1012. boulé

Lexical Summary

boulé: Counsel, purpose, will, plan

Original Word: βουλή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: boulé
Pronunciation: boo-LAY
Phonetic Spelling: (boo-lay')
KJV: + advise, counsel, will
NASB: purpose, plan, counsel, decision, motives
Word Origin: [from G1014 (βούλομαι - want)]

1. volition, the act of willing or resolving
2. (objectively) advice
3. (by implication) purpose

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

advise, counsel.

From boulomai; volition, i.e. (objectively) advice, or (by implication) purpose -- + advise, counsel, will.

see GREEK boulomai

HELPS Word-studies

1012 boulḗ – properly, a resolved plan, used particularly of the immutable aspect of God's plan – purposefully arranging all physical circumstances, which guarantees every scene of life works to His eternal purpose.

This level of God's plan (1012 /boulḗ) demonstrates He is the Lord of history, i.e. always in charge!

[1012 (boulḗ) is more than God's immutable plan of physical circumstances. It always also includes the Lord's purpose in them – and hence arranging all the physical scenes of history before creation (Ps 139:16; Jn 1:3).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from boulomai
Definition
counsel
NASB Translation
counsel (1), decision (1), motives (1), plan (4), purpose (5).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1012: βουλή

βουλή, βουλῆς, ἡ (βούλομαι), from Homer down; often in the Sept. for עֵצָה; counsel, purpose: Luke 23:51 (where distinguished from ἡ πρᾶξις); Acts 5:38; Acts 27:12 (see τίθημι, 1 a.), 42; plural 1 Corinthians 4:5; ἡ βουλή τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 13:36; especially of the purpose of God respecting the salvation of men through Christ: Luke 7:30; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:28; (Hebrews 6:17); πᾶσαν τήν βουλήν τοῦ Θεοῦ all the contents of the divine plan, Acts 20:27; ἡ βουλή τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ the counsel of his will, Ephesians 1:11.

Topical Lexicon

Scope and Significance

The word βουλή (Strong’s 1012) gathers the ideas of purpose, intention, counsel, and deliberate plan. Scripture applies it pre-eminently to the eternal purposes of God, occasionally to righteous human resolve, and often to the fallible schemes of sinful men. Together the twelve occurrences sketch a theology of counsel that exalts God’s sovereignty, exposes human limitation, and guides pastoral ministry.

Divine Counsel: Unchanging and Sovereign
• Acts 2:23 and Acts 4:28 link Christ’s crucifixion directly to “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” and “what Your hand and will had decided beforehand.” The atonement is therefore not accidental but the ordered outworking of divine counsel.
• Ephesians 1:11 grounds believer’s inheritance in Him “who works out everything by the counsel of His will,” affirming meticulous providence that embraces history and personal salvation alike.
• Hebrews 6:17 highlights the “unchanging nature of His purpose,” underscoring that God’s counsel, once pledged, is irrevocable. The accompanying oath to Abraham’s heirs shows that immutability is meant to impart strong consolation to the faithful.

Together these texts present βουλή as eternal, comprehensive, and unfailing. Nothing from creation to redemption lies outside the scope of God’s determined counsel.

Human Counsel: Frail and Limited
• Acts 5:38 sets divine and human counsel in contrast: “If their plan or undertaking is of men, it will fail.” Gamaliel’s words illustrate the intrinsic instability of merely human designs.
• The maritime narrative of Acts 27 supplies vivid examples: “the majority decided to sail on” (Acts 27:12), and later “the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners” (Acts 27:42). Both schemes are overturned by providence, displaying the precariousness of human calculation in the face of unforeseen storm and divine intervention.
• Luke 23:51 records Joseph of Arimathea’s refusal to “consent to their decision or action.” A righteous man dissociates himself from the counsel that condemns the Innocent, reminding readers that alignments with ungodly purpose are choices for or against righteousness.

Rejection of Divine Counsel

Luke 7:30 stands as a solemn warning: “the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves.” The clause shows that even a gracious divine plan can be resisted to one’s own peril. Human responsibility is fully engaged; spurning God’s counsel leaves no neutral ground.

Reception of Divine Counsel
• David “served God’s purpose in his own generation” (Acts 13:36). Obedience situates one within the stream of divine intent, whatever one’s vocation or era.
• Paul declares, “I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27). Effective shepherding involves more than selective truths; it requires the fearless disclosure of God’s complete counsel so that congregations mature in discernment and holy confidence.

Eschatological Disclosure of Counsel

1 Corinthians 4:5 assures believers that the Lord “will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will disclose the motives of men’s hearts.” Final judgment will expose every βουλή—both divine and human—revealing the true character of every deed and intention. The verse encourages patience and humility in present evaluations, knowing that ultimate vindication or reproof belongs to God alone.

Theological Observations

1. God’s counsel is eternal, immutable, comprehensive, and ultimately triumphant.
2. Human counsel, when aligned with God, advances His purposes; when self-willed, it collapses or is judged.
3. Resistance to divine counsel is possible and culpable, yet cannot thwart God’s overarching plan.
4. The proclamation of “the whole counsel of God” is essential to faithful ministry, guarding churches against truncated gospels and partial obediences.
5. Eschatological disclosure assures believers that hidden motives—righteous or wicked—will be fully addressed, encouraging present integrity and patient trust.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications
• Confidence: Believers rest in a God whose counsel governs all things, including suffering and apparent chaos.
• Humility: Recognize the limits of human planning; submit every strategy to prayerful dependence on God’s will.
• Bold Proclamation: Follow Paul’s pattern by teaching the full sweep of God’s redemptive plan—creation, fall, covenant, incarnation, cross, resurrection, and consummation—to equip saints for discernment.
• Repentance and Faith: Urge hearers not to imitate the Pharisees who “rejected God’s purpose,” but to embrace the gracious intentions of the gospel.
• Hope: Final judgment will vindicate faithful service and expose hidden evils; therefore labor is never in vain when conducted under God’s counsel.

Summary

Strong’s 1012 gathers into one word the majestic sovereignty of God’s eternal plan and the frailty of human plotting. Across the New Testament its usage provides both assurance and admonition: assurance that history unfolds under the steady hand of God’s immutable counsel, and admonition that believers must align their desires, decisions, and ministries with that counsel—or find their plans frustrated and their motives exposed.

Forms and Transliterations

βουλαί βουλαίς βουλας βουλάς βουλὰς βουλη βουλή βουλὴ βουλῇ βουλην βουλήν βουλὴν βουλης βουλής βουλῆς boulas boulàs boule boulē boulḕ boulêi boulē̂i boulen boulēn boulḕn boules boulês boulēs boulē̂s

Englishman's Concordance

Luke 7:30 N-AFS
GRK: νομικοὶ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ
NAS: God's purpose for themselves,
KJV: rejected the counsel of God
INT: lawyers the counsel of God

Luke 23:51 N-DFS
GRK: συνκατατεθειμένος τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῇ
NAS: (he had not consented to their plan and action),
KJV: not consented to the counsel and deed
INT: having consented to the counsel and the

Acts 2:23 N-DFS
GRK: τῇ ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ καὶ προγνώσει
NAS: over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge
KJV: by the determinate counsel and
INT: by the determinate plan and foreknowledge

Acts 4:28 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ βουλὴ σου προώρισεν
NAS: Your hand and Your purpose predestined
KJV: thy counsel determined before
INT: and the purpose of you predetermined

Acts 5:38 N-NFS
GRK: ἀνθρώπων ἡ βουλὴ αὕτη ἢ
NAS: for if this plan or action
KJV: if this counsel or this
INT: men the plan these or

Acts 13:36 N-DFS
GRK: τοῦ θεοῦ βουλῇ ἐκοιμήθη καὶ
NAS: after he had served the purpose of God
KJV: generation by the will of God,
INT: of God counsel fell asleep and

Acts 20:27 N-AFS
GRK: πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ
NAS: to you the whole purpose of God.
KJV: unto you all the counsel of God.
INT: all the counsel of God

Acts 27:12 N-AFS
GRK: πλείονες ἔθεντο βουλὴν ἀναχθῆναι ἐκεῖθεν
NAS: reached a decision to put out to sea
KJV: the more part advised to depart
INT: majority reached a decision to set sail from there also

Acts 27:42 N-NFS
GRK: δὲ στρατιωτῶν βουλὴ ἐγένετο ἵνα
NAS: The soldiers' plan was to kill
KJV: And the soldiers' counsel was to
INT: moreover soldiers [the] plan was that

1 Corinthians 4:5 N-AFP
GRK: φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν
NAS: and disclose the motives of [men's] hearts;
KJV: will make manifest the counsels of the hearts:
INT: will make manifest the motives of the hearts

Ephesians 1:11 N-AFS
GRK: κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος
NAS: after the counsel of His will,
KJV: after the counsel of his own
INT: according to the counsel of the will

Hebrews 6:17 N-GFS
GRK: ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ ἐμεσίτευσεν
NAS: the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed
KJV: of his counsel, confirmed
INT: unchangeableness of the counsel of him he guaranteed

Strong's Greek 1012
12 Occurrences

βουλὰς — 1 Occ.
βουλῇ — 6 Occ.
βουλὴν — 4 Occ.
βουλῆς — 1 Occ.