2307. theléma

Strong's Lexicon

theléma: Will, desire, purpose

Original Word: θέλημα
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: theléma
Pronunciation: theh'-lay-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (thel'-ay-mah)
Definition: Will, desire, purpose
Meaning: an act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires.

Word Origin: Derived from the verb θέλω (thelō), meaning "to will" or "to wish."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - חֵפֶץ (chephets) - Strong's Hebrew 2656: Desire, pleasure, delight

- רָצוֹן (ratson) - Strong's Hebrew 7522: Will, favor, acceptance

Usage: In the New Testament, theléma primarily refers to the will or desire of God, encompassing His sovereign plans and purposes. It can also denote human will or desire, though it is most often used in the context of divine will. The term emphasizes the intentional and purposeful nature of God's actions and commands.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of "will" was often associated with fate or destiny, but in the biblical context, theléma underscores a personal and relational God who actively engages with His creation. The Jewish understanding of God's will was deeply rooted in the Torah, where obedience to God's commandments was seen as aligning with His will. In the New Testament, the concept expands to include the revelation of God's will through Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

HELPS Word-studies

2307 thélēma (from 2309 /thélō, "to desire, wish") – properly, a desire (wish), often referring to God's "preferred-will," i.e. His "best-offer" to people which can be accepted or rejected.

[Note the -ma suffix, focusing on the result hoped for with the particular desire (wish). 2307 (thélēma) is nearly always used of God, referring to His preferred-will. Occasionally it is used of man (cf. Lk 23:25; Jn 1:13.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from theló
Definition
will
NASB Translation
desire (1), desires (1), will (57).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2307: θέλημα

θέλημα, θελήματος, τό (θέλω), a word purely Biblical and ecclesiastical (yet found in Aristotle, de plant. 1, 1, p. 815b, 21); the Sept. for חֵפֶץ and רָצון; will, i. e., a. what one wishes or has determined shall be done (i. e. objectively, thing willed): Luke 12:47; John 5:30; 1 Corinthians 7:37; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 10:10; Revelation 4:11; θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ is used — of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ, Acts 22:14; Ephesians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; of what God wishes to be done by us, Romans 12:2; Colossians 4:12 (Winer's Grammar, 111 (105)); 1 Peter 4:2; and simply τό θέλημα, Romans 2:18 (Winer's Grammar, 594 (553)) (Sir. 43:16 (17) (but here the better text now adds αὐτοῦ, see Fritzsche; in patristic Greek, however, θέλημα is so used even without the article; cf. Ignatius ad Rom. 1, 1 [ET]; ad Eph. 20, 1 [ET], etc.)); τοῦ κυρίου, Ephesians 5:17; plural commands, precepts: (Mark 3:35 WH. marginal reading); Acts 13:22 (Psalm 102:7 (); 2 Macc. 1:3); ἐστι τό θέλημα τίνος, followed by ἵνα, John 6:39; 1 Corinthians 16:12, cf. Matthew 18:14; followed by an infinitive, 1 Peter 2:15; by an accusative with an infinitive 1 Thessalonians 4:3. (Cf. Buttmann, 237 (204); 240 (207); Winers Grammar, § 44, 8.)

b. equivalent to τό θέλειν (i. e. the abstract act of willing, the subjective) will, choice: 1 Peter 3:17 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 604 (562)); 2 Peter 1:21; ποιεῖν τό θέλημα τίνος (especially of God), Matthew 7:21; Matthew 12:50; Matthew 21:31; Mark 3:35 (here WH marginal reading the plural, see above); John 4:34; John 6:38; John 7:17; John 9:31; Ephesians 6:6; Hebrews 10:7, 9, 36; Hebrews 13:21; 1 John 2:17; τό θέλημα (L T Tr WH βούλημα) τίνος κατεργάζεσθαι, 1 Peter 4:3; γίνεται τό θέλημα τίνος, Matthew 6:10; Matthew 26:42; Luke 11:2 L R; ; Acts 21:14; ἡ βουλή τοῦ θελήματος, Ephesians 1:11; ἡ εὐδοκία τοῦ θελήματος Ephesians 1:5; ἐν τῷ θελημάτω τοῦ Θεοῦ, if God will, Romans 1:10; διά θελήματος Θεοῦ, Romans 15:32; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1; κατά τό θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, Galatians 1:4; (1 Peter 4:19); 1 John 5:14. equivalent to pleasure: Luke 23:25; equivalent to inclination, desire: σαρκός, ἀνδρός, John 1:13; plural Ephesians 2:3. (Synonym: see θέλω, at the end.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

desire, pleasure, will.

From the prolonged form of ethelo; a determination (properly, the thing), i.e. (actively) choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination -- desire, pleasure, will.

see GREEK ethelo

Forms and Transliterations

θελημα θέλημα θέλημά θελήμασιν θεληματα θελήματα θελήματά θεληματι θελήματι θελήματί θεληματος θελήματος thelema thelēma thélema thélemá thélēma thélēmá thelemata thelēmata thelḗmata thelḗmatá thelemati thelēmati thelḗmati thelematos thelēmatos thelḗmatos

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 6:10 N-NNS
GRK: γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς
NAS: come. Your will be done,
KJV: come. Thy will be done in
INT: let be done the will of you as

Matthew 7:21 N-ANS
GRK: ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός
NAS: but he who does the will of My Father
KJV: he that doeth the will of my
INT: does the will the Father

Matthew 12:50 N-ANS
GRK: ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός
NAS: does the will of My Father
KJV: shall do the will of my
INT: shall do the will the Father

Matthew 18:14 N-NNS
GRK: οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ
NAS: So it is not [the] will of your Father
KJV: it is not the will of your
INT: not it is [the] will of the

Matthew 21:31 N-ANS
GRK: ἐποίησεν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός
NAS: did the will of his father?
KJV: did the will of [his] father?
INT: did the will of the father

Matthew 26:42 N-NNS
GRK: γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου
NAS: unless I drink it, Your will be done.
KJV: it, thy will be done.
INT: be done the will of you

Mark 3:35 N-ANS
GRK: ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ
NAS: does the will of God,
KJV: shall do the will of God,
INT: shall do the will of God

Luke 11:2 Noun-NNS
GRK: γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς
KJV: come. Thy will be done, as
INT: let be done the will of you as

Luke 12:47 N-ANS
GRK: γνοὺς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου
NAS: his master's will and did not get ready
KJV: his lord's will, and prepared
INT: having known the will of the master

Luke 12:47 N-ANS
GRK: πρὸς τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ δαρήσεται
NAS: in accord with his will, will receive
KJV: to his will, shall be beaten
INT: according to the will of him will be beaten with

Luke 22:42 N-NNS
GRK: μὴ τὸ θέλημά μου ἀλλὰ
NAS: from Me; yet not My will, but Yours
KJV: not my will, but thine,
INT: not the will of me but

Luke 23:25 N-DNS
GRK: παρέδωκεν τῷ θελήματι αὐτῶν
NAS: but he delivered Jesus to their will.
KJV: Jesus to their will.
INT: he betrayed to the will of them

John 1:13 N-GNS
GRK: οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ
NAS: nor of the will of the flesh
KJV: nor of the will of the flesh, nor
INT: nor of will of flesh nor

John 1:13 N-GNS
GRK: οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλ'
NAS: nor of the will of man,
KJV: nor of the will of man, but
INT: nor of will of man but

John 4:34 N-ANS
GRK: ποιήσω τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός
NAS: is to do the will of Him who sent
KJV: to do the will of him that sent me,
INT: I should do the will of the [one] having sent

John 5:30 N-ANS
GRK: ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν
NAS: My own will, but the will
KJV: not mine own will, but the will
INT: I seek the will of me

John 5:30 N-ANS
GRK: ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός
NAS: will, but the will of Him who sent
KJV: but the will of the Father
INT: but the will of the [one] having sent

John 6:38 N-ANS
GRK: ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν
NAS: My own will, but the will
KJV: do mine own will, but the will
INT: I should do the will of me

John 6:38 N-ANS
GRK: ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός
NAS: will, but the will of Him who sent
KJV: but the will of him that sent
INT: but the will of the [one] having sent

John 6:39 N-NNS
GRK: ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός
NAS: This is the will of Him who sent
KJV: is the Father's will which hath sent
INT: is the will of the [one] having sent

John 6:40 N-NNS
GRK: ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός
NAS: For this is the will of My Father,
KJV: this is the will of him that sent me,
INT: is the will of the Father

John 7:17 N-ANS
GRK: θέλῃ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν
NAS: to do His will, he will know
KJV: do his will, he shall know of
INT: desires the will of him to practice

John 9:31 N-ANS
GRK: καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιῇ
NAS: and does His will, He hears
KJV: doeth his will, him he heareth.
INT: and the will of him does

Acts 13:22 N-ANP
GRK: πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου
NAS: will do all My will.'
KJV: all my will.
INT: all the will of me

Acts 21:14 N-NNS
GRK: κυρίου τὸ θέλημα γινέσθω
NAS: remarking, The will of the Lord
KJV: saying, The will of the Lord
INT: Lord the will be done

Strong's Greek 2307
63 Occurrences

θέλημά — 41 Occ.
θελήματά — 2 Occ.
θελήματι — 6 Occ.
θελήματος — 14 Occ.