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βοηθέω

boēthéō

G997 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To provide assistance or relief to someone in need; to come to aid, offer help or support, especially in times of difficulty or distress. The verb primarily indicates an active intervention on behalf of another, whether by offering practical help, protection, or delivering from danger.

Semantic Range

to assist actively, to deliver from adversity or danger, to support in response to a need, to rescue, to come to someone's aid upon a plea, to relieve distress

Root / Etymology

From the noun βοηθός (helper, one who comes to aid), itself formed from βοή (shout, cry for help) + θέω (to run), originally signifying ‘one who runs at a cry’ or ‘runs to render aid’.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, βοηθέω was used for responding to a cry for help in both military and civil contexts, indicating urgency and direct action (e.g., arriving to assist an embattled ally, or rushing to deliver aid in disaster). In the Septuagint, it frequently translates various Hebrew expressions for delivering or coming to the rescue, particularly in divine contexts (e.g., God helping or delivering Israel/the righteous). In the New Testament, the sense of divine or human aid is preserved (e.g., Matthew 15:25; Hebrews 2:18), and it commonly emphasizes not a passive wish but an active intervention. English translations (‘help’, ‘aid’, ‘succor’) sometimes obscure the dynamic and responsive connotation, especially compared to more generic help-words. Differences with related terms: ἐπαρκέω tends to mean 'to suffice, to give what is needed' rather than responding to an urgent plea. The verb retains its ‘urgency of response to need’ sense across Koine Greek literature. No significant semantic shift is observed between classical, Hellenistic, and NT use, though the religious context (God as helper) becomes more common in the Septuagint and NT.

Translation Consistency

primary "help" 6 occurrences

'Help' is the most natural, common English verb that captures the primary sense of βοηθέω — to come to someone’s aid, provide assistance, or relieve distress. It covers the typical range (assist, rescue, support) without sounding formal or specialized, matches the majority of attested P2 renderings, and will produce idiomatic English across all inflected forms.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"came to aid" (1x) "come to aid" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from βοηθός; to aid or relieve:--help, succor.

Root Family

βοηθ- (boḗtheia) — to help, to assist, to come to aid

Root βοηθ- to help, to come to aid, to bring relief
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G996 βοήθεια to aids
G998 βοηθός helper

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G997-01 βοήθει boethei V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG help come to aid! keep helping! 2
G997-04 βοήθησον boetheson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG help Come to aid! Help! 2
G997-02 βοηθεῖτε boetheite V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL help keep coming to aid help 1
G997-03 βοηθῆσαι boethesai V AOR ACT INF to help to come to aid to come to aid 1
G997-05 ἐβοήθησά eboethesa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I helped I came to aid I came to aid 1
G997-06 ἐβοήθησεν eboethesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG helped came to aid helped 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G997-01 Matthew 15:25 βοήθει boethei V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG help come to aid! keep helping!
G997-04 Mark 9:22 βοήθησον boetheson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG help Come to aid! Help!
G997-01 Mark 9:24 βοήθει boethei V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG help come to aid! help
G997-04 Acts 16:9 βοήθησον boetheson V AOR ACT IMP 2P SG help Come to aid! Help!
G997-02 Acts 21:28 βοηθεῖτε boetheite V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL help keep coming to aid help
G997-05 2 Corinthians 6:2 ἐβοήθησά eboethesa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I helped I came to aid I came to aid
G997-03 Hebrews 2:18 βοηθῆσαι boethesai V AOR ACT INF to help to come to aid to come to aid
G997-06 Revelation 12:16 ἐβοήθησεν eboethesen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG helped came to aid helped
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