θέλω G2309
To want, wish, be willing, or purpose; the primary Greek verb for expressing desire, consent, intention, and delight.
The verb thelo is the New Testament's workhorse for human and divine volition. Jesus uses it to reveal the Father's heart ('I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' Matt 9:13), to test the commitment of would-be disciples ('If anyone wants to follow me,' Matt 16:24), and to express his own compassionate will ('I am willing — be cleansed,' Matt 8:3). The Arabic arada, Spanish querer, and Korean wonhada all share this broad volitional range. What makes thelo especially rich is its capacity to shade from mere preference through firm resolve to divine determination, sometimes within a single discourse. Paul exploits this range masterfully in Romans 7:15-21, where the 'willing' of good and the 'not willing' of evil chart the inner conflict of the human will.
2. be willing, consent — To be willing or to consent, foregrounding readiness rather than active desire. In Matthew 23:37 Jesus laments 'I wanted to gather your children... but you were not willing,' and in Matthew 18:30 the servant 'was not willing' to forgive. The English distinction between 'want' and 'be willing' is well captured by the Spanish contrast between querer (active desire) and estar dispuesto (readiness). This sense often appears in negative contexts where refusal to consent is the dramatic point. 13×
AR["أَرادَ","أَرَادَ","أَرَدتُم","أَرَدْتَ","أَرَدْتُمْ","أُرِيدُ","تُرِيدُوا","شاءَ","يُريدونَ","يُرِدْ"]·ben["ইচ্ছা-কর,","ইচ্ছা-করলেন","ইচ্ছা-করি,","চাইলে","চাইলেন","চায়","চেয়েছিল","চেয়েছিলে","তোমরা-চাওনি"]·DE["will","wollen"]·EN["I-am-willing","he-wanted","he-was-willing","he-wished","they-are-willing","wanted","was-willing","were-willing","willed","wished","you-are-willing","you-wanted","you-were-willing"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["אָבָה","רְצִיתֶם","רָצָה","רוֹצִים","רוֹצֶה","תִּרְצֶה"]·HI["उससे","उसे","चअह","चाहते","चाहा","तुमने-चाहा।","सकता-है"]·ID["Aku-mau,","Dia-mau","Engkau-mau,","Ia-ingin","berkehendak","ingin","kamu-mau","mau"]·IT["volere"]·jav["Aku-kersa,","Gusti-Allah-ngersakaken","karsa","kepéngin","kersa","kersa,","panjenengan-purun","purun"]·KO["원하면","원하셨다","원하였다","원하지","원한다-내가","원했다"]·PT["Quero,","queres,","quis","quisestes"]·RU["Хочу","желают","захотел","захотели","пожелал","хотел","хочешь"]·ES["Quiero","quieren","quieres","quisisteis","quiso"]·SW["Nataka,","alitaka","hakutaka","hamkutaka","hiyo","mlitaka","taka","unataka,"]·TR["istedi","istediniz","istersen,","istiyordu","istiyorlar","İstiyorum,"]·urd["چاہا","چاہا-تم-نے","چاہتا-ہوں-میں","چاہتے","چاہے-تو"]
Matt 18:23, Matt 18:30, Matt 23:4, Matt 23:37, Matt 27:34, Mark 1:40, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:26, Luke 13:34, John 1:43, John 5:35, Acts 16:3 (+1 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. want, desire — The basic volitional sense: to want or desire something. This is the most frequent use by far, spanning every mood and tense. In Matthew 16:24 ('if anyone wants to come after me') and Matthew 15:32 ('I do not want to send them away hungry'), thelo expresses straightforward desire or want. The Arabic arada/yuridu, Korean wonhada, and Swahili -taka all converge here. The breadth of subjects — God, Jesus, disciples, crowds, opponents — shows this is the unmarked, default sense of the verb. 166×
AR["أُريدُ","أُرِيدُ","وَأُرِيدُ"]·ben["আমি-চাই","চাই"]·DE["will","wollen"]·EN["I-desire","I-want","I-wish","do-I-wish","want","will"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["אֲנִי-רוֹצֶה","חָפֵץ","חָפַצְתִּי","רוֹצֶה","רוֹצֶה-אֲנִי"]·HI["चअहत-होओन","चहत","चहत-होओन","चाहता","चाहता-हूँ","चाहता-हूं","मैं-चाहता-हूँ"]·ID["Aku-inginkan","Aku-mau","Aku-menghendaki","aku-ingin","aku-kehendaki","aku-kehendaki,","aku-mau","aku-menghendaki","ingin","kehendaki","mau"]·IT["volere"]·jav["Aku-kepengin","Aku-kepengin,","Kawula-kersa,","Kawula-ngersakaken","Kula-karsakaken","Kula-kersa","Kula-ngersakaken","karsa","kersa","kula-kepingin","kula-kepéngin","kula-kepéngin,"]·KO["내가-원한다","원하노라","원하는","원하는-것-을","원하는-것을","원하리요","원한다"]·PT["Quero","quero","quero,"]·RU["-хочу","Хочу","ведь","же","желаю","хочу"]·ES["quiero"]·SW["kufanya","lakini","nataka","nataka,","ninataka","ninavyotaka","nipendalo","nitaka","sitaki"]·TR["istiyorsam","istiyorum","çünkü"]·urd["میں-چاہتا-ہوں","چاہتا","چاہتا ہوں","چاہتا-ہوں","چاہتا-ہُوں","چاہوں"]
Matt 9:13, Matt 11:14, Matt 12:7, Matt 15:32, Matt 16:24, Matt 16:25, Matt 20:14, Matt 20:15, Matt 20:26, Matt 20:27, Matt 20:32, Matt 26:15 (+38 more)
3. wish, long for — To wish or long for, often with optative or counterfactual nuance. In Mark 6:25 Herodias's daughter says 'I wish that you give me the head of John,' and in Luke 1:62 the neighbors made signs asking what Zechariah 'wished' to name the child. The Spanish quisiera ('would like') and the Arabic kuntu uridu ('I was wanting') capture the softer, less resolved quality. This sense appears when the outcome is uncertain, speculative, or emotionally charged. 12×
AR["أَرَدْتُ","أَشاءُ","أُريدُ","كُنتُ-أُريدُ","يُرِيدُ"]·ben["আমি-ইচ্ছা-করি","আমি-চাই","চাই","চাইতাম","চান"]·DE["will","wollen"]·EN["I-am-willing","I-should-wish","I-want","I-was-wishing","I-will","I-wish","he-might-want"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["אֶרְצֶה","יִרְצֶה","רָצִיתִי","רוֹצֶה","רוֹצֶה-אֲנִי","רוֹצֶה־אֲנִי","רוֹצָה"]·HI["चाहता","चाहता-हूँ","चाहता-हूं","चाहूं","चाहेगा","ताकि","मैं-चाहूं","मैन-चहत-थ","मैन-चहत-होओन"]·ID["Aku ingin","Aku-ingin","Aku-mau","Aku-menghendaki","aku-ingin","aku-mau","aku-menghendaki","dia-ingin"]·IT["volere"]·jav["Aku-karsa","Kawula-kepéngin","Kawula-kersa","Kula-kepengin","Kula-kepingin","kawula-kersa","kepéngin","kula-kepengin","kula-kepingin,","kula-kepéngin","purun"]·KO["원하노라","원하는지","원하다","원하지-않습니다","원한다","원한다면","원합니다","원했노라"]·PT["Quero","queria","quero;","quiser"]·RU["Хочу","Хочу;","желал","захочу","хотел","хочу,","хочу;"]·ES["Quiero","deseaba","querría","quiero","quisiera"]·SW["Napenda","Nataka","Nataka;","Ningependa","angependa","lakini","nikitaka","ningependa","nitataka"]·TR["Istiyorum","isterdim","istersem","isteyebilir","istiyorum","İsterim","İstiyorum"]·urd["چاہتا","چاہتا-تھا","چاہتا-ہوں","چاہتا-ہے","چاہتی-ہوں","چاہوں","چاہوں-"]
4. will, purpose, determine — To will, purpose, or determine, expressing firm intention or divine decree. In Acts 18:21 Paul says 'I will return if God wills,' and in 1 Corinthians 4:19 he declares 'I will come soon, if the Lord wills.' The Arabic sha'a ('to decree/will'), especially in the divine context, and German wollen in its purposive register fit well. When the subject is God (Matt 8:2-3, 'if you are willing, you can cleanse me'), thelo carries the weight of sovereign determination rather than mere preference. 10×
AR["أَرَدتَ","إِنْ-شَاءَ","تَشَأْ","شاءَ","شاءَت","شَاءُوا","شِئتَ","يُريدُ"]·ben["ইচ্ছা-করলে","ইচ্ছা-করিত","ইচ্ছা-করেন,","চান","তুমি-চাওনি"]·DE["will","wollen"]·EN["desires","should-will","they-should-be-willing","willing","wills","you-are-willing","you-desired","you-will"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["חָפַצְתָּ","יִרְצֶה","יִרְצוּ","רוֹצֶה","תִּרְצֶה"]·HI["चअहत-है","चाहा,","चाहा;","चाहे","चाहे-तो","चाहें"]·ID["Engkau-kehendaki;","Engkau-mau","mau","menghendaki","menghendaki,"]·IT["volere"]·jav["Panjenengan-karsa","Panjenengan-karsakaken","Panjenengan-kersa","kepéngin","kersa","marengaken,","ngarsakaken,","ngersakaken"]·KO["원하셨으나","원하셨으니","원하시면","원하시면,","원하신다","원한다면"]·PT["quer","quiser","quiserem","quiseres","quiseste"]·RU["восхотел","желает","желающего","захотят","захочет","пожелает,","хочешь","хочешь,"]·ES["queriendo","quiera","quiere","quieren","quieres","quisiste"]·SW["-","akipenda,","akitaka","hutaka","ukitaka","ukitaka,","wanataka"]·TR["istedin","istemesiyle","ister","isterlerse","isterse","istersen","ve-"]·urd["تو-نے-چاہی","تو-نے-چاہیں","تُو","مرضی-ہوئی","چاہتا-ہے","چاہتی-ہے","چاہو","چاہیں","چاہے","چاہے٬"]
5. take delight in, like — To take delight or pleasure in something, where the volitional element shades into affection. In Romans 7:21 Paul finds a 'law' that when he 'wants' to do good, evil lies close at hand — here thelo means something closer to 'take delight in.' In Matthew 2:18 Rachel 'would not' be comforted, expressing not just refusal but emotional disposition. The Swahili -penda ('to love/like') and Arabic al-raghibu ('the one who delights') highlight this affective coloring. Acts 17:18-20 uses it for intellectual curiosity and interest. 9×
AR["الرّاغِبُ","المُريدَ","الْمُرِيدِ","تُريدُ","تُرِدْ","مُريدًا","يُريدُ","يُرِدْنَ"]·ben["ইচ্ছা-করে","ইচ্ছুক","চাইতে","চাইতের","চাইল","চায়","তারা-চায়,"]·DE["will","wollen"]·EN["delighting","one-willing","they-desire","wanting","willing","wishes","wishing","would"]·FR["vouloir"]·heb["הָרוֹצֶה","יִרְצֶה","רָצְתָה","רוֹצִים","רוֹצֶה","רוֹצוֹת"]·HI["चअहत-हुअ","चअहति-हैन","चाहता-है","चाहती-थी","चाहती-हैं","चाहने-वाले","चाहनेवाले-को","मुफ्त"]·ID["berarti","berkehendak","ingin","mau","mereka-ingin","yang-ingin","yang-mau","yang-menghendaki"]·IT["volere"]·jav["ingkang-kepéngin","ingkang-ngersakaken,","kang-kepéngin","kepengin","kepéngin,","ngersaaken","ngersakaken","purun"]·KO["원하는","원하는-자는","원하는-자의","원하는가","원하는지","원하면서","원한다,","원했다"]·PT["que-quer","que-quer,","quer","querem","querendo","queria"]·RU["делать","желают","желающий","и-не-","хотел","хотела","хочет"]·ES["que-quiere","queriendo","queriendo,","querría","quería","quieren"]·SW["akitaka","anayetaka","angetaka","kutaka","ninapotaka","wanataka","yanataka","yule-anayetaka"]·TR["istedi","isterler","isteyen","isteyenin","istiyor"]·urd["چاہتا-ہوا","چاہتا-ہے","چاہتی","چاہتی-ہیں۔","چاہتے-ہوئے","چاہنے-والا","چاہنے-والے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
θέλω, see at {ἐθέλω} and add ὅστις ἂν θέλῃ Refs