verb
boulomō
Strong’sG1014
I will, intend, desire
stem boul-37 times in the New Testamentin 17 of 27 books18 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Wish, will, desire, want — the deliberate exercise of the will to want or intend something, whether to do it oneself or to have something happen 124. It regularly takes an infinitive ("wish/intend to do" something) or an accusative with infinitive ("wish that" something be so), and can also mark the will choosing between alternatives 1. In courteous or deliberative questions it can be used more like a polite "if you please" or "would you like" 13. Strong's adds that the underlying force is being disposed or minded toward something, i.e. willing it 2.
LSJ also notes wider Greek usage outside the Bible: a common idiom "the one who wishes" meaning simply anyone who likes or the common crowd, phrases granting concession ("if you like"), and questions asking "with what purpose?" 3. Beyond wishing or intending, it can also carry the sense of meaning or intending something by a statement, or of a thing's nature tending toward or habitually being a certain way, and of preferring one thing over another 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
βούλομαι,
[in LXX for חפץ, אבה, יעץ, etc.;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1014 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidboo'-lom-ahee
to "will," i.e. (reflexively) be willing
Frommiddle voice of a primary verb;
King Jamesbe disposed, minded, intend, list, (be, of own) will (-ing).
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(Epic dialect also βόλομαι, which see), Doric dialect βώλ- (which see), Aeolic dialect βόλλ- (see. βόλομαι), Thess. βέλλ- Refs, Boeotian dialect βείλ- Refsβήλ- Refs 3rd c.BC+, Locrian dialectand Delph. δείλ- Refs, Coan, etc. δήλ- (which see), Ionic dialect 2nd pers. singular βούλεαι Refs 8th c.BC+: imperfect ἐβουλόμην Refs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural ἐβουλέατο codices in Refs 5th c.BC+: future βουλήσομαι Refs 5th c.BC+; later future βουληθήσομαι variant in Refs 2nd c.AD+ 13.636: aorist ἐβουλήθην, also ἠβ- (see. below), βουληθείς Refs 5th c.BC+., but Epic dialect aorist subjunctive 3rd.pers. singular βούλεται (from *βόλσ-ε-ται) Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect βεβούλημαι Refs 4th c.BC+; also βέβουλα (προ-) Refs 8th c.BC+ uncertain in epigram in Refs — forms with augment ἠ- are found in Attic dialect Inscrr. from Refs 5th c.BC+; said to be Ionic in Refs — An active βούλητε (={βούλησθε}) Mitteis Refs 4th c.AD+:—will, wish, be willing, Refs 8th c.BC+ 'consent', εἰ βούλει, ἐγὼ ἐθέλω Refs 5th c.BC+; but ἐθέλω is also used = 'wish', λέξαι θέλω σοι, πρὶν θανεῖν, ἃ βούλομαι, Refs 8th c.BC+ in the case of the gods, for with them wish is will: ἐθέλω is more general, and is sometimes used where βούλομαι might have stood, e.g. Refs 8th c.BC+—Construct.: mostly with infinitive, Τρώεσσιν ἐβούλετο κῦδος ὀρέξαι Refs; sometimes with infinitive future, Refs 6th c.BC+; with accusative et infinitive, Refs 8th c.BC+infinitive may generally be supplied, as καί κε τὸ βουλοίμην (i.e. γενέσθαι) Refs 8th c.BC+; ἔτυχεν ὧν ἐβούλετο (i.e. τυχεῖν) Refs 4th c.BC+; πλακοῦντα β. (i.e. σε λέγειν) Refs; καὶ εἰ μάλα βούλεται ἄλλῃ [Ποσειδάων] (i.e. τοῦτο γενέσθαι) Refs 8th c.BC+; so εἰς τὸ βαλανεῖον βούλομαι (i.e. ἰέναι) Refs 5th c.BC+; βουλοίμην ἄν (i.e. τόδε γενέσθαι) Refs 5th c.BC+
2 in Refs 8th c.BC+ he willed victory to the Trojans, Refs 8th c.BC+ that supports the constitution, Refs 4th c.BC+
II Attic dialect usages:
II.1 βούλει or βούλεσθε followed by Verb in subjunctive, βούλει λάβωμα; would you have me take hold? Refs 5th c.BC+; βούλει φράσ; Refs 5th c.BC+; ποῦ δὴ βούλει ἀναγνῶμε; Refs
II.2 εἰ βούλει if you please, Refs 5th c.BC+; also εἰ δὲ βούλει, ἐὰν δὲ βούλῃ, to express a concession, or if you like, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.3 ὁ βουλόμενος any one who likes, Refs 5th c.BC+; ὁ β. the 'common in former', Refs 5th c.BC+; ὅστις βούλει who or which ever you like, Refs 5th c.BC+
II.4 βουλομένῳ μοί ἐστι, with infinitive, it is according to my wish that.., Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ κεἰνου βουλόμενον his wish, Refs; but with passive sense, τὸ β. the object of desire, Refs 1st c.AD+
II.5 τί βουλόμενο; with what purpose? Refs 5th c.BC+
III mean, Refs 5th c.BC+; τί ἡμῖν βούλεται οὗτος ὁ μῦθος; (followed by β. λέγειν ὡς..) Refs 1st c.BC+; βούλεται εἶναι professes or pretends to be, Refs 5th c.BC+; tend to be, ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος φύσις β. εἶναι ἄχυμος Refs; β. ἤδη τότε εἶναι πόλις ὅταν.. Refs; ἡ φύσις β. μὲν τοῦτο ποιεῖν πολλάκις, οὐ μέντοι δύναταιRefs
III.2 to be wont, Refs 5th c.BC+
IV followed by ἤ.., prefer, for βούλομαι μᾶλλον (which is more usually in Prose), βούλομ᾽ ἐγὼ λαὸν σόον ἔμμεναι ἢ ἀπολέσθαι I had rather.., Refs 8th c.BC+; β. παρθενεύεσθαι πλέω χρόνον ἢ πατρὸς ἐστερῆσθαι (for πολὺν χρόνον, μᾶλλον ἤRefs 5th c.BC+; less frequently without ἤ.., πολὺ βούλομαι αὐτὴν οἴκοι ἔχειν I much prefer.., Refs 8th c.BC+. (g[uglide]el-g[uglide]ol-, compare the dialectic forms.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
3 rarer renderings are not shown; every occurrence below carries the English it was given there.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| boulomōβούλομαι | happening now · Ipresent middle or passive indicative 1st person singular | want | 6× |
| boulosōβούλει | happening now · youpresent middle or passive indicative 2nd person singular | willing | 1× |
| boulotōβούλεται | happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular | wills | 2× |
| boulonōβουλόμεθα | happening now · wepresent middle or passive indicative 1st person plural | want | 1× |
| boulovōβούλεσθε | happening now · yepresent middle or passive indicative 2nd person plural | want | 2× |
| boulomeἐβουλόμην | was happening · Iimperfect middle or passive indicative 1st person singular | like | 3× |
| bouloteἐβούλετο | was happening · he/she/itimperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular | wanted | 1× |
| bouloleἐβούλοντο | was happening · theyimperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person plural | wanted | 2× |
| boulimaἐβουλήθην | happened · Iaorist passive indicative 1st person singular | want | 1× |
| boulitaἐβουλήθη | happened · he/she/itaorist passive indicative 3rd person singular | planned | 1× |
| bouloteiōβούληται | happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive subjunctive 3rd person singular | chooses | 2× |
| bouliteiaβουληθῇ | happened · he/she/itaorist passive subjunctive 3rd person singular | wants | 1× |
| boulotoiōβούλοιτο | happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive optative 3rd person singular | willing | 1× |
| boulorōntosβουλόμενος | happening now · subjectpresent middle or passive participle nominative singular masculine | wanted | 8× |
| boulorōntouβουλομένου | happening now · of, belonging topresent middle or passive participle genitive singular masculine | wanted | 2× |
| boulorōntoisβουλόμενοι | happening now · subjectpresent middle or passive participle nominative plural masculine | want | 1× |
| boulorōntoinβουλομένους | happening now · objectpresent middle or passive participle accusative plural masculine | want | 1× |
| boulirantosβουληθεὶς | happened · subjectaorist passive participle nominative singular masculine | will | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 20 occurrences
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulomō6×βούλομαι | boulome3×ἐβουλόμην | boulomē | boulomelē |
| you 2nd person singular | boulosō1×βούλει | boulose | boulosē | bouloselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | boulotō2×βούλεται | boulote1×ἐβούλετο | boulotē | boulotelē |
| we 1st person plural | boulonō1×βουλόμεθα | boulone | boulonē | boulonelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulovō2×βούλεσθε | boulove | boulovē | boulovelē |
| they 3rd person plural | boulolō | boulole2×ἐβούλοντο | boulolē | boulolelē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | will happen future | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulimi | boulima1×ἐβουλήθην |
| you 2nd person singular | boulisi | boulisa |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | bouliti | boulita1×ἐβουλήθη |
| we 1st person plural | boulini | boulina |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulivi | bouliva |
| they 3rd person plural | boulili | boulila |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 3 occurrences
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulomeiō | boulomeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | bouloseiō | bouloseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | bouloteiō2×βούληται | bouloteiē |
| we 1st person plural | bouloneiō | bouloneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | bouloveiō | bouloveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | bouloleiō | bouloleiē |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulimeia |
| you 2nd person singular | bouliseia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | bouliteia1×βουληθῇ |
| we 1st person plural | boulineia |
| ye 2nd person plural | bouliveia |
| they 3rd person plural | boulileia |
Commands — imperative mood, no occurrences
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | boulosōr | boulosēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | boulotōr | boulotēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulovōr | boulovēr |
| they 3rd person plural | boulolōr | boulolēr |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | boulisar |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | boulitar |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulivar |
| they 3rd person plural | boulilar |
Wishes — optative mood, 1 occurrence
acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice
| Who person | happening now present |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulomoiō |
| you 2nd person singular | boulosoiō |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | boulotoiō1×βούλοιτο |
| we 1st person plural | boulonoiō |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulovoiō |
| they 3rd person plural | bouloloiō |
acted on passive voice
| Who person | happened aorist |
|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | boulimoia |
| you 2nd person singular | boulisoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | boulitoia |
| we 1st person plural | boulinoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | boulivoia |
| they 3rd person plural | bouliloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, no occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | boulorō | boulorē | ||
| acted on passive voice | bouliri | boulira |
Used as an adjective — participle, 13 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acts on itself, or is acted on middle or passive voice | boulorōntos12×βουλόμενος | boulorēntos | ||
| acted on passive voice | boulirintos | boulirantos1×βουληθεὶς |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
boul is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
37 occurrences, every one of them listed
boulomō“want”happening now · Ipresent middle or passive indicative 1st person singular6×
Acts 18:15“wish”… horevi autois; kritos mis houteiu ouk boulomō arō.… settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such …
Philippians 1:12Gnōskarō de vin boulomō, adelfoir, hoti teim kata min mallon …Now I want you to know, brothers, that my …
1 Timothy 2:8Boulomō oun proseuchorō toin androin en panto …Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting …
1 Timothy 5:14“want”boulomō oun neoterain gamarō, teknogonarō, oikodespotarō, mēdenan …… advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the …
Titus 3:8Pistos tos logos, kai peri houteiu boulomō sin diabebaiorō, hina frontizaleiō kaleiu ergeiu …This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so …
Jude 1:5Hupomimnēskara de vin boulomō, horarēntoin vin hapax panteim, hoti Iēsus …… are fully aware of this, I want to remind you that after Jesus …
boulosō“willing”happening now · youpresent middle or passive indicative 2nd person singular1×
Luke 22:42legarōntos; Patror, ei boulosō paraferasar houtem tem potēriem apo mu; …“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet …
boulotō“wills”happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular2×
1 Corinthians 12:11“wills”… autem pneumem, diairarōntem idia hekasto kathōs boulotō.… and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
James 3:4“directs”… pēdalieu hopou tas hormas tou euthunarōntou boulotō;… very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined.
boulonō“want”happening now · wepresent middle or passive indicative 1st person plural1×
Acts 17:20… tineim eisferasō eis tain akoain nu; boulonō oun gnōskara tineim thelatō houteim arō.… notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
boulovō“want”happening now · yepresent middle or passive indicative 2nd person plural2×
John 18:39… henon apoluameia vi en te pascha; boulovō oun apoluameia vi ton basilevon toiu …… the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the …
Acts 5:28“intend”… tan Ierousalēm tau didachau vu, kai boulovō epagara epi nin tem haimem tou …… have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
boulome“like”was happening · Iimperfect middle or passive indicative 1st person singular3×
Acts 25:22Agrippos de pros ton Fēston; Boulome kai autos tou anthrōpou akouara. Aurion, …… Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow …
2 Corinthians 1:15Kai houta ta pepoithēsia boulome proterem pros vin erchara, hina deuteran …Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that …
Philemon 1:13“wanted”hon mis boulome pros miauton katecharō, hina huper su …I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could …
boulote“wanted”was happening · he/she/itimperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person singular1×
Acts 15:37Barnabos de boulote sumparalabara kai ton Iōannon ton kalorōnton …Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
boulole“wanted”was happening · theyimperfect middle or passive indicative 3rd person plural2×
Acts 5:33“wanted”Tois de akouarantois diapriole kai boulole anairara autoin.… Council members heard this, they were enraged, and they resolved …
Acts 28:18hotinois anakrinarantois min boulole apoluara dia tem mēdenan aitian thanatou …They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was …
boulima“want”happened · Iaorist passive indicative 1st person singular1×
2 John 1:12“want”Polleim echarōntos vi grafarō ouk boulima dia chartou kai melaneu, alla elpizamō …I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come …
boulita“planned”happened · he/she/itaorist passive indicative 3rd person singular1×
Matthew 1:19“planned”… arōntos kai mē thelarōntos autan deigmatizara, boulita lathra apoluara autan.… righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.
bouloteiō“chooses”happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive subjunctive 3rd person singular2×
Matthew 11:27… mē tos huios kai ho ean bouloteiō tos huios apokaluptara.… and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
Luke 10:22… mē tos huios kai ho ean bouloteiō tos huios apokaluptara.… and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
bouliteia“wants”happened · he/she/itaorist passive subjunctive 3rd person singular1×
James 4:4“wants”… tou theou atō? hos ean oun bouliteia filos arō tou kosmou, echthros tou …… with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
boulotoiō“willing”happening now · he/she/itpresent middle or passive optative 3rd person singular1×
Acts 25:20… tan peri houteiu zētēsian legame ei boulotoiō poreuorō eis Hierosolumeim kakei krinorō peri …… matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be …
boulorōntos“wanted”happening now · subjectpresent middle or passive participle nominative singular masculine8×
Mark 15:15tos de Pilatos boulorōntos to ochlo tem hikanem poiara apoluata …And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released …
Acts 12:4“intending”… paradōarantos tessares tetradiei stratiōtoiu fulassarō auton, boulorōntos meta tem pascha anagara auton to …… in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Acts 22:30“wanted”Ta de epaurion boulorōntos gnōskara tem asfalem tem tinem katēgorotō …The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the …
Acts 23:28boulorōntos tē epignōskara tan aitian dia han …and since I wanted to understand their charges against him …
Acts 27:43“wanted”tos de hekatontarchēos boulorōntos diasōzara ton Paulon kōluata autoin teu …But the centurion, wanting to …
2 Corinthians 1:17houtem oun boulorōntos mēti ara ta elafria chrema? ē …When I planned this, did I do it carelessly …
Hebrews 6:17en he perissoterem boulorōntos tos theos epideikara toi klēronomoi tau …So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of …
2 Peter 3:9… hēgolō, alla makrothumatō eis vin, mē boulorōntos tinoin apolera alla pantoin eis metanoian …… but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to …
boulorōntou“wanted”happening now · of, belonging topresent middle or passive participle genitive singular masculine2×
Acts 18:27“wanted”boulorōntou de autou dierchara eis tan Achaian …… resolved to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to …
Acts 19:30Paulou de boulorōntou eiserchara eis ton dēmon ouk easale …Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but …
boulorōntois“want”happening now · subjectpresent middle or passive participle nominative plural masculine1×
1 Timothy 6:9tois de boulorōntois ploutarō empiptalō eis peirasmon kai pagidan …Those who want to be rich, however, fall into …
boulorōntoin“want”happening now · objectpresent middle or passive participle accusative plural masculine1×
3 John 1:10… autos epidechotō toin adelfoin kai toin boulorōntoin kōluatō kai ek tau ekklēsau ekbalatō.… the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them …
boulirantos“will”happened · subjectaorist passive participle nominative singular masculine1×
James 1:18“will”boulirantos apokuata nin logo alētheiau, eis tem …… to give us birth through the word of truth, that we …