ἀγγαρεύω (G29) — Greek Lexicon

ἀγγαρεύω

angareúō

G29 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ἀγγαρ- to requisition, to compel for state service, to press into service

Definition

To require someone to perform a service, especially a task demanded by representatives of state or authority, most commonly the requisitioning of a person for official duties such as transporting goods or messages. In Koine contexts, most often to compel an individual to carry out a compulsory, state-mandated service, typically without prior consent.

Semantic Range

to requisition for authority, to press into forced service (esp. for carrying messages or burdens), to compel for a public duty, to impress into temporary official service

Root / Etymology

From a Persian loanword via Aramaic אִגָּר (ʾiggār, 'courier, express messenger'). The verb is constructed on this foreign noun base plus the Greek verbal ending -εύω, indicating the performance or exercising of a function.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested first in Hellenistic Greek, particularly in texts shaped by Persian administrative practices, the term ἀγγαρεύω reflects a specific legal and social reality: under Persian (and later Greco-Roman) systems, state authorities had the right to requisition private individuals or their animals for transporting official messages, military equipment, or other duties (the ancient equivalent of pressing into postal or military service). In the New Testament, ἀγγαρεύω occurs in contexts where Roman authorities could force civilians to carry burdens (e.g., Simon of Cyrene compelled to carry Jesus' cross, Mark 15:21; Matthew 27:32). The meaning is narrower and more technical than the general English 'compel' or 'force'; the idea centers on a legal or institutional mandate to perform a service for the state. This meaning was foreign to classical Greek, and its presence in Koine is an example of administrative vocabulary arising in the imperial contexts of the eastern Mediterranean. English translations often render the term simply as 'compel,' but the historical background involves specific, state-imposed duties, not general coercion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin (compare אִגְּרָא); properly, to be a courier, i.e. (by implication) to press into public service:--compel (to go).

Root Family

ἀγγαρεύω (angareuō) — to requisition, to compel for state service, to press into service

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G29-03`	ἠγγάρευσαν	eggareusan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	they compelled	they requisitioned for service	they requisitioned for service	1
`G29-02`	ἀγγαρεύσει	aggareusei	`V FUT ACT IND 3P SG`	forces	will press into service	will press into service	1
`G29-01`	ἀγγαρεύουσιν	aggareuousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they compel	they press into service	they compel	1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G29-02`	Matthew 5:41	ἀγγαρεύσει	aggareusei	`V FUT ACT IND 3P SG`	forces	will press into service	will press into service
`G29-03`	Matthew 27:32	ἠγγάρευσαν	eggareusan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	they compelled	they requisitioned for service	they requisitioned for service
`G29-01`	Mark 15:21	ἀγγαρεύουσιν	aggareuousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they compel	they press into service	they compel

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