ἐπαρκέω
eparkéō
G1884 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To provide assistance, support, or relief; to be sufficient for someone's need or circumstance, especially by offering practical help or aid. Also used with the sense of being able to meet a demand or requirement, or to render help that relieves another from difficulty or distress.
Semantic Range
to be sufficient for, to provide assistance, to support, to relieve distress or need, to help in practical or material ways
Root / Etymology
From the compound of ἐπί (upon, in addition) and ἀρκέω (to suffice, to be enough). The prefix ἐπί adds the nuance of 'for' or 'upon,' intensifying the sense of sufficiency toward a particular person or situation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and Hellenistic Greek, ἐπαρκέω typically means 'to come to aid,' 'to render assistance,' or 'to help sufficiently.' This verb often appears in contexts requiring practical, material, or even moral support, and can carry the sense of being commensurate to a need or crisis—'to be sufficient for helping.' In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term appears in contexts emphasizing relief from hardship or provision in times of need (e.g., Acts 20:34, 1 Timothy 5:16). Unlike ἀρκέω (which simply means 'to be sufficient'), ἐπαρκέω suggests sufficiency directed outward, supplying or providing for others. Standard English translations often render it as 'relieve,' 'help,' or 'support,' but the nuance of sufficiency specifically aimed at another's need is more explicit in the Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπί and ἀρκέω; to avail for, i.e. help:--relieve.
Root Family
ἐπαρκέω (eparkeō) — to suffice, to be enough, to aid, to support, to relieve
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1884-03 |
ἐπήρκεσεν | eperkesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
she has relieved | rendered sufficient aid | 1 |
G1884-02 |
ἐπαρκέσῃ | eparkese | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG |
may relieve | may provide relief | 1 |
G1884-01 |
ἐπαρκείτω | eparkeito | V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG |
let her relieve | let him/her provide aid | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1884-03 |
1 Timothy 5:10 | ἐπήρκεσεν | eperkesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
she has relieved | rendered sufficient aid |
G1884-01 |
1 Timothy 5:16 | ἐπαρκείτω | eparkeito | V PRS ACT IMP 3P SG |
let her relieve | let him/her provide aid |
G1884-02 |
1 Timothy 5:16 | ἐπαρκέσῃ | eparkese | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG |
may relieve | may provide relief |