2436. hileós

Lexicon

hileós: Merciful, propitious, gracious

Original Word: ἵλεως
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: hileós
Pronunciation: hee'-leh-os
Phonetic Spelling: (hil'-eh-oce)
Definition: Merciful, propitious, gracious
Meaning: propitious, forgiving, merciful.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

gracious, merciful

Perhaps from the alternate form of haireomai; cheerful (as attractive), i.e. Propitious; adverbially (by Hebraism) God be gracious!, i.e. (in averting some calamity) far be it -- be it far, merciful.

see GREEK haireomai

HELPS Word-studies

2436 híleōs (an adjective, used back in Attic Greek about appeasing divine wrath) – properly, propitious, describing God's covenant-mercy which rescues the believer by His atonement (bringing divine satisfaction).

[NAS dictionary, "2436 (híleōs) is another spelling of hilaos (propitious)."]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
another spelling of hilaos (propitious, gracious)
Definition
propitious
NASB Translation
god forbid (1), merciful (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2436: ἵλεως

ἵλεως, ἱλεων (Attic for ἴλαος (cf. Winers Grammar, 22), from Homer down), propitious, merciful: ἔσομαι ἵλεως ταῖς ἀδικίαις, i. e. I will pardon, Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 38:34 (); Jeremiah 43:3 (); also ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις, 1 Kings 8:34; 2 Chronicles 6:25, 27, etc.; ἵλεως σοι, namely, ἔστω (or εἴη, Buttmann, § 129, 22) ὁ Θεός, i. e. God avert this from thee, Matthew 16:22; the Sept. for חָלִילָה followed by לְ, be it far from one, 2 Samuel 20:20; 2 Samuel 23:17.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from a root word meaning "propitious" or "merciful."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek term ἵλεως corresponds to several Hebrew words that convey similar meanings of mercy and favor. These include:

- חָנַן (chanan) • Strong's Hebrew 2603: Meaning "to be gracious" or "to show favor."
- רַחוּם (rachum) • Strong's Hebrew 7349: Meaning "compassionate" or "merciful."
- סָלַח (salach) • Strong's Hebrew 5545: Meaning "to forgive" or "to pardon."

These Hebrew terms reflect the consistent biblical theme of God's merciful and gracious nature, which is echoed in the New Testament usage of ἵλεως.

Usage: The word ἵλεως is used in the New Testament to express a plea for mercy or a declaration of God's gracious disposition. It appears in contexts where divine favor or forgiveness is sought or acknowledged.

Context: The Greek term ἵλεως is a significant word in the New Testament, reflecting the character of God as merciful and gracious. It is used in contexts that highlight the need for divine mercy and the assurance of God's favorable disposition towards humanity. The word appears in the New Testament in Matthew 16:22 and Hebrews 8:12.

In Matthew 16:22, Peter uses the term in a plea to Jesus: "Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You.'" Here, ἵλεως is translated as "Far be it," expressing Peter's strong desire for Jesus to be spared from suffering.

In Hebrews 8:12, the term is part of a quotation from the Old Testament, emphasizing God's promise of forgiveness: "For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more." The use of ἵλεως here underscores the merciful nature of God's new covenant with His people, highlighting His willingness to forgive and forget their transgressions.

The concept of ἵλεως is deeply rooted in the understanding of God's character as one who is compassionate and ready to extend grace to those who seek it. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative of redemption and reconciliation, where God's mercy is a central theme.

Forms and Transliterations

ιλεως ιλεώς ίλεως ίλεώς ἵλεως Ἵλεώς hileos hileōs híleos híleōs Híleṓs ileos ileōs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 16:22 Adj-NMS
GRK: αὐτῷ λέγων Ἵλεώς σοι κύριε
NAS: Him, saying, God forbid [it], Lord!
KJV: saying, Be it far from thee,
INT: him saying far be it from you master

Hebrews 8:12 Adj-NMS
GRK: ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς
NAS: FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES,
KJV: I will be merciful to their
INT: Because merciful I will be to the

Strong's Greek 2436
2 Occurrences

Ἵλεώς — 2 Occ.