παραμυθία
paramythía
G3889 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Consolation, comfort, or encouragement; specifically, the act or quality of soothing distress or alleviating sorrow by means of words or presence. The term can refer both to the abstract quality (consolation or comfort) and to specific expressions or acts intended to encourage or reassure someone facing difficulty, grief, or anxiety.
Semantic Range
consolation, comfort, soothing encouragement, alleviation of distress through words or presence, supportive counsel
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb παραμυθέομαι (paramytheomai), meaning 'to encourage, console, comfort, speak to alleviate distress.' The root is παραμυθ- (paramyth-), combining παρά (para, 'beside' or 'alongside') and μῦθος (mythos, 'speech, word, story, counsel'). Thus, it originally indicated speaking alongside or addressing with a view to encouragement or reassurance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, παραμυθία referred to any form of consolation or gentle, encouraging speech, including verbal and nonverbal support. Over time, especially in Hellenistic and Jewish-Greek (LXX, NT) contexts, the term increasingly denoted the comfort or encouragement given to those in distress, anxiety, or mourning. Its usage in the New Testament (e.g. 1 Corinthians 14:3) focuses on the aspect of community or interpersonal support, by means of uplifting words. The word distinguishes itself from the more abstract or general παράκλησις (paraklēsis, often 'exhortation' or 'encouragement'), by emphasizing a more intimate, direct comfort or soothing. Standard English translations typically render παραμυθία as 'comfort' or 'consolation,' but these may not capture the relational or interpersonal nuance inherent in the Greek. There is no inherently religious sense to the word; its usage depends on context. Attested in papyri and literary texts outside the New Testament as well, usually in contexts of alleviating distress or expressing practical encouragement.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from παραμυθέομαι; consolation (properly, abstract):--comfort.
Root Family
παραμυθ- (paramythía) — to console, to comfort, to encourage by speaking
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G3890 | παραμύθιον | a consoling encouragement |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3889-01 |
παραμυθίαν | paramuthian | N ACC F SG |
comfort | consolation | consolation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3889-01 |
1 Corinthians 14:3 | παραμυθίαν | paramuthian | N ACC F SG |
comfort | consolation | consolation |