2171. euché

Lexical Summary

euché: Prayer, vow

Original Word: εὐχή
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: euché
Pronunciation: yoo-khay'
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-khay')
KJV: prayer, vow
NASB: vow, prayer
Word Origin: [from G2172 (εὔχομαι - pray)]

1. (properly) a wish, expressed as a petition to God, or in votive obligation

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

prayer, vow.

From euchomai; properly, a wish, expressed as a petition to God, or in votive obligation -- prayer, vow.

see GREEK euchomai

HELPS Word-studies

2171 eux (from 2172/euxomai, "to pray, vow," which is the root of 1336/proseuxomai, the most common NT word for "pray") – properly, a wish or prayer (as in Js 5:15).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from euchomai
Definition
a prayer
NASB Translation
prayer (1), vow (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2171: εὐχή

εὐχή, εὐχῆς, ἡ (εὔχομαι (from Homer down);

1. a prayer to God: James 5:15.

2. a vow (often so in the Sept. for נֵדֶר and נֶדֶר, also for נֵזֶר consecration, see ἁγνίζω): εὐχήν ἔχειν, to have taken a vow, Acts 18:18; with ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν added (see ἐπί, A. I. 1 f., p. 232a), Acts 21:23.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Greek 2171 (εὐχή, euchē) unites two devotional ideas that in Scripture are never far apart: the verbal appeal to God (prayer) and the pledged act of consecration offered to Him (vow). The term therefore moves in two directions—upward in supplication and inward in dedication—revealing a life wholly oriented toward the Lord.

Old Testament Background

Although εὐχή appears only in the Greek New Testament, its dual nuance is deeply rooted in the Septuagint. Jacob’s promise at Bethel, Hannah’s commitment of Samuel, and Jonah’s declaration from the fish (“I will fulfill what I have vowed”) display the covenant logic behind vows: grace first received, then devotion freely rendered. Prayer and vow regularly intertwine (Psalm 66:13-14; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5), stressing that a pledged act without a prayerful heart is empty, while a fervent prayer that withholds obedience is incomplete.

New Testament Usage

1. Acts 18:18 portrays Paul in Cenchreae: “Paul had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.” The apostle’s participation in a Jewish rite, probably a temporary Nazarite vow, shows his willingness to embrace cultural expressions of consecration so long as they did not compromise the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
2. Acts 21:23 involves four Jerusalem believers who “have taken a vow.” Paul is advised to sponsor their purification expenses, again demonstrating that Christian liberty may choose voluntary restraints for the sake of witness and unity.
3. James 5:15 shifts the word’s emphasis to intercessory prayer: “And the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” Here εὐχή is explicitly the vocalized reliance on God’s power, exercised by the elders, saturated with faith, and attended by divine response.

Theological Observations

• Vow and prayer share a common root of faith. Both confess that God alone can meet need and claim the worshiper’s future.
• Under the new covenant, vows are never meritorious payments for blessing; rather they are voluntary responses to grace already received in Christ.
• The “prayer of faith” (James 5:15) is neither presumption nor ritual. It is faith resting in the will of God, mediated through the body of Christ, and anticipating resurrection power (“the Lord will raise him up”).
• Paul’s example in Acts underscores that external forms (haircut, offerings) have value only as they serve the gospel and maintain a clear conscience before God and men.

Historical and Ministry Significance

Early Christian writers (e.g., Tertullian, Origen) viewed vows as intensified prayer—an earnest readiness to perform what is prayed. Monastic movements later fossilized the practice into life-long vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Scripture, however, keeps the concept flexible and personal, warning against rash promises (Matthew 5:33-37) while commending Spirit-led, accountable commitments.

In modern ministry, εὐχή offers guidance in at least three areas:

1. Healing Ministry: James 5:15 anchors congregational care in prayerful faith, not therapeutic technique. Elders petition; God raises.
2. Discipleship: Vows—whether missionary pledges, marriage covenants, or stewardship commitments—should emerge from prayer and be sustained by prayer.
3. Corporate Worship: Public seasons of dedication (building funds, ordinations, fasting) find biblical warrant when treated as sincere vows accompanied by earnest prayer.

Practical Counsel

• Weigh vows carefully; let your “Yes” be yes.
• Bind every vow to the cross, trusting Christ’s sufficiency, not human resolve, to fulfill it.
• Employ the prayer-and-vow rhythm: pray before promising, promise to reinforce prayer, pray again to fulfill the promise.

Key Cross-References

Genesis 28:20-22; Numbers 6:1-21; Psalm 50:14-15; Jonah 2:9; Matthew 5:33-37; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; Acts 18:18; Acts 21:23; James 5:15

Forms and Transliterations

ευχαί ευχαίς ευχάς ευχη ευχή εὐχὴ ευχην ευχήν εὐχήν εὐχὴν ευχής ευχών euche euchē euchḕ euchen euchēn euchḗn euchḕn

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 18:18 N-AFS
GRK: εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν
NAS: cut, for he was keeping a vow.
KJV: for he had a vow.
INT: he had indeed a vow

Acts 21:23 N-AFS
GRK: ἄνδρες τέσσαρες εὐχὴν ἔχοντες ἐφ'
NAS: men who are under a vow;
KJV: four men which have a vow on
INT: men four a vow having on

James 5:15 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως
NAS: and the prayer offered in faith
KJV: And the prayer of faith shall save
INT: and the prayer of faith

Strong's Greek 2171
3 Occurrences

εὐχὴ — 1 Occ.
εὐχήν — 2 Occ.