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Bible Dictionaries
To Desire, Will, Purpose
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or Both βούλομαι and θέλω, which latter word is of much more frequent use, are translated 'to will' and the latter 'to desire,' with other variations of both in the A.V.
The distinction of the two words seems to be justly designated (at least as to their N.T. use) thus: θέλω expresses in general 'to exercise the will' — the will which proceeds from inclination or desire. βούλομαιis the will which follows from deliberation, and involves a carefully-weighed purpose.
They occur together in Matthew 1:19; Joseph not desiring (θέ.) to expose Mary publicly, purposed (βο.) to have put her away secretly. In 1 Timothy 5:11 , as to the younger widows not being put on the list, they will (θέ.), their desire is, to marry: in 1 Timothy 5:14 Paul's deliberate judgement and will is that they should; "I will (βο.) therefore."
In Philippians 13 the apostle "would have" (βο.), was desirous of, keeping Onesimus with him, but without Philemon's mind" willed (θέ.) to do nothing.' Also in 1 Timothy 2:4 , as to "God our Saviour, who desires that all men should be saved," it is θέλω: see Ezekiel 18:23 (LXX, Vat. ) "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" (with which may be compared 1 Corinthians 12:18 "as it hath pleased [θέ.] him," and 1 Corinthians 15:38 ): in 1 Timothy 2:8 it is βούλομαι as in 1 Timothy 5:14 "I will therefore," the active wish being implied.
For θέλωsee more fully John 6:67 , "Will ye also go away?" not simply the act, but the will to do it: 'is it your will or disposition?' 'are ye also disposed to go away?' Luke 15:28 : "he was angry, and 'would' not go in." Mark 6:19 : "would have killed him." 1 Corinthians 10:27 : "and ye be 'disposed' to go." Matthew 17:12 : "whatsoever they listed." Compare the use of θέλωfor 'I would' and 'would not' in Romans 7:15,16,18,19,20,21 , in opposition to 'I hate,' 'I do.' Also 1 Corinthians 7:7 : "I would that all men were even as myself." Romans 9:16 : "it is not of him that willeth." Mark 9:35; Mark 12:38 , may be added where it is 'desire' and 'love.'
For βούλομαι see Matthew 11:27 : "he to whomsoever the Son will(or 'wills to') reveal him." Hebrews 6:17 : "wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel." (The word 'counsel' is the substantive βουλή: it occurs ten times so rendered in the A.V.) So 1 Corinthians 12:11 of the "Spirit, dividing to every one severally as he will." James 1:18 : "of his own will" — 'having so purposed or willed:' it was the fruit of His own mind, and so a free gift (James 1:17 ). 2 Peter 3:9 : "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance," thus becomes clear as the expression of His purpose. 2 Peter 3:5 may be referred to for the force of θέλω: "this they are willingly ignorant of," or "this is hidden from them through their own wilfulness."
With the above may be compared the judicial 'will' or 'would' (βούλομαι) of Acts 18 :15; Acts 22:30; Acts 23:28; Acts 25:22; Acts 28:18; and Pilate's use of it in putting the momentous decision to the Jews, John 18:39 . In 1 Timothy 6:9 , it will be seen that "will be rich" (βο.) includes the idea of purpose; as also James 4:4 , with regard to the friendship of the world.
Ephesians 1:11 brings together the substantives formed from the two words: "after the counsel (βουλή) of his own will (θέλημα)." The latter is used in Ephesians 2:3 , "the 'desires' of the flesh and of the mind;" and the consistent distinction of the former is maintained in 1 Corinthians 4:5 , "and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts."
βούλημα only occurs in Acts 27:43 , translated 'purpose,' and Romans 9:19 , 'will.'
πρόθεσιςis another word connected with 'purpose,' which is its fitting translation: it is, according to the verb προτίθημι, what I set before myself, and so propose and determine. See for the verb Romans 1:13 and Ephesians 1:9 . The substantive, πρόθεσις, is found in connection with the 'showbread' in its physical force of setting forth, or placing a thing in view, Hebrews 9:2 — the O.T. expression for the rite of the "setting forth of the loaves"; but, following the verb, it is "purpose of heart" in Acts 11:23 (comp. 2 Timothy 3:10 ), and in five other passages applied to the purposes of God's heart, Romans 8:28; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:11 (where it is closely associated with βουλήand θέλημα); Ephesians 3 :11; 2 Timothy 1:9 .
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'To Desire, Will, Purpose'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/t/to-desire-will-purpose.html. 1897.
