Word Study for G138 (αἱρέομαι)

hairéomai /hel'-lom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootprobably akin to αἴρω

Meaningto take for oneself, i.e. to prefer

KJV usagechoose. Some of the forms are borrowed from a cognate ; which is otherwise obsolete.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of hairéomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word hairéomai, represented by G138, means to take for oneself or to prefer, and is translated as choose. Though it only appears 4 times across 3 unique verses, its usage points to significant moments of divine and human decision-making. The word signifies a deliberate selection based on preference or purpose.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, G138 highlights critical choices. It is used to describe God's sovereign action, who from the beginning has chosen believers for salvation 2 Thessalonians 2:13. It also depicts a profound human choice, as when Moses was choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin Hebrews 11:25. In another context, the Apostle Paul expresses a personal dilemma where he does not know what he shall choose between living and dying Philippians 1:22.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and consequences of the choices made:

G4778 synkakouchéō (suffer affliction with): This term describes the difficult path Moses chose, highlighting that his preference was for solidarity in hardship with God's people over personal ease Hebrews 11:25.
G4991 sōtēría (salvation): This is the ultimate goal of God's choice for believers, defining the purpose of His divine preference 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
G619 apólausis (enjoyment): This word represents what is rejected in favor of a higher calling, as seen in the choice to forego the enjoyment of sinful pleasures Hebrews 11:25.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G138 is significant despite its infrequent use. It underscores key doctrinal concepts:

Divine Election: The word is used to express God's initiative in redemption, as He is the one who has chosen His people for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
Faith-Based Preference: The act of choosing is presented as an outworking of faith. Moses's choice to suffer affliction was a tangible expression of his belief in God's promises over the immediate reality of worldly pleasure Hebrews 11:25.
The Cost of Discipleship: The use of G138 in contexts of suffering and difficult decisions illustrates that following God involves deliberate, often sacrificial, choices.

Summary

In summary, G138 conveys the powerful concept of a deliberate choice. Whether describing God's foundational act of choosing believers for salvation or a faithful individual's decision to prefer hardship with God's people, the word highlights a purposeful selection. It reveals that both divine sovereignty and human responsibility are expressed through decisive acts of preference.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

2nd Aorist Middle Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Aorist Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Future Middle Indicative 1st Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Philippians, 2 Thessalonians, and Hebrews (1 verse each); never once in the other 24.

Philippians

2 Thessalonians

Hebrews

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.