Quick Definition
ἱκανός, ή, όν Adj sufficient, worthy, many, much
Strong's Definition
competent (as if coming in season), i.e. ample (in amount) or fit (in character)
Derivation: from ( or , akin to G2240 (ἥκω)) (to arrive);
KJV Usage: able, + content, enough, good, great, large, long (while), many, meet, much, security, sore, sufficient, worthy
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ή, -όν | ἱκανόω
78.50 · Degree · Completely, Enough [Completive Degree]
enough, sufficient a degree which is sufficient In some languages one can express the concept of sufficiency in 2CO 2:6 by introducing a negative, for example, ‘it is not necessary to punish such a person more.’ For another interpretation of ἱκανός in 2CO 2:6, see 78.14.
78.14 · Degree · Much, Little [Positive-Negative Degree]
great, intense, bright (in relationship to light) a relatively high point on a scale of extent It is also possible to understand ἱκανός in 2CO 2:6 as ‘sufficiency’ (see 78.50).
75.2 · Adequate, Qualified
adequate, qualified (derivative of ἱκανότης ‘adequacy,’ 75.1) pertaining to being adequate for something
MAT 3:11 · MAT 8:8 · MRK 1:7 · LUK 3:16 · LUK 7:6 · 1CO 15:9 · 2CO 2:16 · 2CO 3:5 · 2TI 2:2
59.44 · Quantity · Enough, Sufficient
enough, sufficient pertaining to a quantity which is adequate for a particular purpose
59.2 · Quantity · Many, Few [Countables]
considerable, many, quite a number of a considerable number of objects or events, probably implying what could be expected under the circumstances
LUK 8:32 · LUK 23:9 · ACT 9:23 · ACT 9:43 · ACT 12:12 · ACT 14:21 · ACT 18:18 · ACT 19:19 · ACT 20:8 · ACT 27:7 · 1CO 11:30
59.12 · Quantity · Much, Little [Masses, Collectives, Extensions]
large, considerable, extensive a relatively large quantity, probably implying what could be expected under the circumstances
MAT 28:12 · MRK 10:46 · LUK 7:12 · LUK 8:27 · ACT 8:11 · ACT 11:24 · ACT 11:26 · ACT 14:3 · ACT 19:26 · ACT 20:11 · ACT 27:9
25.96 · Attitudes and Emotions · Acceptable To, To Be Pleased With
Collocation: ποιέω τὸ ἱκανόν
to act in a pleasing manner, to please (an idiom, literally: to do what is enough) to cause someone to be pleased by doing what will satisfy
57.169 · Possess, Transfer, Exchange · Pay, Price, Cost
Collocation: ἱκανόν
bond, bail, the amount of money required for release the amount of money required to release someone who has been held in custody It may be necessary in a number of languages to be very specific about the meaning of ἱκανόν, for example, ‘the amount of money which had to be paid in order for someone to be released from arrest.’
1 Compare ἱκανός[b] meaning a relatively high point on a scale of extent (78.14) and also ἱκανός[e] (59.2) and ἱκανός[f] (59.12) referring to quantity. 2 ACT 22:6 ἱκανός as an expression of degree also occurs with the meaning of ‘enough’ (see 78.50), but the meaning of ‘enough’ or ‘sufficient’ would not be appropriate in ACT 22:6.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἱκανός, -7, -όν, (fr. ik, ἱκάνω ; prop. ‘reaching to’, ‘attaining to’; hence ‘adequate’); as in Grk. writ. fr. Hdt. and Thue. down, sufficient; a. of number and quantity; with nouns, many enough, or enough with a gen. : ὄχλος ἱκανός, a great multitude [A. V. often much people}, Mk. x. 46; Lk. vii. 12; Acts xi. 24, 26; xix. 26; λαύς, Acts v. 87 RG; κλαυθμός, Acts xx. 81; ἀργύρια ἱκανά, [A. V. large money, cf. the collog. ‘money enough’], Mt. xxviii. 12; λαμπάδες, Acts xx. 8; λόγοι; Lk. xxiii. 9; φῶς ἱκανόν, a considerable light [A. V. ἃ great light}, Acts xxii. 6. of time: ἱκανῷ χρόνῳ [οἵ. W. § 31, 9; B. § 133, 26] for a long time, [ Lk. viii. 27 T Trtxt. WII]; Acts viii. 11; also ἱκανὸν χρόνον, Acts xiv. 3; and plur. Lk. xx. 9; ἐξ ἱκανοῦ, of a long time, now for a long time, Lk. xxiii. 8 RG; also ἐκ χρόνων ἱκανῶν, Lk. viii. 27 RG LTrmrg.; xxiii. 8 LT Tr WH; [ἀπὸ ἱκανῶν ἐτῶν, these many years, Ro. xv. 23 WH Tr txt.]; ἱκανοῦ χρόν. διαγεν. much time having elapsed, Acts xxvii. 9; ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν, for a long while, Acts xx. 11 (2 Mace. viii. 25; Diod. 18, 100; Palaeph. 28); ἡμέραι {ef. Bp. Lehtft. on Gal. p. 89 π.}, Acts ix. 23,435 xviii. 18; xxvii. 7. absol. ἱκανοί, many, a considerable number: Lk. vii. 11 [RG Lbr. T Trmrg. br.]; Acts xii. 12; xiv. 21; xix.19; 1 Co. xi. 30, (1 Mace. xiii- 49, etc.). ἱκανόν ἐστιν, it is enough, i. q. enough has been said on this subject, Lk. xxii. 38 (for Jesus, saddened at the paltry ideas of the disciples, breaks off in this way the conversation; the Jews, when a companion uttered any thing absurd, were wont to use the phrase D237 39 [A. V. let it suffice thee, ete.], as in Deut. iii. 26, where Sept. ixaνούσθω) ; ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη, sc. ἐστί, suflicient ...is this punishment, 2 Co. ii. 6; after the Lat. idiom satisfacere alicui, τὸ ix. ποιεῖν τινι, to take away from one every ground of complaint [A. V. to content], Mk. xv. 15 (Polyb. 82, 7, 13; App. Pun. p. 68 ed. Toll. [8 74, i. p. 402 ed. Schweig.]; Diog. Laért. 4, 50); τὸ ix. λαμβάνω (Lat. satis accipio), to take security (either by accepting sponsors, or by a deposit of money until the case had been decided), Acts xvii. 9. b. suflicient in ability, i. e. meet, fit, (Germ. tiichtig [A. V. worthy, able, ete.]): πρὸς tt, for something, 2 Co. ii. 10; foll. by an inf. [B. 260 (223 sq.)], Mt. iii. 11; Mk. i. 7; Lk. iii. 16; 1 Co. xv. 9; 2 Co. iii. 5; 2 Tim. ii. 2; foll. by ἵνα with subjune. [B. 240 (207); ef. W. 335 (314)]: Mt. viii. 8; Lk. vii. 6.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἱκανός hikanos 39x
befitting; sufficient, enough, Lk. 22:38; ἱκανὸν ποιεῖν τινί, to satisfy, gratify, Mk. 15:15; τὸ ἱκανὸν λαμβάνειν, to take security or bail of any one, Acts 17:9; or persons, adequate, competent, qualified, 2 Cor. 2:16; fit, worthy, Mt. 3:11; 8:8; of number or quantity, considerable, large, great, much, and pl. many, Mt. 28:12; Mk. 10:46
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἱκανός, -ή, -όν
(< ἵκω, ἱκάνω, to reach, attain), [in LXX for דַּי, etc.;]
of persons, suffcient, competent, fit: c. inf., Mt 3:11, Mk 1:7, Lk 3:16, I Co 15:9, II Co 3:5, II Ti 2:2; seq. πρός, II Co 2:16; seq. ἵνα, Mt 8:8, Lk 7:6.
Of things, in number, quantity or size, sufficient, enough, much, many: absol., ἱκανοί, Lk 7:11 (WH, R, omit) 8:32, Ac 12:12 14:21 19:19, I Co 11:30; ὄχλος ἱ., Mk 10:46, Lk 7:12, Ac 11:24, 26 19:26; κλαυθμός, Ac 20:37; ἀργύρια, Mt 28:12; λαμπάδες, Ac 20:8; λόγοι, Lk 23:9; φῶς, Ac 22:6; ἱ, ἐστιν (cf. רַב לָכֶם, LXX ἱκανούσθω, De 3:26), Lk 22:38; τὸ ἱ. ποιεῖν (Lat. satisfacere; cf. Je 31 (48):30), Mk 15:15; τὸ ἱ. λαμβάνειν (Lat. satis accipere; v. M, Pr., 20 f.), Ac 17:9; of time, ἡμέραι ἱ., Ac 9:23, 43 18:18 27:7; ἱ. χρόνος, Lk 8:27, Ac 8:11 14:3 27:9; pl., Lk 20:9; ἐκ χρόνων ἱ., Lk 23:8; ἀπὸ ἱ. ἐτῶν, Ro 15:23 (WH); ἐφ’ ἱκανόν (cf. II Mac 8:25), Ac 20:11.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἱκανός. P Petr II. 20%-7(B.c. 252) καὶ ταῦτα ἱκανοῦ τινος πλήθους [ἐπ] πεπτωκότος ἀπό τε τοῦ ἀγοραστοῦ καὶ τοῦ φορικοῦ, ‘and this when a large quantity of market and tax wheat has come in” (Ed.), P Lille I. 378 (after B.c. 241) ἱκανὰ πλήθη, ““ des sommes considérables” (Ed.), P Tebt I. 245 (B.C. 117) ἱκανὰ κεφάλαια, 76. 29! (c. B.C. 110) ἱκανῆς φορολογίας, and AMiche/ 3081° (first half ii/B.c.) ἱκανά τινα λυσιτελῆ περιπεπόηκεν, Cagnat IV. 914° (A.D. 74) ἱκανὸν ἀ[ρ]γύριον. With reference to time cf. P Par 152% (B.c. 120) ἐφ᾽ ἱκανὸν χρόνον, P Tor I. ri 15 (pic. 117) ἐφ᾽ ἱκανὰς ἡμέρας. For the word of persons see P Oxy XIV. 167215 (i/A.D.) ἐπιγνοὺς [οὖ]ϊν τὸν παρὰ col ἀέρα ἱκανὸς ἔσῃ περὶ πάντων, and for its absolute use, as in Ac 1212, 1 Cor 11°, see Chrest. I. 11B Fr. (a)? (B.c. 123) εἰς τ[ὴ]ν πόλιν ἐπιβαAédvres μ[ετὰ τ]ῶν ἱκανῶν καὶ ἱ{[ππ]έῳν [these two words are inserted above the line] περιεκάθισαν ἡμῶν τὸ φρούριον : cf. P Tebt 1. 4115 (c. B.c. 119) ἱκανῶν ἡμῶν, ‘many of us” (Edd.), and P Oxy I. 448 (late ija.p.) ὡς ἱκανὰ βλαπτομένων, ‘Son the plea that they had incurred sufficient loss already” (Edd.). The neut. ἱκανόν is common = “ bail,” “security,” e.g. P Oxy 11. 29478 (a.p. 22) ἐὰν μή τι πίσωσι τὸν ἀρχιστάτορα δο[ῦν]αι εἱκανὸν ἕως ἐπὶ διαλογισμόν, “unless indeed they persuade the chief usher to give security for them until the session” (Edd.), BGU II. 530° (i/a.p.) (= Selections, p. 62) ἀπαιτῖται ὑπὸ τῶν πρακτόρων ἱκανόν ““security is demanded by the tax-gatherers,” P Ry] II. 773° (A.D. 192) κελεύσατε ὃ ἔδωκα ἱκανὸν ἀνεθῆναι, ‘order the bail which I provided to be released” (Edd.), P Strass I. 3 , Ikoviov 4181 (A.D. 250)’ Avt[w]yi[vos] ῥήτωρ elrev’ ‘“Ikavdv διδόασιν. Ἑ;ρμανοῦβις εἶπεν: ‘‘Ikava [παρ]ασχέτωσαν ᾿: cf. also the new verb ἱκανοδοτέω = satzs do in P Oxy II. 25939 (A.D. 23) and ἱκανοδότης in BGU IV. 1189% (about the end of i/B.c.). For τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιεῖν, as in Mk 15), cf. BGU IV. 114118 (B.C. 14) ἐάν gor” pws τὸ ἱκανὸν ποήσῃ γράψον μοι, P Giss I. got (A.p. 212) τὸ ἱκανὸν ποι[ζεῖν, and for τὸ ἱκανὸν λαμβάνειν, as in Ac 17°, cf. OGZS 484° (ii/A.D.) τὸ ikav[ov mpd κρίσεως λ[α]μβάνεσθαι, 73. 6291 (ii/a.D.) ov[tos τ]ὸ ἱκανὸν λαμβανέτω. On the Latinisms involved in these phrases see Proleg. p. 20 f. The thought of “sufficient in ability,” as in 2 Cor 218, is seen in P Tebt I. 3718 (B.C. 73) ἐγὼ οὖν περισπώμενος (cf. Lk 10%) περὶ ἀναγκαίων γέγραφά σοι ἵνα ἱκανὸς γένῃ, “ therefore, as I am occupied with urgent business, I have written to you so that you may undertake the matter’? (Edd.). MGr ἱκανός, “ready,” “able.” For the adverb see P Petr III. 53(v) (iii/B.C.) κἀγὼ δ᾽ ἱκανῶς εἶχον, “1 am myself well enough,” P Oxy VIII. 1088 (medical prescription—early i/a.p.) ἄλλο ἐνεργὲς ἱκανῶς, ‘‘another, tolerably strong,” P Tebt II. 411° (ii/A.D.) 6 yap κράτιστος ἐπιστράτηγος ἱκανῶς σε ἐπεζήτησε, ‘‘for his highness the epistrategus has made several inquiries for you” (Edd.). ixavow. P Tebt I. 20% (B.c. 113) ἐὰν λογάρια ἀπαιτῶνται tkavwθῆναί σε μέχρι τοῦ pe παραγενέσθαι, ‘if accounts are demanded consider that you have full powers until my arrival” (Edd.). See also Anz Suédszdza, p. 353. ixetnoia. With the use of this word in Heb 57 cf. P Tebt II. 3268 (c. A.D. 266) ὑπὲρ θυγατρὸς ὀρφανῆς kal καταδεοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν, δέσποτα ἡγεμών, ἱκετηρίαν τιθεμένη ἐπὶ τὸ σὸν μέγεθος καταφεύγω, ‘on behalf of my orphan daughter who is under age, my lord praefect, I make this supplication and take refuge in your power” (Edd.), P Oxy I. 71/3 (a.p. 303) τὴν ἱκ[ετ]ηρίαν προσάγω εὔελπις dy τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ σοῦ μεγέθους δικαιοκρισίας τυχεῖν, “ I make my petition to you with full confidence that I shall obtain justice from your highness” (Edd.), Sy// 666% (ii/B.c.) ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ ἱερεὺς τῆς "Tovos ἔθετο τὴν ἱκετηρίαν ἐν τῆι βουλῆι κτλ. For a similar use of ἱκετεία (cf. Sir 3219) cf. P Petr II. 19 (1a)? (iii/B.c.) μετὰ δεήσεως kal ἱκετείας, P Par 39° (B.C. 161) δέομαι ὑμῶν μεθ᾽ ἱκετείας : see also 74. 68 ©: (ii/A.D.) ἱκεσίους σοι χεῖρας.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἱκανός (hikanos) — sufficient. 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_, ἀνὴρ γνώμην ἱ. a man of sufficient prudence, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱ. τὴν ἰατρικήν sufficiently versed in medicine, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with dative person, a match for, equivalent to, εἷς ἔχων ἰατρικὴν πολλοῖς ἱ. ἰδιώταις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; αὐληταὶ ἱ. ὡς πρὸς ἰδιώτας very tolerable in comparison with.., [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ὁ Ἱ. the Almighty, [LXX]
I.2. in bad sense, capable, ἱ. εἶ λαλῶν κατακόψαι πάντα [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. of things, in amount, sufficient, adequate, τὰ ἀρκοῦνθ᾽ ἱ. τοῖς γε σώφροσιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱκανὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ηὐτύχηται they have had successes enough, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱ. εἴς, ἐπί, πρός τι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of size, large enough, οὐχ ἱκανῆς οὔσης τῆς Ἁττικῆς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδ᾽ ἦν ἱκανά σοι.. μέλαθρα.. ἐγκαθυβρίζειν not large enough to riot in, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of number or magnitude, considerable, λῦπαι [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.; of Time, considerable, long, ἱ. χρόνον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with personal construction, ἔφη ἱκανὸς αὐτὸς ἀτυχῶν εἶναι [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.2. sufficient, satisfactory, ἱ. μαρτυρίαν παρέχεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ ἱ. λαμβάνειν to take security or bail, [NT+2nd c.AD+]; τὸ ἱ. ποιεῖν give security, [Refs 2nd c.BC+] (but simply, satisfy, τῷ ὄχλῳ [NT+3rd c.BC+]; ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν,= ἱκανῶς, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
III. adverb -νῶς sufficiently, adequately, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λαγόνες λαπαραὶ ἱ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later, considerably, amply, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; fully, μιᾶς ὥρας ἱ. παρελθούσης [Refs 1st c.BC+]
III. b excessively, οὔτε γὰρ ἱ. ὑγρόν ἐστι not too moist, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III.2. ἱ. ἔχειν to be sufficient, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱ. ἐχέτω let this be enough, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱ. ἔχειν τινί to be sufficiently supplied with.. , [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative -ωτάτως[Refs 5th c.BC+]; -ώτατα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
Bible Occurrences (40)
📖 Greek Word Study — In-Depth Study from Precept Austin
Sufficient (2425) hikanos