βούλομαι G1014
To wish, want, desire; to will or determine by sovereign decree; to intend or purpose a deliberate course of action.
The Greek verb boulomai expresses the inner landscape of volition, from everyday wishing to sovereign divine decree. In most of its 37 New Testament occurrences, it simply means 'to want' or 'to wish' -- Pilate wanting to satisfy the crowd (Mark 15:15), Jesus asking 'Do you want me to release the king of the Jews?' (John 18:39). But in a handful of theologically weighty passages, boulomai ascends to deliberate, sovereign willing: the Father's exclusive authority to reveal the Son (Matt 11:27; Luke 10:22), and God's purposeful act of bringing forth by the word of truth (Jas 1:18). Spanish querer and German wollen mirror this same ambiguity between casual desire and resolute determination, while French vouloir likewise straddles both. A third, narrower sense captures planned intention -- Joseph 'intending' to divorce Mary quietly (Matt 1:19) or Herod 'planning' to bring Peter before the people (Acts 12:4).
Senses
1. want, wish, desire — General desire or wish without implying formal resolve -- simply wanting or preferring something. This dominant sense (30 occurrences) covers everyday volition: Pilate wanting to satisfy the crowd (Mark 15:15), the council wanting to kill the apostles (Acts 5:33), Barnabas wanting to take John Mark along (Acts 15:37). Spanish queriendo, French vouloir, and German wollen all converge on the basic volitional verb, confirming the broad desiderative function. 30×
AR["أَرادوا", "أَرادَ", "أَرَادَ", "أَرَادُوا", "أَرَدتُ", "أُريدُ", "أُريدُكَ", "إِذْ-أَرَادَ", "إِذْ-أَرَدْتُ", "مُريدًا", "مُرِيدًا", "وَإِذْ-أَرَادَ", "يَشاءُ", "يُريدُ"]·ben["আমি-চাই", "আমি-চেয়েছিলাম", "ইচ্ছা-করলে", "ইচ্ছা-করিতেছিল", "ইচ্ছা-করিয়া", "ইচ্ছা-করে", "ইচ্ছা-করেছিলাম", "ইচ্ছা-করেন", "ইচ্ছা-করেন।", "ইচ্ছুক-হয়ে", "চাই", "চাইছিলেন", "চাইতে,", "চায়", "চেয়ে", "তিনি-ইচ্ছা-করলে"]·DE["will", "wollen"]·EN["He-wills", "I-desire", "I-want", "I-was-wanting", "wanting", "was-wanting", "were-wanting", "wills", "wishing"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["רָצִיתִי", "רָצָה", "רָצוּ", "רוֹצֶה", "רוֹצֶה,"]·HI["चअहत-होओन", "चाहता-था", "चाहती-है", "चाहते-थे", "चाहते-हुए", "चाहतेहुए", "चाहने-पर", "मैन-चहत-थ", "मैन-चहत-हुन,"]·ID["Aku-menghendaki", "Ia-kehendaki", "Ingin", "aku ingin", "aku-ingin", "aku-menghendaki", "bermaksud", "ingin", "menghendaki", "menghendaki.", "menginginkan", "yang-menginginkan"]·IT["volere"]·jav["Kula-kepéngin", "Panjenenganipun-kersa.", "kapengin", "kepengin", "kepéngin", "kepéngin,", "kepéngin.", "kersa", "kerèp", "kula-kepéngin"]·KO["원하노라,", "원하는", "원하는.", "원하므로", "원하시는", "원하시는-대로", "원하시는-자가", "원하여", "원하였다", "원한다", "원했다"]·PT["Quero", "eu-queria", "quer", "quer.", "querendo", "queria", "queriam", "quero"]·RU["Желаю", "Желающему", "желает.", "желаю", "желающий", "желая", "хотел", "хотели"]·ES["Queriendo", "Quiero", "queriendo", "quería", "querían", "quiere", "quiero"]·SW["Basi-nataka", "akitaka", "alitaka", "atakavyo.", "basi-nataka", "inataka", "nataka", "nikikusudia,", "nikitaka", "nilitaka", "walitaka", "yeyote"]·TR["irade ederken", "istedim", "istediğinde", "istemeden", "isterdim", "isterse", "isteyen", "isteyerek", "isteyip", "istiyordu", "istiyorlardı", "istiyorum", "nasıl", "İstiyorum"]·urd["میں-چاہتا-ہوں", "چاہتا", "چاہتا-تھا", "چاہتا-ہوں", "چاہتا-ہے", "چاہتا-ہے۔", "چاہتے-تھے", "چاہتے-ہوئے"]
Mark 15:15, Luke 22:42, John 18:39, Acts 5:33, Acts 15:37, Acts 17:20, Acts 18:15, Acts 18:27, Acts 19:30, Acts 22:30, Acts 23:28, Acts 25:20 (+18 more)
2. will, determine, decree — Deliberate sovereign willing or determination, often predicated of God or the Father, expressing purposeful volition that carries authority and certainty of fulfillment. Only 4 occurrences, but each is theologically pivotal: the Father alone determines whom the Son reveals (Matt 11:27; Luke 10:22), God willed to bring us forth by truth (Jas 1:18), and the warning against becoming an enemy of God by one's own choosing (Jas 4:4). Spanish habiendo querido and German wollen here carry a weight of divine prerogative absent from sense 1. 4×
AR["أرادَ", "أَرادَ", "بِإرادَتِهِ", "يُريدُ"]·ben["ইচ্ছা-করে", "ইচ্ছা-করেন", "চায়"]·DE["will", "wollen"]·EN["having-willed", "purposes", "wills"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["יִרְצֶה", "רָצָה"]·HI["चअहे", "चाहकर", "चाहे"]·ID["Dengan-kehendak,", "berkehendak", "ingin", "menghendaki"]·IT["volere"]·jav["kang-marengaken,", "kepengin", "kepéngin"]·KO["원하면", "원하시면", "원하시어,"]·PT["quiser", "tendo-desejado"]·RU["желает", "захотев,", "захочет", "пожелает"]·ES["habiendo-querido", "quiera"]·SW["anapenda", "ataka", "kwa-mapenzi-yake"]·TR["dileyerek", "isterse"]·urd["چاہ-کر٬", "چاہے"]
3. intend, plan, purpose — Deliberate intention or planning toward a specific course of action, implying forethought and resolve rather than mere desire. Three occurrences capture this: Joseph intending to divorce Mary quietly (Matt 1:19), the Sanhedrin intending to charge the apostles (Acts 5:28), and Herod purposing to bring Peter out after Passover (Acts 12:4). Spanish quiso and German wollte in these contexts shade toward 'planned' or 'purposed' rather than simple 'wanted.' 3×
AR["أَرَادَ", "تُرِيدُونَ", "مُرِيدًا"]·ben["ইচ্ছা-করলেন", "ইচ্ছা-করে", "চাইছ"]·DE["will"]·EN["intending", "purposed", "you-intend"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["חָשַׁב", "רוֹצִים", "רוֹצֶה"]·HI["-आदमी-का", "चाहता-था", "चाहते-हुए"]·ID["bermaksud"]·IT["volere"]·jav["kersa-panjenengan-sedaya", "niyat", "purun"]·KO["결심했다", "그리고", "원하며"]·PT["resolveu"]·RU["желая", "решил", "хотите"]·ES["queriendo", "queréis", "quiso"]·SW["akikusudia", "alikusudia", "mnataka"]·TR["düşündü", "isteyen", "istiyorsunuz"]·urd["چاہا", "چاہتا-ہوا", "چاہتے-ہو"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
βούλομαι (Epic dialect also βόλομαι, which see), Doric dialect βώλ- (which see), Aeolic dialect βόλλ- (see. βόλομαι), Thess. βέλλ- Refs, Boeotian dialect βείλ- Refsβήλ- Refs 3rd c.BC+, Locrian dialectand Delph. δείλ- Refs, Coan, etc. δήλ- (which see), Ionic dialect 2nd pers. singular βούλεαι Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect ἐβουλόμην Refs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural ἐβουλέατο codices in…