Greek word · G2426

ἱκανότης

hikanotēs

sufficiency

Fitness, competence, capability, adequacy for a task. It is a rare abstract noun formed from hikanos and occurs only here in the New Testament.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 22, 2026

What it means

ἱκανότης, -ητος, ἡ

(ἱκανός),

sufficiency, ability (Plat.): 2 Corinthians 3:5.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: Fitness, competence, capability, adequacy for a task. It is a rare abstract noun formed from hikanos and occurs only here in the New Testament.
Against the English: KJV/WEB/YLT 'sufficiency' now sounds like 'an adequate supply'. BSB/NIV 'competence', NASB 'adequacy' and NLT 'qualification' are closer to the original.
How it drifted: Same shift as hikanos: 'sufficiency' has come to mean quantity rather than capability.
Used elsewhere in the period: It is rare in Greek literature. Where it appears, it means the state of being adequate or capable. The related verb hikanoō ('make competent, qualify') follows in v. 6, and in the New Testament occurs elsewhere only in Col 1:12 ('who has qualified you to share in the inheritance').

2 Corinthians · 1

2 Corinthians 3:5 ἱκανότης sufficiency

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

Here: The noun from hikanos, found only here in the New Testament. Paul does not deny that he is competent. He denies that the competence is his own product.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.