ἐνδεής (endeēs)
endeēs
impoverished
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective endeēs describes a state of being in want or destitute, capturing the reality of poverty and lack. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Acts 4:34, where Luke notes that there were no needy persons among the believers. This single usage highlights the radical generosity of the early church, which ensured that financial hardship did not leave anyone without basic necessities.
Etymologically, the word combines a prefix implying "in" with a root meaning "to lack," effectively painting a picture of someone who is internally or materially empty. It aligns with Old Testament Hebrew terms for the poor and needy, emphasizing physical deprivation rather than just spiritual humility. Translators typically render it as "needy" or "poor," reflecting a tangible condition of insufficiency that the community actively worked to resolve.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word endeēs paints a picture of someone who is truly in want, lacking even the basic necessities of life. In Acts 4:34, Luke uses this term to describe a radical reality in the early church where no one among the believers was left in such a state. This was not an accident but the result of intentional generosity, as those with land and houses sold them to support those who were impoverished.
This passage invites us to consider how our resources might be used to ensure that no one in our community is left behind. It challenges the idea that wealth is solely for personal comfort and points toward a shared life where needs are met through mutual care. The early Christians did not just feel pity; they acted to remove the condition of being endeēs from among them.
While we may not live in the same communal structure as the first believers, the principle remains: our faith should be visible in how we treat those who lack. By looking out for one another, we reflect a love that meets tangible needs and fosters a sense of belonging for everyone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in need1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐνδεής1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 4:34
For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
This verse uses endeēs to highlight the complete absence of poverty in the early Christian community, achieved through the voluntary sale of property by those who had means.