G1014 βούλομαι (boúlomai)

Wishes (1014) (boulomai) refers to a settled desire, one born of or springing from reason and not from emotion. To will, to wish, to will deliberately, to intend, to have a purpose, to be minded. Wishes is aorist tense which indicates that the individual made a definite decision of their heart at a given time. Zodhiates explains that "When you take your stand, your willing and determinate stand for the world, James declares, it is the same as if you took your stand against God. When the world has captured your will, that worldly will cannot tolerate God. You voluntarily open the door to the world and you open the window and cast God out." (Faith, Love, and Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James: AMG Publishers) In the NT boulomai is used primarily of men and conveys the senses mentioned above. Boulomai is also used of God meaning to will, to purpose, to wish as in (Lk 22:42; Heb 6:17; Jas 1:18; 2Pe 3:9, of Jesus - Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22, of the Holy Spirit - 1Co 12:11) Boulomai expresses the idea of the deliberate and specific exercise of volition (an act of making a choice or decision). Stated another way boulomai conveys the sense of more than simply wanting a desire or wish to be fulfilled. It conveys the stronger sense of choosing one thing over another or of preference of one thing before another. Boulomai is more likely to express God’s will of decree whereas the verb thelo refers to God's will of desire. Boulomai carries the tone of a preordained, divine decision, somewhat more deliberate than thelo (Lk 22:42). Dr Grant Richison commenting on wishes writes in Jas 4:4 writes that boulomai... conveys more than desire or a wish but the more forceful idea of resolving to hold one value over another. It is a volitional decision after careful deliberation. This is the process whereby a carnal Christian arrives at his carnality... We cannot love God halfheartedly. He wants all of us or none of us. To embrace one is to forsake the other. When we lose heart for God something else has displaced our love for God. (James 44b - Bible Exposition Commentary) Vine writes that boulomai means to wish, to will deliberately, and expresses more strongly than thelo, the deliberate exercise of the will. Zodhiates says that... Boulomai expresses a merely passive desire, propensity, willingness, while thelo expresses an active volition and purpose. Boulomai expresses also the inward predisposition and bent from which active volition proceeds; hence it is never used of evil people (Zodhiates, S. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. AMG or Logos) Thayer has these thoughts on distinguishing boulomai from thelo... Thelo = to determine as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas boulomai properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations (Ed: I hope you can understand that comment. It's a bit obtuse for me!), i.e., choose or prefer (literal or figurative); by implication to wish, i.e. be inclined to Theologians refer to the first (boulomai) as God’s secret will and the second (thelo) as His revealed will. In other words, God desires many things that He does not decree. A decree is an official order, command, or edict issued by a king or other person of authority and in Scripture refers to God’s universal laws or rules to which the entire world is subject (cp Ps 148:6). Although the above resources suggest there is distinction between boulomai and thelo, not all lexicons agree... Human will or volition can be represented, on the one hand, as a mental act, directed towards a free choice. But, on the other hand, it can be motivated by desire pressing in from the unconscious. Both kinds of volition are rendered by the word-groups associated with boulomai and thelo. A clear terminological distinction between boulomai (originally volition as a mental act) and thelo (originally instinctive desire) is no longer possible after the very early overlap of the areas covered by the words and is excluded at the time of the NT by their largely synonymous usage. Boulomai - 37 uses in the NT - The renders boulomai as am unwilling (1), desire(2), desired(1), desires(1), desiring(1), desirous(1), intend(1),intended(2), intending(2), like(1), want(7), wanted(2), wanting(2), will(1), willing(3), wills(3), wish(1), wished(1),wishes(1), wishing(3). Matthew 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Mark 15:15 And wishing to satisfy the multitude, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. Luke 10:22 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Luke 22:42 saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done." Boulomai carries the tone of a preordained, divine decision, somewhat more deliberate than thelo. John 18:39 "But you have a custom, that I should release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?" Acts 5:28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Acts 5:33 But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and were intending to slay them. Acts 12:4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. Acts 15:37 And Barnabas was desirous (wanted to) of taking John, called Mark, along with them also. Barnabas' earlier involvement in the dispute at Antioch showed that his natural sympathies lay principally with Jewish Christians (Gal 2:13) and it was also natural for him to want to take Mark with them in revisiting the churches. Acts 17:20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; we want to know therefore what these things mean." Acts 18:15 but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters." Comment: “A judge of these things I do not desire to be.” These are the exact words of a Roman magistrate refusing to exercise his arbitrium iudicatis within a matter extra ordinem (Sherwin-White, 102). It is within the competence of the judge to decide whether to accept a novel charge or not (Sherwin-White, 100). Acts 18:27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace; Acts 19:30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. Comment: Plainly Paul wanted to face the howling mob Acts 22:30 But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Acts 23:28 "And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; Acts 25:20 "And being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. Acts 25:22 And Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him." Comment: A T Robertson "The imperfect for courtesy, rather than the blunt boulomai, I wish, I want. Literally, “I myself also was wishing” (while you were talking), a compliment to the interesting story told by Festus. The idea of boulomai is to desire to have or experience something, with the implication of some reasoned planning or will to accomplish the goal. Acts 27:43 but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, Acts 28:18 "And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. 1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Comment: Boulomai = He continuously (present tense) determines "not according to the merit or wishes of men, but according to His own will" (Hodge). Regardless of the spiritual gift, the Holy Spirit has supernaturally and sovereignly distributed them to produce His own spiritual results...hence there is no occasion for conceit, pride, or faction (1Co 4:7). The Holy Spirit bestows these gifts as He wills, not as we will and therefore believers should never complain about or boast about there gifts for we are many members but one body and are to minister to each other. This passage clearly proves that the Holy Spirit is a person. Will is attributed to him here, and this is one of the distinctive attributes of a person. Both the divinity and the personality of the Holy Spirit are therefore involved in the nature of the work here ascribed to him. (Hodge, C. 1Corinthians) 2 Corinthians 1:15 And in this confidence I intended at first to come to you, that you might twice receive a blessing; 2 Corinthians 1:17 Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or that which I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. 1 Timothy 5:14 Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. Comment: Wuest: Boulomai, a desire that comes from the reasoning faculties. This desire to be wealthy is not a passing emotional thing, but the result of a process of reasoning. Mature consideration has been given the matter of the acquisition of riches, with the result that that desire has become a settled and planned procedure. Vincent says: “It is not the possession of riches, but the love of them that leads men into temptation.” (Ibid) Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. Philemon 1:13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; Hebrews 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, Comment: Wuest: (Desiring is) boulomai which speaks of a desire that is based upon the reasoning faculties as over against thelo a desire that arises from the emotions. God, facing human infirmities, was minded to do thus and so. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos) James 1:18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures. James 3:4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing (boulomai - present tense = continually He does not wish) for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Comment: Compare Paul's use of thelo in a similar context - "(God our Savior") Who desires (thelo - present tense = continually this is God's desire!) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Ti 2:4). It follows that in some uses it is somewhat difficult to discern a clear distinction in meaning between thelo and boulomai. And not surprisingly Wuest offers this analysis of 2Peter 3:9... The word “willing” (2Pe 3:9) is boulomai . The synonyms thelō and boulomai mean “to wish, desire.” Thayer says: “Many agree with Prof. Grimm that thelō gives prominence to the emotional element, boulomai, to the rational and volitional; that thelō signifies the choice, while boulomai marks the choice as deliberate and intelligent; yet they acknowledge that the words are sometimes used indiscriminately, and especially that thelō as the less sharply defined term is put where boulomai would be proper.” Trench, in his Synonyms of the New Testament says regarding synonyms: “All that we certainly affirm is that, granting this, (namely, that there may be one hundred passages where it would be quite as possible to use the one as the other), there is a hundred and first, where one would be appropriate and the other not, or where, at all events, one would be more appropriate than the other.” It would seem that boulomai is used here advisedly by Peter. It is not God’s considered will that any should perish. There is the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. God will not violate man’s will. While it is His considered will that no one should be lost, yet in making man in His image He necessarily had to make him a free moral agent, with a will which is able to say “yes” and “no” to Him. While God is always willing to save man, man is not always willing to be saved. (Ibid) 2 John 1:12 Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. Comment: Wuest: Want is boulomai “a desire which comes from one’s reason.” John had considered the matter carefully and had come to the conclusion that it would be wiser to wait until he saw this Lady again to talk things over with her rather than include them in this letter. Smith has a most helpful note in this connection: “Why would he not write all that was in his mind? It was a deliberate decision ere he took pen in hand: This is the force of ‘I would not.’ His heart was full, and writing was a poor medium of communication.… he was an old man, and writing was fatiguing to him (Plummer). The reason is deeper. The ‘many things’ which he had in mind, were hard things like his warning against intercourse with heretics, and he would not write at a distance but would wait till he was on the spot and had personal knowledge. (Ibid) 3 John 1:10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church. Jude 1:5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. Boulomai - 74x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Gen 24:5; Ex 4:23; 8:2, 21; 9:2; 10:3, 7, 27; 16:28; 22:17; 36:2; Lev 26:21; Deut 25:7f; Ru 3:13; 1 Sam 2:25; 15:9; 18:25; 20:3; 22:17; 28:23; 31:4; 2 Sam 2:23; 6:10; 20:11; 24:3; 1Ki 13:33; 16:28; 21:6; 1Chr 10:4; 11:19; 2Chr 21:7; 25:16; Ezra 10:3; Esther 3:11, 13; 8:11; Job 9:3; 13:3; 21:14; 30:14; 34:14; 35:13; 36:12; 37:10; 39:9; Ps 36:3; 40:8; 70:2; Pr 1:10; 12:20; 18:1; 21:7; Isa 1:11, 29; 8:6; 30:9, 15; 36:16; 42:21, 24; 53:10; 65:12; 66:4; Jer 6:10; 13:10; 25:28; 42:22; Ezek 3:7; 33:11; Dan 4:31; 5:19; 11:3; Jonah 1:14 To be (1511) (eimi) is in the present tense indicating continuous action and it "matches" the verb "makes" (kathistemi which is also in the present tense). In other words continually seeking to be a friend of the world continually assigns one to the position of God's enemy!