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Bible Lexicons

Old & New Testament Greek Lexical DictionaryGreek Lexicon

Strong's #2309 - θέλω

Transliteration
thélō
Phonetics
Origin
apparently strengthened from the alternate form of (G138)
Parts of Speech
Verb
TDNT
3:44,318
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Definition   
Thayer's
  1. to will, have in mind, intend
    1. to be resolved or determined, to purpose
    2. to desire, to wish
    3. to love
      1. to like to do a thing, be fond of doing
    4. to take delight in, have pleasure
Hebrew Equivalent Words:
Strong #: 559 ‑ אָמַר (aw‑mar');  935 ‑ בּוֹא (bo);  1819 ‑ דָּמָה (daw‑maw');  1980 ‑ הָלַךְ (haw‑lak');  2308 ‑ חָדַל (khaw‑dal');  2654 ‑ חָפֵץ (khaw‑fates');  3245 ‑ יָסַד (yaw‑sad');  3985 ‑ מָאַן (maw‑ane');  5753 ‑ עָוָה (aw‑vaw');  5753 ‑ עָוָה (aw‑vaw');  6004 ‑ עָמַם (aw‑mam');  6634 ‑ צְבָה (tseb‑aw');  7200 ‑ רָאָה (raw‑aw');  7521 ‑ רָצָה (raw‑tsaw');  
Frequency Lists
Verse Results
KJV (212)
Matthew 42
Mark 25
Luke 29
John 23
Acts 16
Romans 15
1 Corinthians 17
2 Corinthians 9
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 3
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Philemon 1
Hebrews 4
James 2
1 Peter 2
2 Peter 1
3 John 1
Revelation 4
NAS (198)
Matthew 37
Mark 24
Luke 27
John 21
Acts 12
Romans 15
1 Corinthians 17
2 Corinthians 8
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Philemon 1
Hebrews 4
James 2
1 Peter 2
2 Peter 1
3 John 2
Revelation 5
HCS (204)
Matthew 41
Mark 25
Luke 27
John 22
Acts 13
Romans 15
1 Corinthians 17
2 Corinthians 8
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Philemon 1
Hebrews 4
James 2
1 Peter 2
2 Peter 1
3 John 1
Revelation 5
BSB (208)
Matthew 42
Mark 25
Luke 28
John 23
Acts 14
Romans 15
1 Corinthians 17
2 Corinthians 8
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Philemon 1
Hebrews 4
James 2
1 Peter 2
2 Peter 1
3 John 1
Revelation 5
ESV (175)
Matthew 32
Mark 23
Luke 22
John 23
Acts 12
Romans 13
1 Corinthians 12
2 Corinthians 7
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 2
1 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Hebrews 4
James 2
1 Peter 1
2 Peter 1
Revelation 4
WEB (215)
Matthew 45
Mark 25
Luke 28
John 24
Acts 15
Romans 18
1 Corinthians 18
2 Corinthians 9
Galatians 9
Philippians 1
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 1
1 Timothy 3
2 Timothy 1
Philemon 1
Hebrews 4
James 1
1 Peter 1
2 Peter 1
3 John 1
Revelation 4
Liddell-Scott-Jones Definitions

θέλω,

v. ἐθέλω and add ὅστις ἂν θέλῃ IG 12.49.12; ἐὰν δέ τις θέλῃ ib.6.106; ἐάν τις μὴ θέλῃ ib.40.27.

ἐθέλω or θέλω

(v. infr.), subj. ἐθέλωμι Il. 1.549, 9.397: impf. ἤθελον 14.120, etc.; and Lyr. ἔθελον 6.336, Thgn. 606, B. 10.73; Ion. ἐθέλεσκον Il. 13.106, Hdt. 6.12: fut. ἐθελήσω Il. 18.262, etc.; θελήσω Antipho 5.99: aor. 1 ἠθέλησα Hdt. 2.2, etc.; ἐθέλησα Il. 18.396; imper. θέλησον A. Pr. 783; subj. θελήσῃ ib. 1028, X. Cyr. 2.4.19, etc.; opt. θελήσαιμι S. OC 1133; part. θελήσας Id. OT 649 (lyr.): pf. ἠθέληκα X. Cyr. 5.2.9, Aeschin. 2.139, D. 47.5; τεθέληκα (Alexandrian acc. to Phryn. 307) LXX Psalms 41:12(42).12, Phld. Rh. 2.76 S., S.E. M. 2.37: plpf. ἠθελήκει X. HG 6.5.21; ἐτεθελήκεσαν D.C. 44.26 codd. (elsewh. ἠθελήκεσαν as 46.47): — θέλω is never found in Hom. or Hes. exc. Il. 1.277 (dub.), ὅττι θέλοιεν Od. 15.317 as v.l. (ἅσσ' ἐθέλοιεν Aristarch.), nor in Aeol.; rarely in early and Eleg., θέλοι h.Ap. 46, θέλει Sol. 27.12; but is found in Ion. Inscrr., SIG 45.16 (Halic., v B.C.), 1037.7 (Milet., iv B.C.), and in Semon. 7.13, Hippon. 22 B, Anacr. 92:

I

1. both forms in codd. of Hdt. and Hp. and in Heraclit. and Democr., also in Pi. and B.: Trag. never use ἐθέλω exc. in augmented forms, ἤθελον, -ησα: Com.never use θέλω exc. in phrases such as ἢν θεὸς θέλῃ, εἰ θεὸς θέλοι, Ar. Pl. 347, Ra. 533, or parodies of Trag.: early Att. Inscrr, have ἐθέλω IG 12.6.41, etc., till 250 B.C., when θέλω becomes common: Att. Prose writers rarely use θέλω exc. in phrases such as ἂν θεὸς θέλῃ Din. 2.3 or after a long vowel, e.g. μὴ θελῆσαι Th. 5.72, μὴ θελήσας Isaiah 8:11, μὴ θέλοντας And. 1.22, τῷ θέλοντι Id. 4.7, etc.; but θέλω Antipho 3.4.3, θελήσουσιν Id. 5.99: in later Gr. θέλω is regular exc. in the augmented forms; ἐθέλω is not found in LXX or NT: to be willing (of consent rather than desire, v. βούλομαι 1), but also generally, wish, Od. 3.324: Constr.: abs., esp. in part., ἐθέλων ἐθέλουσαν ἀνήγαγεν ib. 272; εἰ σύ γε σῷ θυμῷ ἐθέλοις Il. 23.894; ἀλλά μοι ἤθελε θυμός Od. 11.566: freq. folld. by inf. pres. or aor., wish to.., Il. 7.364, etc.: with inf. supplied, εἰ δ' ἐθέλεις πεζός (sc. ἰέναι) Od. 3.324: c. acc. et inf., wish that.., Il. 19.274, Hdt. 1.3; rarely folld. by ὥστε, E. Hipp. 1327: later c. ἵνα, Matthew 7:12, etc.: not used c. acc. only, exc. when an inf. is easily supplied, εὔκηλος τὰ φράζεαι ἅσσ' ἐθέλῃσθα (sc. φράζεσθαι) Il. 1.554, cf. 9.397, 7.182, Od. 14.172; σιτέονται δὲ οὐκ ὅσα ἐθέλουσι (sc. σιτέεσθαι) Hdt. 1.71, cf. Th. 5.50; εἰ καὶ τῆς ἀξίας ἔλαττον ἐθελήσειέ τις (sc. φράσαι) Jul. Or. 1.132a: also with neut. Pron. or Adj., τί δὴ θέλων; with what intent ? A. Pr. 118.

2. with neg., almost, = δύναμαι, as μίμνειν οὐκ ἐθέλεσκον ἐναντίον they cared not to make a stand, i.e. they were un able, Il. 13.106; οὐδ'.. ἤθελε θυμὸς τειρομένοις ἑτάροισιν ἀμυνέμεν 17.702: metaph. of things, of a stream, οὐδ' ἔθελε προρέειν ἀλλ' ἴσχετο would not run on, but stopped, 21.366, cf. Od. 8.223, 316, h.Cer. 45; αὔλειοι δ' ἔτ' ἔχει[] οὐκ ἐθέλουσι θύραι Sol. 4.28; τὰ δένδρα οὐδέν μ' ἐθέλει διδάσκειν Pl. Phdr. 230d, cf. R. 370b (said to be an Att. use, Greg.Cor. p.135 S.).

3. part., ἐθέλων or θέλων willingly, gladly, Od. 3.272, etc. (also πιθοῦ θελήσας S. OT 649 (lyr.)); οὐκ ἐθέλων, = ἀεκών, Il. 4.300; with Art. like ὁ βουλόμενος, whoever will, i.e. any one, S. Ph. 619, Aj. 1146, Pl. Grg. 508c, etc.

4. θέλεις οὐ θέλεις nolens volens, Arr. Epict. 3.9.16; θέλει οὐ θέλει ib. 3.3, M.Ant. 11.15.

5. μὴ ἔθελε, c. inf., do not, Il. 1.277, 2.247, E. Fr. 174.

6. εἰ θέλεις if you please, S. OT 343.

7. folld. by subj., τί σοι θέλεις δῆτ' εἰκάθω; in what wilt thou that I give way to thee? ib. 651 (lyr.); θέλεις μείνωμεν αὐτοῦ; Id. El. 80.

8. maintain, hold, c. acc. et inf., Plu. 2.883e, Paus. 1.4.6.

9. delight in, love, ἔν τινι LXX 1 Kings 18:22; τινά ib. Psalms 18:20(17).20; but οἱ κακῶς τινὰς θέλοντες their ill- wishers, Cat.Cod.Astr. 7.234.

10. ordain, decree, ἠθέλησεν [ὁ ἡγεμὼν] τὸν κίνδυνον τῆς προβολῆς εἶναι πρός τινας CPR 20.17 (iii A.D.), etc.

II of inanimate things (cf. supr. 1.2),

1 to express a future event, like our will or shall, εἰ ἐθελήσει ἀναβῆναι ἡ τυραννίς Hdt. 1.109; εἰ ἐθελήσει ἐκτρέψαι τὸ ῥέεθρον ὁ Νεῖλος Id. 2.11; εἰ θέλει τοι μηδὲν ἀντίξοον καταστῆναι Id. 7.49, cf. Pl. R. 370b, etc.: in this sense, very rarely of living things, οὐ δοῦναι θέλοι, = οὐκ ἂν δοίη, A. Eu. 429; εἴπερ.. οὗτός [σ'] ἐθέλει κρατῆσαι Ar. V. 536, cf. Pi. N. 7.90, Pl. R. 375a.

2. to be naturally disposed, to be wont or accustomed, c. inf., συμβάσιες ἰσχυραὶ οὐκ ἐ. συμμένειν Hdt. 1.74; μεγάλα πρήγματα μεγάλοισι κινδύνοισι ἐ. καταιρέεσθαι Id. 7.50; αἱ πλευραὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν ἐς τὸ εὐρὺ αὔξεσθαι Hp. Art. 41; οὐκ ἐ. αἱ γνῶμαι.. ὁμοῖαι εἶναι Th. 2.89; τοῦτ' ἐνδελεχὲς ἐ. γίγνεσθαι Arist. Mete. 347a5, cf. Metaph. 1013b27, al.; οὐ θέλει ζῆν, of premature births, Id. HA 575a28.

3. in phrases expressive of meaning, τὸ θέλει σημαίνειν τὸ τέρας Hdt. 1.78; τὸ θέλει τὸ ἔπος εἶπαι Id. 6.37; τὸ θέλει τὰ δῶρα λέγειν Id. 4.131; τὸ ἔπος τοῦτο ἐθέλει λέγειν ὡς.. Id. 2.13.

4. τοῦ θέλοντος, = τοῦ θελήματος, S. OC 1220 (lyr., s.v.l.).

Thayer's Expanded Definition

ἐθέλω, see θέλω.

STRONGS NT 2309: θέλω θέλω (only in this form in the N. T.; in Greek authors also ἐθέλω (Veitch, under the word; Lob. ad Phryn., p. 7; Buttmann, 57 (49))); imperfect ἤθελον; (future 3 person singular θελήσει, Revelation 11:5 WH marginal reading); 1 aorist ἠθέλησα; (derived apparently from ἑλεῖν with a fuller aspiration, so that it means properly, to seize with the mind; but Curtius, p. 726, edition 5, regards its root as uncertain (he inclines, however, to the view of Pott, Fick, Vanicek, and others, which connects it with a root meaning to hold to)); the Sept. for אָבָה and חָפֵץ; to will (have in mind) intend; i. e.:

1. to be resolved or determined, to purpose: absolutely, θέλων, Romans 9:16; τοῦ Θεοῦ θέλοντος if God will, Acts 18:21; ἐάν κύριος θελήσῃ. (in Attic ἐάν θεός θέλῃ, ἦν οἱ Θεοί θέλωσιν (cf. Lob. as above)), 1 Corinthians 4:19; James 4:15; καθώς ἠθέλησε, 1 Corinthians 12:18; 1 Corinthians 15:38; τί, Romans 7:15f, 19; 1 Corinthians 7:36; Galatians 5:17; with the aorist infinitive, Matthew 20:14; Matthew 26:15; John 6:21 (where the meaning is, they were willing to receive him into the ship, but that was unnecessary, because unexpectedly the ship was nearing the land; cf. Lücke, B-Crusius, Ewald (Godet), others at the passage; Winers Grammar, § 54, 4; (Buttmann, 375 (321))); John 12:44; Acts 25:9; Colossians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; Revelation 11:5, etc.; with the present infinitive, Luke 10:29 R G; John 6:67; John 12:17; John 8:44; Acts 24:6 (Rec.); Romans 7:21; Galatians 4:9 (here T Tr text WH text 1 aorist infinitive); with an infinitive suggested by the context, John 5:21 (οὕς θέλει, namely, ζοωποιησαι); Matthew 8:2; Mark 3:13; Mark 6:22; Romans 9:18; Revelation 11:6, etc. οὐ θέλω to be unwilling: with the aorist infinitive, Matthew 2:18; Matthew 15:32; Matthew 22:3; Mark 6:26; Luke 15:28; John 5:40; Acts 7:39; 1 Corinthians 16:7; Revelation 2:21 (not Rec.), etc.; with the present infinitive, John 7:1; Acts 14:13; Acts 17:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:10, etc.; with the infinitive omitted and to be gathered from the context, Matthew 18:30; Matthew 21:29; Luke 18:4, etc.; θέλω and οὐ θέλω followed by the accusative with an infinitive, Luke 1:62; 1 Corinthians 10:20; on the Pauline phrase οὐ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, see ἀγνοέω, a.; corresponding to θέλω ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, 1 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 2:1. θέλειν, used of a purpose or resolution, is contrasted with the carrying out of the purpose into act: opposed to ποιεῖν, πράσσειν, Romans 7:15, 19; 2 Corinthians 8:10f (on which latter passage cf. DeWette and Meyer; Winer's Grammar, § 61, 7b.); to ἐνεργεῖν, Philippians 2:13, cf. Mark 6:19; John 7:44. One is said also θέλειν that which he is on the point of doing: Mark 6:48; John 1:43 (44); and it is used thus also of things that tend or point to some conclusion (cf. Winers Grammar, § 42, 1 b.; Buttmann, 254 (219)): Acts 2:12; Acts 17:20. λανθάνει αὐτούς τοῦτο θέλοντας this (viz., what follows, ὅτι etc.) escapes them of their own will, i. e. they are purposely, wilfully, ignorant, 2 Peter 3:5, where others interpret as follows: this (viz. what has been said previously) desiring (i. e. holding as their opinion (for examples of this sense see Sophocles Lexicon, under the word, 4)), they are ignorant etc.; but cf. DeWette at the passage and Winers Grammar, § 54, 4 note; (Buttmann, § 150, 8 Rem.). τάς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρός ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν it is your purpose to fulfil the lusts of your father, i. e. ye are actuated by him of your own free knowledge and choice, John 8:44 (Winers Grammar, as above; Buttmann, 375 (321)).

2. equivalent to to desire, to wish: τί, Matthew 20:21; Mark 14:36; Luke 5:39 (but WH in brackets); John 15:7; 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 11:12; followed by the aorist infinitive, Matthew 5:40; Matthew 12:38; Matthew 16:25; Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:43; Luke 8:20; Luke 13:8; John 5:6, 35 (ye were desirous of rejoicing); ; Galatians 3:2; James 2:20; 1 Peter 3:10; followed by the present infinitive, John 9:27; Galatians 4:20 (ἤθελον I could wish, on which imperfect see εὔχομαι, 2); the infinitive is lacking and to be supplied from the neighboring verb, Matthew 17:12; Matthew 27:15; Mark 9:13; John 21:18; followed by the accusative and infinitive, Mark 7:24; Luke 1:62; John 21:22; Romans 16:19; 1 Corinthians 7:7, 32; 1 Corinthians 14:5; Galatians 6:13; οὐ θέλω to be unwilling (desire not): followed by the aorist infinitive, Matthew 23:4; Luke 19:14, 27; 1 Corinthians 10:20; followed by ἵνα, Matthew 7:12; Mark 6:25; Mark 9:30; Mark 10:35; Luke 6:31; John 17:24; cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 8 b.; (Buttmann, § 139, 46); followed by the deliberative subjunctive (aorist): θέλεις συλλέξωμεν αὐτά (cf. the German willst du,sollen wir zusammenlesen? (Goodwin § 88)), Matthew 13:28; add, Matthew 20:32 (where L brackets adds ἵνα); ; Mark 10:51; Mark 14:12; Mark 15:9, 12 (Tr brackets θέλεις); Luke 9:54; Luke 18:41; Luke 22:9 (cf. Winers Grammar, § 41 a. 4 b.; Buttmann, § 139, 2); followed by εἰ, Luke 12:49 (see εἰ, I. 4); followed by , to prefer, 1 Corinthians 14:19 (see , 3 d.).

3. equivalent to to love; followed by an infinitive, to like to do a thing, be fond of doing: Mark 12:38; Luke 20:46; cf. Winers Grammar, § 54, 4; (Buttmann, § 150, 8).

4. in imitation of the Hebrew חָפֵץ, to take delight, have pleasure (opposite by Buttmann, § 150, 8 Rem.; cf. Winer's Grammar, § 33, a.; but see examples below): ἐν τίνι, in a thing, Colossians 2:18 (ἐν καλῷ, to delight in goodness, Test xii. Patr., p. 688 (test. Ash. 1; (cf. εἰς ζωήν, p. 635, test. Zeb. 3); Psalm 111:1 (); Psalm 146:10 ()); ἐν τίνι, the dative of the person, 1 Samuel 18:22; 2 Samuel 15:26; (1 Kings 10:9); 2 Chronicles 9:8; for בְּ רָצָה, 1 Chronicles 28:4). τινα, to love one: Matthew 27:43 (Psalm 21:9 (); (Psalm 17:20 (); Psalm 40:12 (); Ezekiel 18:32, cf. Ezekiel 18:23; Tobit 13:6; epp. to μισεῖν, Ignatius ad Rom. 8, 3 [ET]; θεληθῆναι is used of those who find favor, ibid. 8, 1). τί, Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7 (from Hosea 6:6); Hebrews 10:5, 8 (fr. Psalm 39:7 ()). As respects the distinction between βούλομαι and θέλω, the former seems to designate the will which follows deliberation, the latter the will which proceeds from inclination. This appears not only from Matthew 1:19, but also from the fact that the Sept. express the idea of pleasure, delight, by the verb θέλειν (see just above). The reverse of this distinction is laid down by Alexander Buttmann (1873) Lexil. i., p. 26 (English translation, p. 194); Delitzsch on Hebrews 6:17. According to Tittmann (Syn., i., p. 124) θέλειν denotes mere volition, βούλεσθαι inclination; (cf. Whiston on Demosthenes 9, 5; 124, 13). (Philip Buttmanns statement of the distinction between the two words is quoted with approval by Schmidt (Syn., iii., chapter 146), who adduces in confirmation (besides many examples) the assumed relationship between βούλομαι and Φελπις, ἐλπίς; the use of θέλω in the sense of 'resolve' in such passages as Thucydides 5, 9; of θέλων equivalent to ἡδέως in the poets; of βούλομαι as parallel to ἐπιθυμέω in Demosthenes 29, 45, etc.; and passages in which the two words occur together and βούλομαι is apparently equivalent to 'wish' while θέλω stands for 'will' as Xenophon, an. 4, 4, 5; Euripides, Alc. 281, etc., etc. At the same time it must be confessed that scholars are far from harmonious on the subject. Many agree with Prof. Grimm that θέλω gives prominence to the emotive element, βούλομαι emphasizes the rational and volitive; that θέλω signifies the choice, while βούλομαι marks the choice as deliberate and intelligent; yet they acknowledge that the words are sometimes used indiscriminately, and especially that θέλω as the less sharply-defined term is put where βούλομαι would be proper; see Ellendt, Lex. Sophocles; Pape, Handwörterb.; Seiler, Wörterb. d. Homer, under the word βούλομαι; Suhle und Schneidewin, Handwörterb.; Crosby, Lex. to Xenophon, an., under the word ἐθέλω; (Arnold's) Pillon, Greek Syn. § 129; Webster, Synt. and Syn. of the Greek Testament, p. 197; Wilke, Clavis N. T., edition 2, 2:603; Schleusner, N. T. Lex. see under the word, βούλομαι; Munthe, Observations, phil. in N. T. ex Diodorus Siculus, etc., p. 3; Valckenaer, Scholia etc. ii. 23; Westermann on Demosthenes 20, 111; the commentators generally on Matt. as above; Lightfoot on Philemon 1:13, 14; Riddle in Schaff's Lange on Eph., p. 42; this seems to be roughly intended by Ammonius also: βούλεσθαι μέν ἐπί μόνου λεκτεον τοῦ λογικου. τό δέ θέλειν καί ἐπί ἀλογου ζοωυ; (and Eustathius on Iliad 1, 112, p. 61, 2, says ὀυχ' ἁπλῶς θέλω, ἀλλά βούλομαι, ὅπερ ἐπίτασις τοῦ θέλειν ἐστιν). On the other hand, Liddell and Scott (under the word ἐθέλω); Passow, edition 5; Rost, Wörterb. edition 4; Schenkl, Schulwörterb.; Donaldson, Crat. § 463f; Wahl; Clay. Apocrypha, under the word βούλομαι; Cremer, under the words, βούλομαι and θέλω; especially Stallb. on Platos de repub. 4, 13, p. 437 b. (cf. too Cope on Aristotle, rhet. 2, 19, 19); Franke on Demosthenes 1, 1, substantially reverse the distinction, as does Ellicott on 1 Timothy 5:14; Wordsworth on 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Although the latter opinion may seem to be favored by that view of the derivation of the words which allies βούλομαι with voluptas (Curtius, § 659, compare p. 726), and makes θέλω signify 'to hold to something,' 'form a fixed resolve' (see above, at the beginning), yet the predominant usage of the N. T. will be evident to one who looks up the passages referred to above (Fritzsche's explanation of Matthew 1:19 is hardly natural); to which may be added such as Matthew 2:18; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:38; Matthew 15:28; Matthew 17:4 (); (cf. Luke 22:42); Mark 6:19; Mark 7:24; Mark 9:30; Mark 10:35; Mark 12:38; Mark 15:9 (cf. John 18:39), Mark 15:15 (where R. V. wishing is questionable; cf. Luke 23:20); Luke 10:24; Luke 15:28; Luke 16:26; John 5:6; John 6:11; John 12:21; Acts 10:10; Acts 18:15; Romans 7:19 (cf. Romans 7:15, its opposed to μισῶ, and indeed the use of θέλω throughout this chapter); 1 Corinthians 7:36, 39; 1 Corinthians 14:35; Ephesians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10, etc. Such passages as 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9 will be ranged now on one side, now on the other; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:11, 18. θέλω occurs in the N. T. about five times as often as βούλομαι (on the relative use of the words in classic writers see Tycho Mommsen in Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 415f). The usage of the Sept. (beyond the particular specified by Prof. Grimm) seems to afford little light; see e. g. Genesis 24:5, 8; Deuteronomy 25:7; Psalm 39:7, 9 (), etc. In modern Greek θέλω seems to have nearly driven βούλομαι out of use; on θέλω as an auxiliary cf. Jebb in Vincent and Dickson's Handbook, Appendix §§ 60, 64. For examples of the associated use of the words in classic Greek, see Stephanus' Thesaurus under the word βούλομαι, p. 366 d.; Lightfoot, Cremer, and especially Schmidt, as above.)


Thayer's Expanded Greek Definition, Electronic Database.
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Abbott-Smith Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament

θέλω

(the strengthened form ἐθέλω is found in Hom., and is the more freq. in Attic; v. Rutherford, NPhr., 415 f.),

[in LXX for H14, H2654; c. neg., H3985 pi., etc.;]

to will, be willing, wish, desire (more freq. than βούλομαι , q.v., in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β ., v. Thayer, 286; but v. also Bl., § 24, s.v.): absol., Romans 9:16, 1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 12:18, James 4:15; τ . θεοῦ θέλοντος , Acts 18:21; c. acc rei, Matthew 20:21, Mark 14:36, John 15:7, Romans 7:15-16, 1 Corinthians 4:21; 1 Corinthians 7:36, Galatians 5:17; c. inf., Matthew 5:40, Mark 10:43, John 6:21; John 6:67, Romans 7:21, Galatians 4:9; c. acc et inf., Mark 7:24, Luke 1:62, John 21:22-23, Romans 16:19, 1 Corinthians 14:5, Galatians 6:13; οὐ θέλω , Matthew 18:30 al.; id. c. inf., Matthew 2:18, Mark 6:26, John 5:40, 1 Corinthians 16:7; seq. ἵνα , Matthew 7:12, Mark 6:25, John 17:24; opp. to ποιέω , πράσσω , ἐνεργέω , Romans 7:15; Romans 7:19, 2 Corinthians 8:10-11, Philippians 2:13; seq. (ICC, in l; Deiss., LAE, 179.24), 1 Corinthians 14:19; θέλων ἐν ταπεινοφροσυνῄ (of his own mere will, by humility, R, mg), Colossians 2:18; in OT quotations, for Heb. H2654, c. acc pers., Matthew 27:43; c. acc rei, Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7, Hebrews 10:5; Hebrews 10:8; c. inf., 1 Peter 3:10; for H559 c. inf., Acts 7:28 (v. Cremer, 726 ff.).

ἐθέλω , vs. θέλω .


Abbott-Smith Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament.
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
Vocabulary of the Greek NT

For the form ἐθέλω, which is wanting in the NT as in the LXX, Nägeli (p. 57) refers to the magic papyri and to the poetic IMAc III. 1064 : it is common in the Attic inscrr. up to the end of iv/B.C., but from B.C. 250 θέλω occurs, and eventually takes its place as the regular form in the Κοινή (cf. Meisterhans Gr. p. 178), and so in MGr.

For the verb denoting a personal wish or desire we may cite P Petr I. 11.9 (a Will) τὰ [ἐμαυτοῦ διοικεῖν ὡς ἐ ]γὼ θέλω, P Oxy VII. 1061.21 (B.C. 22) σὺ δὲ γράφε ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐὰν θέλῃς (cf. Matthew 8:2), ib. III. 531.28 (ii/A.D.) περὶ ὧν θέλεις δήλωσόν μοι, P Cairo Preis 48.5 (ii/A.D.) τὸ μὲν πλοῖόν σοι, ὡς ἠθέλησας, σκέψομαι, and the constant epistolary phrase γινώσκειν σε θέλω, as in P Oxy IV. 743.27 (B.C. 2) ὥστ᾽ ἂν τοῦτό σε θέλω γεινώσκειν ὅτι ἐγὼ αὐτῷ διαστολὰς δεδώκειν τὸ βαδίσαι εἰς Τακόνα, ";I wish you therefore to know this that I had given him orders to go to Takona"; (Edd.), BGU I. 27.5 (ii/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 101) γινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτει εἰς γῆν ἐλήλυθα τῇ ς ̄ τοῦ Ἐπεὶφ μηνός, ";I wish you to know that I came to land on the 6th of the month Epeiph";; cf. the Pauline formula οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, Romans 1:13 etc. With τοῦ θεοῦ θέλοντος in Ac 18.81, we may compare P Amh II. 131.5 (early ii/A.D.) ἐλπίζω δὲ θεῶν θελόντων ἐκ τῶν λαλουμένων διαφεύξεσθαι, ";but I hope, if the gods will, to escape altogether from the talking,"; P Giss I. 18.10 (time of Hadrian) θε [ῶν δὲ θ ]ελόντων εἰς τὰ Δημη ̣τρια ἐλεύσεται καὶ ἀσπάσεταί σε, and the other exx. in Deissmann BS, p. 252; with 1 Corinthians 12:18; 1 Corinthians 15:38, cf. BGU I. 27.11 (ii/iii A.D.) (= Selections, p. 101) ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἤθελεν. With the construction in Luke 18:41 cf. Chrest. I. 14iii. 6 (not before A.D. 200) καὶ σοί, λέγε τίνος θέλεις, [κα ]τηγορήσω, and with Romans 13:8 cf. P Tebt II. 421.3 f. (iii/A.D.) with reference to a tunic—ἀλλὰ θέλις αὐτὸ πωλῆσα [ι ], πώλησον · θέλις αὐτὸ ἀφεῖναι τῇ θυγατρί σ [ου ], ἄφες, ";but if you wish to sell it, sell it; if you wish to let your daughter have it, let her have it.";

One or two miscellaneous exx. may be added—P Oxy III. 653 (A.D. 162–3) θέ [λ ]ων καὶ μὴ θέλων ἀποκαταστήσεις αὐτῷ, BGU III. 846.15 (ii/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 94) οὐκ οἶδες, ὅτι θέλω πη ̣ρο ̣̣ς γενέσται εἲ γνοῦναι κτλ., ";do you not know that I would rather be a cripple than . . ?"; where θέλω is followed by (pap. εἲ) as in 1 Corinthians 14:19, and for the remarkable perf. τεθέληκα (as in LXX Psalms 40:12 [MT Psalms 41:11]) : cf. Rutherford NP, p. 415), see P Amh II. 130.16 (A.D. 70) οὐ τεθελήκουσι, and P Oxy VII. 1070.54 (iii/A.D.) οὐ τεθελήκατε α ]ὐτῷ διδόναι ἐπιστολάς, as restored by the editor. See also s.v. βούλομαι.

 


The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament.
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Derivative Copyright © 2015 by Allan Loder.
List of Word Forms
έλω ήθελε ηθελεν ήθελεν ἤθελεν ηθελες ήθελες ἤθελες ηθέληκα ηθελησα ηθέλησα ἠθέλησα ηθελησαμεν ηθελήσαμεν ἠθελήσαμεν ηθελησαν ηθέλησαν ἠθέλησαν ηθελησας ηθέλησας ἠθέλησας ηθελησατε ηθελήσατε ἠθελήσατε ηθέλησε ηθέλησέ ήθελησε ηθελησεν ηθέλησεν ἠθέλησεν ηθελον ήθελον ἤθελον θελει θέλει θελειν θέλειν Θελεις Θέλεις θελετε θέλετε θέλετέ θελη θέλη θέλῃ θελης θέλης θέλῃς θελησαντας θελήσαντάς θελήσει θεληση θελήση θελήσῃ θελήσης θελήσουσιν θελησω θελήσω θελησωσιν θελήσωσιν θελητε θέλητε θελοι θέλοι θελομεν θέλομεν θελοντα θέλοντα θελοντας θέλοντας θελοντες θέλοντες θέλοντές θελοντι θέλοντι θέλοντί θελοντος θέλοντος θελοντων θελόντων θελούση θέλουσι θελουσιν θέλουσιν Θελω Θέλω θελων θέλων θελωσι θέλωσι θέμα θέματα θέματι κύριε τεθέληκάς ethelen ēthelen ḗthelen etheles ētheles ḗtheles ethelesa ethélesa ēthelēsa ēthélēsa ethelesamen ethelḗsamen ēthelēsamen ēthelḗsamen ethelesan ethélesan ēthelēsan ēthélēsan ethelesas ethélesas ēthelēsas ēthélēsas ethelesate ethelḗsate ēthelēsate ēthelḗsate ethelesen ethélesen ēthelēsen ēthélēsen ethelon ēthelon ḗthelon kurie kyrie kýrie thele thelē thelei thélei thélēi thelein thélein Theleis Théleis thélēis theles thelēs thelesantas thelēsantas thelḗsantás thelese thelēsē thelḗsei thelḗsēi theleso thelēsō thelḗso thelḗsō thelesosin thelēsōsin thelḗsosin thelḗsōsin thelete thelēte thélete théleté thélēte Thelo Thelō Thélo Thélō theloi théloi thelomen thélomen thelon thelōn thélon thélōn thelonta thélonta thelontas thélontas thelontes thélontes thélontés thelonti thélonti thélontí thelonton thelontōn thelónton thelóntōn thelontos thélontos thelosi thelōsi thélosi thélōsi thelousin thélousin
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