Lexical Summary boétheia: Help, assistance, aid Original Word: βοήθεια Strong's Exhaustive Concordance help. From boethos; aid; specially, a rope or chain for frapping a vessel -- help. see GREEK boethos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 996 boḗtheia (a feminine noun derived from 997 /boēthéō) – a brand of help, especially critical assistance that meets an urgent situation (delivering very needed aid). See 997 (boētheō). [996 (boḗtheia) is used of auxiliary aid (remedy), critically needed for rescue (as in Herodotus and Xenophon). 996 (boḗtheia) is also used of the help provided by ropes (tackle, etc.).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom boétheó Definition help NASB Translation help (1), supporting cables (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 996: βοήθειαβοήθεια, βοηθείας, ἡ (see βοηθέω), help: Hebrews 4:16 (often in the Sept., chiefly for עֶזְרָה and עֵזֶר; in Greek writings from Thucydides and Xenophon down); plural helps: Acts 27:17 (see Hackett at the passage; B. D. under the word Topical Lexicon Root Idea and Semantic Range βοήθεια describes urgent, effectual assistance. It is not generic goodwill but concrete intervention at the very moment it is needed, whether by human hands (Acts) or by the Lord Himself (Hebrews). Occurrence in the New Testament 1. Acts 27:17 – “supports/helps” used by sailors to keep Paul’s storm-tossed ship from breaking apart. Acts 27:17 – Nautical Assistance Amid Peril Luke the physician records that, after “hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship”. In first-century seamanship this meant passing cables beneath the hull to hold planks together when a vessel was in danger of breaking up. The word choice underscores: The passage illustrates the compatibility of human means and divine sovereignty. Believers are free to employ every lawful “help,” knowing that ultimate deliverance rests with the Lord. Hebrews 4:16 – Divine Help at the Throne of Grace “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. Here βοήθεια is heavenly, mediated by Jesus the great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). Distinctives include: The writer anchors this promise in the incarnate sympathy of Christ, who “was tempted in every way we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Thus βοήθεια becomes a covenant certainty, not a hopeful wish. Intertextual Resonance with the Old Testament The Septuagint frequently uses cognate forms (e.g., βοήθεια for Hebrew עֵזֶר). “The Lord is my helper” (Psalm 118:7) anticipates Hebrews 13:6. Old-covenant saints looked forward to help; new-covenant believers receive it through the finished work of Christ. Christ as the Ultimate Helper • Incarnational – He entered humanity’s plight (John 1:14). Ministry Implications 1. Prayer is the primary conduit of βοήθεια. Elders and congregations should cultivate corporate and individual approaches to the throne. Pastoral Reflection Every crisis—be it maritime, moral, or mortal—calls forth the same gracious response from heaven: well-timed help. The church that lives under this promise will neither despair in storms nor boast in calm seas, for her confidence rests in the One who still says, “Take courage, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me” (Acts 27:25). Forms and Transliterations βοηθεία βοήθεια βοήθειά βοηθειαις βοηθείαις βοηθειαν βοήθειαν βοήθειάν βοήθείαν βοηθείας boetheiais boetheíais boētheiais boētheíais boetheian boētheian boḗtheianLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 27:17 N-DFPGRK: ἣν ἄραντες βοηθείαις ἐχρῶντο ὑποζωννύντες NAS: it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding KJV: they used helps, undergirding INT: which having taken up supports they used undergirding Hebrews 4:16 N-AFS Strong's Greek 996 |
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