αἱρέομαι
hairéomai
G138 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To take for oneself, to choose, select, or prefer. In classical and Hellenistic Greek, αἱρέομαι most commonly denotes the deliberate act of choosing or selecting something or someone among alternatives, often emphasizing personal preference or resolve. In contexts where the middle voice is used (as is most common), it refers to the subject's purposeful choice for oneself. In rare cases, it may also indicate the act of taking to oneself in a broader sense, including appropriating or adopting.
Semantic Range
to choose, to select, to take for oneself, to prefer, to adopt (a course of action)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root αἱρ- (from αἱρέω), meaning 'to take, seize, grasp.' While αἱρέομαι is the middle or passive form, often with reflexive sense: 'to take for oneself, to choose.' The ultimate etymology is uncertain but is perhaps related to the Proto-Indo-European root *ser-, meaning 'to grab, seize.' In some forms in later Greek, certain aorist forms are borrowed from the older verb 'αἱρέω' or its compounds, with active forms becoming obsolete in the middle and later periods.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, the verb αἱρέω (active) means 'to take, seize, capture,' while αἱρέομαι (middle) means 'to choose, pick out for oneself.' By the time of Koine Greek, the passive forms largely disappear, and the middle is the standard form for the sense 'to choose.' In the Septuagint and New Testament, it frequently refers to willful decision or deliberate choice, sometimes in contrast with random selection. English translations often render it simply as 'choose' or 'prefer,' but these may obscure the lexical emphasis on personal agency or preference. The English tradition does not always reflect the reflexive sense of the middle construction; in some contexts, 'choose for oneself' clarifies the nuance. It differs from verbs like ἐκλέγομαι (to select out of), which can have a more formal or official sense, while αἱρέομαι more strongly signals an individual's internal resolve. Earliest attestations appear in Homer and Herodotus, with stable meaning throughout antiquity. In the NT (e.g., Phil 1:22), it is used of personal preference between existential alternatives.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably akin to αἴρω; to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer:--choose. Some of the forms are borrowed from a cognate ; which is otherwise obsolete.
Root Family
αἱρέομαι (haireomai) — to take, to seize, to choose
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G138-02 |
εἵλατο | eilato | V AOR MID IND 3P SG |
chose | chose for himself | chose for himself | 1 |
G138-01 |
αἱρήσομαι | airesomai | V FUT MID IND 1P SG |
I shall choose | I will choose for myself | I will choose for myself | 1 |
G138-03 |
ἑλόμενος | elomenos | V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG |
choosing | having chosen for himself | having chosen for himself | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G138-01 |
Philippians 1:22 | αἱρήσομαι | airesomai | V FUT MID IND 1P SG |
I shall choose | I will choose for myself | I will choose for myself |
G138-02 |
2 Thessalonians 2:13 | εἵλατο | eilato | V AOR MID IND 3P SG |
chose | chose for himself | chose for himself |
G138-03 |
Hebrews 11:25 | ἑλόμενος | elomenos | V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG |
choosing | having chosen for himself | having chosen for himself |