by a superior, ἀ. προστιθέναι, ἐπιτιθέναι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3.b violence, punishment, especially of torture, mostly plural, ἐς ἀνάγκας ἄγεσθαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ πρὸς ἀνάγκας ὄργανα instruments of torture, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: later in singular, ἡ ἀ. τῶν βασάνων[ἀνάγκην ">Refs 1st c.AD+]under torture, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δολοποιὸς ἀ., i. e. the stratagem of Nessus, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3.c duress, 'force majeure', ὅρκους οὓς ποιέονται ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ὄντες[Refs 3rd c.AD+]; stress of circumstances, ἀκούσιοι ἀ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3.d treatment by mechanical force, τῶν ἀναγκῶν τινὰ προσφέρειν[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__4 bodily pain, anguish, κατ᾽ ἀνάγκην ἕρπειν painfully, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὑπ᾽ ἀνάγκης βοᾶν[Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, distress, ἐν ἀνάγκαις γλυκὺ γίνεται καὶ τὸ σκληρόν[NT+4th c.BC+]
__II tie of blood, kindred, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III ={ἡ δικαστικὴ κλεψύδρα}, [Refs 5th c.AD+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Luke.14.18 ☩ LXX.Job.15.24 ☩ 1Cor.7.26 ☩ 2Cor.6.4}