Word Study for G997 (βοηθέω)

boēthéō /bo-ay-theh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom βοηθός

Meaningto aid or relieve

KJV usagehelp, succor.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of boēthéō — 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 boēthéō, represented by G997, is defined as to aid or relieve, and is commonly translated as help or succor. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible, often capturing a moment of urgent need or divine intervention.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G997 is frequently used in the context of a direct and desperate plea. A father whose son is afflicted cries out to Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" Mark 9:24. Similarly, a Canaanite woman worships Jesus, saying, "Lord, help me" Matthew 15:25. The word also appears in a missional context, where the Apostle Paul sees a vision of a man begging him, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us" Acts 16:9. In a more theological sense, it describes Christ's capacity to succour those who are tempted, precisely because he also suffered Hebrews 2:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of providing aid:

G1410 dýnamai (to be able or possible): This word highlights the ability to render aid. It is used by a father asking if Jesus canst do anything to help his son Mark 9:22, and in the affirmation that Christ is able to succor the tempted Hebrews 2:18.
G3870 parakaléō (to call near, i.e. invite, invoke): This term describes the act of calling for help. The man of Macedonia prayed to Paul, asking him to come and provide help Acts 16:9, linking the invocation to the requested aid.
G4697 splanchnízomai (to have the bowels yearn, i.e. (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity): This points to the motivation behind helping. A father appeals to Jesus to have compassion on them and help them Mark 9:22, connecting help to a deep sense of pity.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G997 is centered on the theme of divine intervention and relief.

A Cry for Divine Aid: The term is consistently used in cries directed to the Lord, establishing that the ultimate source of help is divine. This is seen in pleas like "Lord, help me" Matthew 15:25 and when citizens cry out "Men of Israel, help" during a riot at the temple Acts 21:28.
Christ as High Priestly Succor: Hebrews 2:18 presents a core doctrine, explaining that Jesus is able to succour those who are tempted because he himself has suffered temptation, positioning him as the believer's empathetic helper.
Help and Salvation: The word is directly tied to the concept of salvation in 2 Corinthians 6:2, which quotes, "in the day of salvation have I succoured thee." This elevates the act of helping from mere assistance to a component of God's saving grace.
Supernatural Deliverance: In the symbolic vision of Revelation 12:16, the earth itself personified " helped the woman" by swallowing the flood sent by the dragon, portraying help as a form of miraculous protection from evil.

Summary

In summary, G997 is more than a simple request for assistance; it is a powerful expression of need, often directed toward a divine power. From a father's desperate cry for his son to a foundational statement about Christ's ability to relieve the tempted, boēthéō captures the dynamic between human vulnerability and the availability of divine aid and salvation.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 2×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Present Active Imperative 2nd Plural 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".

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 8 verses across 6 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Mark and Acts (2 verses each); never once in the other 21.

Matthew

Mark

Acts

2 Corinthians

Hebrews

Revelation

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.