Keraia
Lexicon

θέλω

thelōto will/desireHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentVerb208 occurrences22 books199 verses

Definition

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

[in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;]

to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Romans 9:16, 1 Corinthians 4:19; 12:18, James 4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Acts 18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Matthew 20:21, Mark 14:36, John 15:7, Romans 7:15, 16, 1 Corinthians 4:21; 7:36, Galatians 5:17; with inf., Matthew 5:40, Mark 10:43, John 6:21, 67, Romans 7:21, Galatians 4:9; with accusative and 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. with inf., Matthew 2:18, Mark 6:26, John 5:40, 1 Corinthians 16:7; before ἵνα, Matthew 7:12, Mark 6:25, John 17:24; opposite to ποιέω, πράσσω, ἐνεργέω, Romans 7:15, 19, 2 Corinthians 8:10, 11, Philippians 2:13; before ἤ (ICG, 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. חפץ, with accusative of person(s), Matthew 27:43; with accusative of thing(s), Matthew 9:13; 12:7, Hebrews 10:5, 8; with inf., 1 Peter 3:10; for אמר, with inf., Acts 7:28 (see Cremer, 726ff.).

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

[in LXX for חפץ ,אבה; with neg., מאן pi., etc. ;]

to will, be willing, wish, desire (more frequently than βούλομαι, which see, in vernac. and late Gk., also in MGr.; for various views as to its relation to β., see Thayer, 286; but see also BL, §24, see word): absol., Romans 9:16, 1 Corinthians 4:19; 12:18, James 4:15; τ. θεοῦ θέλοντος, Acts 18:21; with accusative of thing(s), Matthew 20:21, Mark 14:36, John 15:7, Romans 7:15, 16, 1 Corinthians 4:21; 7:36, Galatians 5:17; with inf., Matthew 5:40, Mark 10:43, John 6:21, 67, Romans 7:21, Galatians 4:9; with accusative and 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. with inf., Matthew 2:18, Mark 6:26, John 5:40, 1 Corinthians 16:7; before ἵνα, Matthew 7:12, Mark 6:25, John 17:24; opposite to ποιέω, πράσσω, ἐνεργέω, Romans 7:15, 19, 2 Corinthians 8:10, 11, Philippians 2:13; before ἤ (ICG, 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. חפץ, with accusative of person(s), Matthew 27:43; with accusative of thing(s), Matthew 9:13; 12:7, Hebrews 10:5, 8; with inf., 1 Peter 3:10; for אמר, with inf., Acts 7:28 (see Cremer, 726ff.).

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as θέλω:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

208 total
  1. John 5:40θέλετε · you refuse
    …yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.
  2. John 6:11ἤθελον · they wanted
    Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
  3. John 6:21ἤθελον · they were willing
    Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
  4. John 6:67θέλετε · want
    So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
  5. John 7:1ἤθελεν · He did not want
    After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there were trying to kill Him.
  6. John 7:17θέλῃ · desires
    If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
  7. John 7:44ἤθελον · wanted
    Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him.
  8. John 8:44θέλετε · you want
    You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
  9. John 9:27θέλετε · do you want; θέλετε · want
    He replied, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
  10. John 12:21θέλομεν · we want
    They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
  11. John 15:7θέλητε · you wish
    If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
  12. John 16:19ἤθελον · they wanted
    Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?
  13. John 17:24θέλω · I want
    Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
  14. John 21:18ἤθελες · you wanted; θέλεις · you do not want to go
    Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
  15. John 21:22θέλω · I want
    Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
  16. John 21:23θέλω · I want
    Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. However, Jesus did not say that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you?”
  17. Acts 2:12θέλει · does
    Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
  18. Acts 7:28θέλεις · want
    Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
  19. Acts 7:39ἠθέλησαν · refused
    But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
  20. Acts 10:10ἤθελεν · wanted [something]
    He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
  21. Acts 14:13ἤθελεν · hoping
    The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates, hoping to offer a sacrifice along with the crowds.
  22. Acts 16:3ἠθέλησεν · wanted
    Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
  23. Acts 17:18θέλοι · trying
    Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
  24. Acts 17:20θέλει · mean
    For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
  25. Acts 18:21θέλοντος · is willing
    But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.
  26. Acts 19:33ἤθελεν · so he
    The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
  27. Acts 24:27θέλων · wishing
    After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
  28. Acts 25:9θέλων · wishing; Θέλεις · Are you willing
    But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”
  29. Acts 26:5θέλωσι · they are willing
    They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
  30. Romans 1:13θέλω · I do not want
    I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
  31. Romans 7:15θέλω · I want [to do]
    I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
  32. Romans 7:16θέλω · I do not want [to do]
    And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.
  33. Romans 7:18θέλειν · desire
    I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
  34. Romans 7:19θέλω · I want [to do]; θέλω · I do not want [to do]
    For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
  35. Romans 7:20θέλω · I do not want
    And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
  36. Romans 7:21θέλοντι · want
    So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
  37. Romans 9:16θέλοντος · desire
    So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
  38. Romans 9:18θέλει · He wants [to have mercy ]; θέλει · He wants [ to harden ]
    Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
  39. Romans 9:22θέλων · intending
    What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
  40. Romans 11:25θέλω · I do not want
    I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
  41. Romans 13:3θέλεις · Do you want
    For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.
  42. Romans 16:19θέλω · I want
    Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
  43. 1 Corinthians 4:19θελήσῃ · is willing
    But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.
  44. 1 Corinthians 4:21θέλετε · do you prefer
    Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
  45. 1 Corinthians 7:7θέλω · I wish that
    I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.