Original Word: βούλομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: boulomai
Pronunciation: BOO-loh-my
Phonetic Spelling: (boo'-lom-ahee)
Definition: to will, to wish, to desire, to intend
Meaning: I will, intend, desire, wish.

be disposed, determine, intend.

Middle voice of a primary verb; to "will," i.e. (reflexively) be willing -- be disposed, minded, intend, list, (be, of own) will (-ing). Compare ethelo.

see GREEK ethelo

Cognate: 1014 boúlomai – to plan with full resolve (determination). See 1012 (boulē).

1014 /boúlomai ("resolutely plan") is a strong term that underlines the predetermined (and determined) intention driving the planning (wishing, resolving). In contrast, 2309 (thélō) focuses on the desire ("wishfulness") behind making an offer (cf. TDNT, 1, 629).

[While God's "thelō-offers" can be rejected (see 2309 /thélō), His 1014 /boúlomai ("planning") always works out His purpose, especially in conjunction with presetting the physical scenes of history.]

Word Origin
a prim. verb
Definition
to will
NASB Translation
am (1), desire (2), desires (1), desiring (1), intend (1), intended (3), intending (1), like (1), planned (1), unwilling* (1), want (7), wanted (3), wanting (2), will (1), willing (3), wills (3), wish (1), wished (1), wishes (1), wishing (3).

STRONGS NT 1014: βούλομαι

βούλομαι, 2 person singular βούλει Luke 22:42 (Attic for βουλή, cf. Winers Grammar, § 13, 2 a.; Buttmann, 42 (37)); imperfect ἐβουλόμην (Attic ((cf. Veitch), yet commonly) ἠβουλομην); 1 aorist ἐβουλήθην (Matthew 1:19) and ἠβουλήθην (2 John 1:12 R G; but others ἐβουλήθην cf. (WHs Appendix, p. 162); Winers Grammar, § 12, the passage cited; Buttmann, 33 (29)); the Sept. for אָבָה, חָפֵץ; (from Homer down); to will, wish; and

1. commonly, to will deliberately, have a purpose, be minded: followed by an infinitive, Mark 15:15; Acts 5:28, 33 (L WH Tr text for R G T ἐβουλεύοντο); (L T Tr WH for R ἐβουλεύσατο); ; 2 Corinthians 1:15; Hebrews 6:17; 2 John 1:12; 3 John 1:10 (τούς βουλομένους namely, ἐπιδέχεσθαι τούς ἀδελφούς); Jude 1:5; James 1:18 (βουληθείς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς of his own free will he brought us forth, with which will it ill accords to say, as some do, that they are tempted to sin by God). with an accusative of the object τοῦτο, 2 Corinthians 1:17 (L T Tr WH for R βουλευόμενος); followed by an accusative with an infinitive 2 Peter 3:9. of the will electing or choosing between two or more things, answering to file Latinplacetmihi: Matthew 1:19 (cf. ἐνθυμεῖσθαι, ); (not L marginal reading); Luke 10:22; Luke 22:42; Acts 25:20; (1 Corinthians 12:11); James 3:4; James 4:4; followed by the subjunctive βούλεσθε, ὑμῖν ἀπολύσω; is it your will I should release unto you? (cf. Winers Grammar, § 41 a. 4 b.; Buttmann, § 139, 2), John 18:39. of the will prescribing, followed by an accusative with an infinitive: Philippians 1:12 (γινώσκειν ὑμᾶς βούλομαι I would have you know, know ye); 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 5:14; Titus 3:8.

2. of willing as an affection, to desire: followed by an infinitive, 1 Timothy 6:9 (οἱ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν); Acts 17:20; Acts 18:15; ἐβουλόμην (on this use of the imperfect see Buttmann, 217f (187f); (cf. Winers Grammar, 283 (266); Lightfoot on Philemon 1:13)), Acts 25:22; Philemon 1:13. On the difference between βούλομαι and θέλω, see θέλω, at the end

Word Origin: Middle voice of a primary verb

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • Strong's Hebrew 2654 (חָפֵץ, chaphets): To delight in, to desire, to be pleased with
• Strong's Hebrew 7521 (רָצָה, ratsah): To be pleased with, to accept, to favor

These Hebrew terms share a similar semantic range with βούλομαι, encompassing ideas of desire, intention, and pleasure, and are often used in the Old Testament to describe both human and divine will.

Usage: The verb βούλομαι is used in the New Testament to express a range of meanings related to intention or desire. It often conveys a sense of deliberate choice or preference, reflecting a person's will or decision-making process.

Context: The Greek verb βούλομαι appears in various contexts within the New Testament, illustrating the nuances of human will and divine intention. It is often used to describe the intentions or desires of individuals, whether in personal decisions or in expressing a preference for a particular course of action. For example, in Acts 18:21, Paul expresses his intention to return to Ephesus, saying, "I will come back to you again if God wills." Here, βούλομαι conveys Paul's desire and intention, subject to God's overarching will.

In other instances, βούλομαι is used to describe God's will or intention. In 2 Peter 3:9, it is written, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." The use of βούλομαι here highlights God's desire for all to reach repentance, emphasizing His merciful and patient nature.

The verb also appears in contexts where human will is contrasted with divine will, as seen in James 4:15: "Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.'" This passage underscores the importance of aligning human intentions with God's sovereign will.

Overall, βούλομαι is a versatile verb that captures the complexity of will and desire, whether human or divine, and serves as a reminder of the interplay between personal intentions and God's ultimate purposes.

βεβουνισμένων βουλει βούλει βούλεσθαι βουλεσθε βούλεσθε βουλεται βούλεται βούλη βουληθεις βουληθείς βουληθεὶς βουληθη βουληθή βουληθῇ βουληθής βουληθώσιν βουλήσεται βούλησθε βουληται βούληται βουλοιτο βούλοιτο βουλομαι βούλομαι βούλομαί βουλομεθα βουλόμεθα βουλομενοι βουλόμενοι βουλόμενοί βουλομενος βουλόμενος βουλόμενός βουλομενου βουλομένου βουλομενους βουλομένους βούλονται βούλωνται εβουλετο εβούλετο ἐβούλετο εβουληθη εβουλήθη ἐβουλήθη εβουληθην ἐβουλήθην εβουλήθησαν Εβουλομην εβουλόμην Ἐβουλόμην εβουλοντο εβούλοντο ἐβούλοντο εβούλου εβούνισεν ηβούλεσθε ηβουλήθην ηβούλοντο boulei boúlei boulesthe boúlesthe bouletai boulētai boúletai boúlētai boulethe boulēthē boulethêi boulēthē̂i bouletheis bouletheìs boulētheis boulētheìs bouloito boúloito boulomai boúlomai boúlomaí boulomenoi boulómenoi boulomenos boulómenos boulómenós boulomenou bouloménou boulomenous bouloménous boulometha boulómetha eboulethe eboulēthē eboulḗthe eboulḗthē eboulethen eboulēthēn eboulḗthen eboulḗthēn ebouleto eboúleto Eboulomen Eboulomēn Eboulómen Eboulómēn eboulonto eboúlontoInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts