What does ἀναγκάζω (anankázō) mean in the Bible?
ἀναγκάζω (anankázō): Compel by force or persuasion; constraint overriding normal choice or preference.
Greek · G315
ἀναγκάζω
To necessitate
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ἀναγκάζω G315
Pronunciation anankázō
What does ἀναγκάζω (anankázō) mean in the Bible?
ἀναγκάζω (anankázō): Compel by force or persuasion; constraint overriding normal choice or preference.
Full entry for ἀναγκάζω (G315) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G315?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [Jesus] made (2), [and] I tried to make [them] (1), are trying to compel (1), can you compel (1), compel [them] (1).
Where does ἀναγκάζω (anankázō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 14:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Galatians (3), Acts (2), 2 Corinthians (1), Luke (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It [Jesus] made 2× Matthew 14:22, Mark 6:45
[and] I tried to make [them] 1× Acts 26:11
are trying to compel 1× Galatians 6:12
can you compel 1× Galatians 2:14
compel [them] 1× Luke 14:23
drove 1× 2 Corinthians 12:11
I was compelled 1× Acts 28:19
was compelled 1× Galatians 2:3
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 14:22 ἠνάγκασεν to [Jesus] made Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Mark 6:45 ἠνάγκασεν to [Jesus] made Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 14:23 ἀνάγκασον to compel [them] Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Acts 26:11 ἠνάγκαζον to [and] I tried to make [them] Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Acts 28:19 ἠναγκάσθην to I was compelled Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 12:11 ἠναγκάσατε to drove Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Galatians 2:3 ἠναγκάσθη to was compelled Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Galatians 2:14 ἀναγκάζεις to can you compel Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular Galatians 6:12 ἀναγκάζουσιν to are trying to compel Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 14:22
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 6
Matthew 1 Mark 1 Luke 1 Acts 2 2 Corinthians 1 Galatians 3
Source forms
ἠνάγκασεν 2x ēnankasen Matthew 14:22, Mark 6:45
ἀναγκάζεις 1x anankazeis Galatians 2:14
ἀναγκάζουσιν 1x anankazousin Galatians 6:12
ἀνάγκασον 1x anankason Luke 14:23
ἠνάγκαζον 1x ēnankazon Acts 26:11
ἠναγκάσατε 1x ēnankasate 2 Corinthians 12:11
ἠναγκάσθη 1x ēnankasthē Galatians 2:3
ἠναγκάσθην 1x ēnankasthēn Acts 28:19
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Matthew 14:22, Mark 6:45
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 1x Luke 14:23
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural 1x 2 Corinthians 12:11
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person Singular 1x Acts 28:19
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Galatians 2:3
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 1x Acts 26:11
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular 1x Galatians 2:14
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 1x Galatians 6:12
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Compel by force or persuasion; constraint overriding normal choice or preference.
Strong's G315
Lexical occurrences 9 verses Greek text appearances 9 times Word forms 2 forms 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 14:15–24 Source Gloss
to necessitate
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
9 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 14:22 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἠνάγκασεν hnagkasen
I force, compel
Read verse Mark 6:45 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἠνάγκασε hnagkasen
I force, compel
Read verse Luke 14:23 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
ἀνάγκασον anagkason
I force, compel
Read verse Acts 26:11 Verb First Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
ἠνάγκαζον hnagkazon
I force, compel
Read verse Acts 28:19 Verb First Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἠναγκάσθην hnagkasqhn
I force, compel
Read verse 2 Corinthians 12:11 Verb Second Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
ἠναγκάσατε· hnagkasate
I force, compel
Read verse Galatians 2:3 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἠναγκάσθη hnagkasqh
I force, compel
Read verse Galatians 2:14 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Indicative
ἀναγκάζεις anagkazeiv
I force, compel
Read verse Galatians 6:12 Verb Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative
ἀναγκάζουσιν anagkazousin
I force, compel
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 9 Tenses Aorist, Imperfect, Present Voices Active, Passive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 8×
Aorist Active Matt 14:22 · Mark 6:45 · 2 Cor 12:11 3×
Aorist Passive Acts 28:19 · Gal 2:3 2×
Present Active Gal 2:14 · Gal 6:12 2×
Imperfect Active Acts 26:11 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Aorist Active Luke 14:23 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 9 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 6 present 2 imperfect 1
Voice
active 7 passive 2
Mood
indicative 8 imperative 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 14:22 ἠνάγκασεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 6:45 ἠνάγκασεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 14:23 ἀνάγκασον aorist active imperative imperative Acts 26:11 ἠνάγκαζον imperfect active indicative background Acts 28:19 ἠναγκάσθην aorist passive indicative completed 2 Corinthians 12:11 ἠναγκάσατε aorist active indicative completed Galatians 2:14 ἀναγκάζεις present active indicative ongoing Galatians 2:3 ἠναγκάσθη aorist passive indicative completed Galatians 6:12 ἀναγκάζουσιν present active indicative ongoing
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
compel urgently
Additional Occurrences
Luke 14:15–24 ἀνάγκασον anankázō
Compel
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἀναγκάζω is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Expresses earnest urgency in bringing outsiders to the feast. Luke 14:15–24
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain