From the base of chraomai or chre; employment, i.e. An affair; also (by implication) occasion, demand, requirement or destitution -- business, lack, necessary(-ity), need(-ful), use, want.

see GREEK chre

see GREEK chraomai

1. necessity, need: τά πρός τήν χρείαν (L T Tr WH πρός τάς χρείας (cf. below)), such things as suited the exigency, such things as we needed for sustenance and the journey, Acts 28:10; εἰς τάς ἀναγκαίας χρείας (A. V. for necessary uses), i. e. to supply what is absolutely necessary for life ((cf. Babrius fab. 136, 9); others understand the 'wants' here as comprising those of charity or of worship), Titus 3:14; πρός οἰκοδομήν τῆς χρείας, for the edification of souls, of which there is now special need, Ephesians 4:29 (cf. R. V. and marginal reading); ἐστι χρεία, there is need, followed by an accusative with infinitive Hebrews 7:11; ἐστι χρεία τίνος, there is need of something, Revelation 22:5 Griesbach; Luke 10:42 ((but not WH marginal reading)); ἔχω χρείαν τίνος, to have need of (be in want of) something (often in the Greek writings from Aeschylus down, cf. Passow, under the word, 1; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 1)), Matthew 6:8; Matthew 21:3; Mark 11:3; Luke (); ; John 13:29; 1 Corinthians 12:21, 24; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; Hebrews 10:36; Revelation 3:17 R G (see below); (not Griesbach); τοῦ with an infinitive Hebrews 5:12 (Winers Grammar, § 44, 4 a.; cf. τίς, 2 b., p. 626a bottom); the genitive of the thing is evident from the context, Acts 2:45; Acts 4:35; with the genitive of a person whose aid, testimony, etc., is needed, Matthew 9:12; Matthew 26:65; Mark 2:17; Mark 14:63; Luke 5:31; ἔχω χρείαν, followed by an infinitive (cf. Buttmann, § 140, 3), I, etc. have need to etc., Matthew 3:14; Matthew 14:16; John 13:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9 (with which cf. 5:1 (see Winers Grammar, 339 (318); Buttmann, § 140, 3)); followed by ἵνα (see ἵνα, II. 2 c. (Buttmann, § 139, 46; cf. Epictetus diss. 1, 17, 18)), John 2:25; John 16:30; 1 John 2:27; χρείαν ἔχω, absolutely, to have need: Mark 2:25; (Ephesians 4:28); 1 John 3:17; οὐδέν χρείαν ἐηξω, to have need as to nothing (cf. Buttmann, § 131, 10), Revelation 3:17 L T Tr WH. ἡ χρεία with a genitive of the subjunctive the condition of one deprived of those things which he is scarcely able to do without, want, need: λειτουργός τῆς χρείας μου (see λειτουργός, 2 at the end), Philippians 2:25; πληροῦν τήν χρείαν τίνος (Thucydides 1. 70), Philippians 4:19; (add, εἰς (Lachmann brackets εἰς) τήν χρείαν μοι ἐπέμψατε, unto (i. e. to relieve, cf. εἰς, B. II. 3 c. γ., p. 185b top) my need, Philippians 4:16); plural one's necessities: ταῖς χρείαις ... ὑπηρέτησαν, to provide for one's necessities, Acts 20:34; κοινωνεῖν ταῖς χρείαις (cf. p. 352{a} top), Romans 12:13.

2. duty, business (so especially from Polybius down (cf. Judith 12:10; 1 Macc. 12:45 1 Macc. 13:37; 2 Macc. 7:24, etc.)): Acts 6:3.