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,
ὁ θέλων,
Romans 9:16;
τοῦ Θεοῦ θέλοντος if God will,
Acts 18:21;
ἐάν ὁ 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);
John 12:21;
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
willstdu,
sollenwirzusammenlesen? (
Goodwin § 88)),
Matthew 13:28; add,
Matthew 20:32 (where
L brackets adds
ἵνα);
Matthew 26:17;
27:17,
21;
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
ἤ,
to prefer, 1 Corinthians 14:19 (see
ἤ, 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 (
Ps. 112:1);
Psalm 146:10 (
Ps. 147:10));
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 (
Ps. 22:9); (Psalm 17:20 (
Ps. 18:20);
Psalm 40:12 (
Ps. 41:12);
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 (
Ps. 40:7)). 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 (
Matthew 20:21,
32);
Matthew 26:15,
39 (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 (
Ps. 40:7,
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.)
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