Lexical Summary paramutheomai: To comfort, to console, to encourage Original Word: παραμυθέομαι Strong's Exhaustive Concordance comfort. From para and the middle voice of a derivative of muthos; to relate near, i.e. (by implication) encourage, console -- comfort. see GREEK para see GREEK muthos HELPS Word-studies 3888 paramythéomai (derived from 3844 /pará, "from close-beside" and mytheomai, "soothing speaking") – properly, comforting that shows sympathy (encouragement), cheering someone up by soothing speech with a "personal touch." NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom para and mutheomai (to speak) Definition to encourge, comfort NASB Translation console (1), consoling (1), encourage (1), encouraging (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3888: παραμυθέομαιπαραμυθέομαι, παραμυθοῦμαι; 1 aorist παρεμυθησαμην; from Homer down; to speak to, address one, whether by way of admonition and incentive, or to calm and console; hence, equivalent to to encourage, console: τινα, John 11:31; 1 Thessalonians 2:12 ( Topical Lexicon OverviewStrong’s Greek 3888 speaks to the gracious act of coming alongside another with words or actions that steady the heart—true Christian consolation. While the term carries shades of sympathy, its New Testament usage reaches deeper: it is comfort that stimulates faith, restores hope, and urges godly perseverance. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. John 11:19 Each setting showcases the word as personal, communal, and Spirit-governed rather than sentimental or casual. The Ministry of Comfort in the Johannine Narrative After Lazarus’ death “many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother” (John 11:19). The author notes the consolers’ presence before Christ arrives, highlighting two truths: • Human sympathy is valuable yet limited. The crowd can weep with Mary, but only Jesus can raise Lazarus. Later, when Mary leaves the house, the same group “followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to weep there” (John 11:31). Their persistence models faithful accompaniment, though their understanding lags behind the full redemptive plan unfolding in Christ. Pauline Perspective on Encouragement 1 Thessalonians provides the most concentrated apostolic teaching on this theme. Paul recalls how he and his companions lived “encouraging, comforting, and urging each of you to walk in a manner worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). The imagery is parental: comfort is both tender like a mother and directive like a father, moving believers toward maturity. Later he instructs the church: “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Comfort is set within a spectrum of pastoral responses—admonition, assistance, patience—showing it must be wisely calibrated to each need. Theological Themes • Incarnational Presence: The comfort Christ offers through His people mirrors His own coming in the flesh (Hebrews 2:14), affirming that God ministers through embodied community. Historical Backdrop In the Greco-Roman world, professional mourners and philosophical schools offered comfort that often prized detachment. The early church replaced stoic resignation with resurrection assurance, and transformed formal lament into communal intercession (Acts 12:5). Christian comfort thus subverted cultural norms, binding rich and poor, Jew and Gentile in shared hope. Practical Implications for Ministry 1. Presence over platitudes: Like the mourners in Bethany, showing up matters, yet believers must also point to the Living One. Related Biblical Motifs • The “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) equips believers to comfort others out of their own afflictions. Summary Strong’s 3888 encapsulates the gospel-shaped art of strengthening the sorrowful and motivating the weary. Grounded in the resurrection of Christ and energized by the Spirit, it remains an indispensable practice by which the church displays the heart of its Lord and hastens one another toward the final day when all comfort will be consummated (Revelation 21:4). Forms and Transliterations παραμυθεισθε παραμυθείσθε παραμυθεῖσθε παραμυθησωνται παραμυθήσωνται παραμυθουμενοι παραμυθούμενοι paramutheisthe paramuthesontai paramuthēsōntai paramuthoumenoi paramytheisthe paramytheîsthe paramythesontai paramythēsōntai paramythḗsontai paramythḗsōntai paramythoumenoi paramythoúmenoiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance John 11:19 V-ASM-3PGRK: Μαριὰμ ἵνα παραμυθήσωνται αὐτὰς περὶ NAS: and Mary, to console them concerning KJV: Mary, to comfort them concerning INT: Mary that they might console them concerning John 11:31 V-PPM/P-NMP 1 Thessalonians 2:12 V-PPM/P-NMP 1 Thessalonians 5:14 V-PMM/P-2P Strong's Greek 3888 |
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