ἀναγκάζω (anagkazō)
anagkazō
to compel
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb anagkazō means to compel or constrain someone to act, often through force or urgent necessity. It appears nine times in the New Testament, with notable occurrences in Acts and Galatians. For instance, Jesus compelled his disciples to get into a boat and head across the lake despite the weather (Matthew 14:22), while Paul describes being forced by circumstances to travel to Jerusalem (Acts 28:19). The word carries a sense of pressure that leaves little room for refusal.
Its root implies a necessity that drives action, whether through physical force or strong persuasion. In Galatians 2:14, Paul confronts Peter, saying he compelled him to live like a Jew, highlighting the social and relational pressures involved. Translators often render it as "compel" or "force," though the context determines whether the pressure is external or internal. This word underscores the reality that some actions are driven by forces beyond personal preference.
Understanding anagkazō helps clarify scenes where characters act under significant pressure, revealing the tension between free will and necessity in biblical narratives.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word anagkazō describes a pressure that leaves little room for refusal. It appears in scenes where characters act under significant force or urgent necessity, such as Jesus making his disciples enter a boat before crossing the lake (Matthew 14:22). This sense of compulsion reminds us that God’s leading often comes with a clear direction, even when circumstances feel turbulent or uncertain.
In other contexts, the pressure is social or relational. Paul notes how false teachers compel believers to follow rules to avoid persecution (Galatians 6:12), and he confronts Peter for forcing Gentiles to live like Jews (Galatians 2:14). These instances show how external expectations can distort truth. Yet, the gospel offers a different kind of constraint: the love of Christ constrains us (2 Corinthians 5:14), not to burden us, but to guide us toward freedom and service.
When you feel pushed by circumstances or people, remember that God’s will is never contrary to His character. He does not force you into sin or fear. Instead, He provides strength for the path He sets before you. Trust that His leading, though sometimes urgent, is always rooted in grace and purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- He compelled2×
- was compelled1×
- do you compel1×
- do compel [them]1×
- compelled.1×
- compel1×
- I was compelling [them]1×
- I was compelled1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἠνάγκασεν2×
- ἠνάγκαζον1×
- ἠναγκάσθην1×
- ἠναγκάσθη1×
- ἠναγκάσατε.1×
- ἀνάγκασον1×
- ἀναγκάζουσιν1×
- ἀναγκάζεις1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 14:22
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
Jesus compels the disciples into the boat, showing His sovereign control over events even when they seem dangerous.
-
Galatians 2:14
But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?
Paul confronts Peter for compelling Gentiles to Judaize, highlighting how social pressure can compromise gospel truth.
-
Galatians 6:12
As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised, just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
False teachers compel circumcision to avoid persecution, revealing their motive is self-preservation rather than faith.