παραμυθέομαι (paramutheomai)
paramutheomai
to encourage
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paramytheomai carries the sense of speaking alongside someone to offer comfort or encouragement. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, primarily in the Gospel of John and Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. Its usage focuses on the act of consoling a person who is grieving or distressed, as seen when Jesus’ friends wept for Mary after Lazarus died (John 11:31) or when Paul describes his gentle care for the believers in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 2:11).
Etymologically, the word combines a prefix meaning "beside" with a root related to soothing or calming. This suggests a posture of close presence rather than distant advice. While it shares ground with the more common parakaleō, paramytheomai often emphasizes the emotional relief brought by words of solace. It describes the specific moment when speech serves to lift a heavy heart, turning sorrow into hope through shared understanding and gentle exhortation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paramytheomai describes a specific kind of comfort that comes from standing beside someone in their pain. It is not about offering quick fixes or distant advice, but about being present with those who are grieving or discouraged. In John’s Gospel, we see this when friends gathered to console Mary and Martha after Lazarus died. Their presence itself was an act of love, acknowledging the depth of their sorrow without trying to rush them through it.
Paul uses a related sense of this word in his letter to the Thessalonians, where he speaks of encouraging the faint-hearted. This suggests that encouragement is not just a one-time event but a gentle, ongoing posture. When we feel weak or overwhelmed, having someone stand with us and speak words of hope can lift a heavy heart. It reminds us that we do not have to carry our burdens alone.
For your own life, this word invites you to be both a receiver and a giver of such comfort. In moments of loss or anxiety, remember that God is near to the brokenhearted. And when others around you are struggling, your quiet presence and kind words can be a tangible expression of His care. You are never alone in your struggles.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they may console1×
- do encourage1×
- consoling1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παραμυθήσωνται1×
- παραμυθούμενοι1×
- παραμυθεῖσθε1×
Key Verses
-
John 11:19
Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
This verse shows the word used for friends gathering to console Mary and Martha, highlighting the communal aspect of comfort in times of deep grief.
-
I Thessalonians 5:14
We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all.
Here Paul links encouragement with supporting the faint-hearted, showing that this word applies to strengthening those who are spiritually or emotionally weak.