βοήθεια (boētheia)
boētheia
help
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun boētheia means help or assistance, derived from the verb for calling to aid. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, yet each instance carries significant weight. In Hebrews 4:16, believers are encouraged to approach God’s throne with confidence to receive this help, specifically in times of need.
A striking shift occurs in Acts 27:17, where the word takes on a technical nautical sense. Here, it refers to physical supports or beams used to secure a ship under stress. This concrete usage highlights the word’s root idea of strengthening or reinforcing something that is being pulled apart by external forces.
The connection between these two verses is profound. The same term used for securing a vessel in a storm is used for spiritual support from God. It suggests that divine help is not merely abstract comfort but a structural reinforcement that holds a person together when circumstances threaten to break them.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word boētheia carries a sense of urgent assistance, originally describing someone called to aid in a crisis. In Hebrews, it reminds us that God’s grace is not distant but actively available when we are overwhelmed. We can approach His throne with confidence, knowing He provides the strength we lack.
Acts shows this same word used for physical beams securing a ship in a storm. This imagery suggests divine help is structural, holding us together when life pulls us apart. It is not just comfort but reinforcement, keeping us steady through trials.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- supports1×
- help.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- βοήθειαν.¶1×
- βοηθείαις1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 4:16
Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.
This verse uses the word to describe grace that is actively found and received in moments of urgent need.
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Acts 27:17
After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.
Here the term refers to physical cables used to reinforce a ship, highlighting its concrete meaning of structural support.