βουλή (boulē)
boulē
plan
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun boulē refers to a deliberate plan or settled purpose. In the New Testament, it most frequently describes God’s intentional design rather than human advice. The sources highlight its use in Acts to show how events unfolded according to divine strategy, such as when Jesus’ crucifixion occurred because God’s hand and purpose had decided beforehand (Acts 2:23).
This word carries significant theological weight regarding sovereignty. It appears in Ephesians to describe the mystery of God’s will, which He works out in everything according to His counsel (Ephesians 1:11). The term also contrasts human rejection with divine acceptance; Jesus notes that the Pharisees rejected God’s purpose for themselves by refusing John’s baptism (Luke 7:30).
Translators often render boulē as "purpose" or "plan" to distinguish it from mere opinion. It implies a fixed intention that cannot be thwarted. In Acts 13:36, David is said to have served his own generation and then fallen asleep, having fulfilled the divine purpose for him, showing the term’s focus on completed divine intent.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about God’s boulē, or plan, in Scripture, it is easy to feel small against such vast power. Yet this word does not describe a distant, cold mechanism. It speaks of a settled purpose that holds history together. In Acts 2:23, the same event that looked like tragedy—the crucifixion of Jesus—was also the moment God’s hand and counsel had decided beforehand. This means our deepest pains can exist within a larger story of redemption.
For your daily life, this offers a steady anchor. You are not navigating by chance. Ephesians 1:11 reminds us that we were chosen according to His purpose, which works out all things with intentionality. Even when human plans fail or advice is rejected, as seen in Luke 7:30, God’s counsel remains firm. This stability invites you to rest rather than strive, trusting that the One who holds the universe also holds your steps.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- counsel4×
- purpose3×
- plan2×
- motives1×
- a decision1×
- [the] plan1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- βουλὴν4×
- βουλῇ3×
- βουλὴ2×
- βουλῆς1×
- βουλή1×
- βουλὰς1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 2:23
him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
This verse shows how a human act of evil was woven into God's predetermined plan for salvation.
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Ephesians 1:11
We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,
Here the word defines the scope of God's will, showing He works all things according to His counsel.
-
Acts 20:27
for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
Paul uses this term to describe the complete and authoritative message he preached without shrinking back.
-
Luke 7:30
But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
This occurrence highlights the serious consequence of rejecting God's settled purpose for one's own life.