Bible Dictionaries
Will, Would

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

signifies (a) objectively, "that which is willed, of the will of God," e.g., Matthew 18:14; Mark 3:35 , the fulfilling being a sign of spiritual relationship to the Lord; John 4:34; 5:30; 6:39,40; Acts 13:22 , plural, "my desires;" Romans 2:18; 12:2 , lit., "the will of God, the good and perfect and acceptable;" here the repeated article is probably resumptive, the adjectives describing the will, as in the Eng. versions; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:9; 5:17 , "of the Lord;" Colossians 1:9; 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:18 , where it means "the gracious design," rather than "the determined resolve;" 2 Timothy 2:26 , which should read "which have been taken captive by him" [(autou), i.e., by the Devil; the RV, "by the Lord's servant" is an interpretation; it does not correspond to the Greek] unto His (ekeinou) will" (i.e., "God's will;" the different pronoun refers back to the subject of the sentence, viz., God); Hebrews 10:10; Revelation 4:11 , RV, "because of Thy will;" of human will, e.g., 1 Corinthians 7:37; (b) subjectively, the "will" being spoken of as the emotion of being desirous, rather than as the thing "willed;" of the "will" of God, e.g., Romans 1:10; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 8:5; Ephesians 1:1,5,11; Colossians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1; Hebrews 10:7,9,36; 1 John 2:17; 5:14; of human "will," e.g., John 1:13; Ephesians 2:3 , "the desires of the flesh;" 1 Peter 4:3 (in some texts); 2 Peter 1:21 . See DESIRE , A, No. 5, PLEASURE, Note (1).

denotes "a willing, a wishing" [similar to No. 1 (b)], Hebrews 2:4 .

"a deliberate design, that which is purposed," Romans 9:19; 1 Peter 4:3 (in the best texts). See PURPOSE , A, No. 1.

(eu, "well," dokeo, "to think") is rendered "good will" in Luke 2:14 , AV (see WELL PLEASED); Philippians 1:15 : see DESIRE , PLEASURE , SEEM , pleasing.html">WELL-PLEASING.

"good will" (eu, "well," nous, "the mind"), occurs in Ephesians 6:7 (in some texts, 1 Corinthians 7:3 ).

Notes: (1) In Acts 13:36 , AV, boule, "counsel" (RV), is translated "will." (2) In Revelation 17:17 , AV, gnome, "an opinion," RV, "mind," is translated "will." (3) For "will-worship," Colossians 2:23 , see WORSHIP , B, No. 2.

"of free will, willingly," occurs in Romans 8:20 , RV, "of its own will" (AV, "willingly"); 1 Corinthians 9:17 , RV, "of my own will" (AV, "willingly"). In the Sept., Exodus 21:13; Job 36:19 .

a, negative, and No. 1, "unwillingly," occurs in 1 Corinthians 9:17 , RV, "not of mine own will" (AV, "against my will"). In the Sept., Job 14:17 .

* When "will" is not part of the translation of the future tense of verbs, it represents one of the following:

for the force of which see DESIRE , B, No. 6, usually expresses "desire" or "design;" it is most frequently translated by "will" or "would;" see especially Romans 7:15,16,18-21 . In 1 Timothy 2:4 , RV, "willeth" signifies the gracious "desire" of God for all men to be saved; not all are "willing" to accept His condition, depriving themselves either by the self-established criterion of their perverted reason, or because of their self-indulgent preference for sin. In John 6:21 , the AV renders the verb "willingly" (RV, "they were willing"); in 2 Peter 3:5 , AV, the present participle is translated "willingly" (RV, "willfully").

The following are RV renderings for the AV, "will:" Matthew 16:24,25 , "would;" "wouldest," Matthew 19:21; 20:21; "would," Matthew 20:26,27; Mark 8:34,35; 10:43,44; "would fain," Luke 13:31; "would," John 6:67; "willeth," John 7:17; in John 8:44 , "it is your will (to do);" "wouldest," Romans 13:3; "would," 1 Corinthians 14:35; 1 Peter 3:10 .

for the force of which see DESIRE , B, No. 7, usually expresses the deliberate exercise of volition more strongly than No. 1, and is rendered as follows in the RV, where the AV has "will:" Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22 , "willeth;" James 4:4 , "would;" in James 3:4 , RV, "willeth" (AV, "listeth"). In James 1:18 the perfect participle is translated "of His own will," lit. "having willed."

"to be about to," is translated "will" in Matthew 2:13; John 7:35 (twice); "wilt," John 14:22; "will," Acts 17:31; "wouldest," Acts 23:20; "will," Acts 27:10; Revelation 3:16 . See ABOUT , B.