Bible Dictionaries
Purpose

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"a purpose or will" (akin to boulomai, "to will, wish, purpose"), "a deliberate intention," occurs in Acts 27:43 , "purpose;" Romans 9:19 , "will;" 1 Peter 4:3 , in the best mss. (some have thelema), AV, "will," RV, "desire." See WILL.

"a setting forth" (used of the "showbread"), "a purpose" (akin to B, No. 3), is used (a) of the "purposes of God," Romans 8:28; 9:11; Ephesians 1:11; 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; (b) of "human purposes," as to things material, Acts 27:13; spiritual, Acts 11:23; 2 Timothy 3:10 . See SHEWBREAD.

"an opinion, purpose, judgement," is used in the genitive case with ginomai, "to come to be," in Acts 20:3 , "he purposed," AV (RV, "he determined"), lit., "he came to be of purpose."

Notes: The following phrases are translated with the word "purpose:" (a) eis auto touto, "for this same (or very) "purpose," lit., "unto this same (thing)," Romans 9:17; Ephesians 6:22; Colossians 4:8; (b) eis touto, "for this purpose," Acts 26:16 , AV (RV, "to this end"), lit., "unto this;" so 1 John 3:8; (c) eis ti, "to what purpose," Matthew 26:8 , lit., "unto what;" Mark 14:4; RV, "to what purpose" (AV, "why").

"to take counsel, resolve," always in the Middle Voice in the NT, "to take counsel with oneself," to determine with oneself, is translated "I purpose" in 2 Corinthians 1:17 (twice). See COUNSEL , B, No. 1.

"to put, place," is used in the Middle Voice in Acts 19:21 , "purposed," in the sense of resolving.

"to set before, set forth" (pro, "before," and No. 2, akin to A, No. 2), is used in Romans 3:25 , "set forth," RV marg., "purposed," AV marg., "foreordained," Middle Voice, which lays stress upon the personal interest which God had in so doing; either meaning, "to set forth" or "to purpose," would convey a scriptural view, but the context bears out the former as being intended here; in Romans 1:13 , "I purposed;" Ephesians 1:9 , "He purposed (in Him)," RV. See SET.

"to make," is translated "He purposed" in Ephesians 3:11 (for the noun prothesis, in the same verse, see A, No. 2). See DO , No. 1.

"to bring forth or forward," or, in the Middle Voice, "to take by choice, prefer, purpose," is translated "He hath purposed" in 2 Corinthians 9:7 , RV (AV, "he purposed").