παρηγορία
parēgoría
G3931 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Speech or address intended to encourage, console, or provide relief, especially in situations of grief, trouble, or emotional distress. In a broader sense, designates the act or content of comforting discourse or persuasive exhortation.
Semantic Range
consolation, comfort, encouragement, soothing speech, alleviation by address, public oratory providing consolation
Root / Etymology
From παρά (beside, alongside) + ἀγορεύω (to speak in public), itself from ἀγορά (assembly). The word literally denotes 'speaking alongside' someone—a supportive or consoling address.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term παρηγορία appears rarely in Greek literature but is understood from its components as specialized speech directed toward those suffering or distressed. In classical and Hellenistic contexts, it refers both to the content of comfort and the act of verbally consoling or encouraging someone. The use extends to medical and philosophical texts for soothing, palliative language, not only emotional but occasionally physical (as 'alleviation'). The term is less common than related words like παράκλησις, but carries the nuance of public, deliberate discourse, perhaps reflecting its derivation from the word for 'assembly.' In the New Testament, the term does not appear, but is present in later Christian texts to indicate consolation, particularly in funerary oratory or compassionate exhortation. Standard English translations like 'comfort' or 'consolation' capture the general sense but often miss the emphasis on spoken encouragement or oratory.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of παρά and a derivative of ἀγορά (meaning to harangue an assembly); an address alongside, i.e. (specially), consolation:--comfort.
Root Family
παρά-ἀγορα- (parēgoría) — to speak alongside, encourage, console
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3931-01 |
παρηγορία | paregoria | N NOM F SG |
a comfort | consoling address | comfort | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3931-01 |
Colossians 4:11 | παρηγορία | paregoria | N NOM F SG |
a comfort | consoling address | comfort |