boulomai · want, intend

What it means

boulomai (βούλομαι) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “want, intend”.

Want firmly, resolve, intend.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To have a firm intention and resolve to act on it.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• wanted ×8
• want ×6
• I want ×5
• wanting ×4
• wants ×2
• Because he willed it ×1
• I would like ×1
• chooses ×1
• decided ×1
• he wills ×1
• others ×7

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×2
• Mark×1
• Luke×2
• John×1
• Acts×14
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Philippians×1
• 1 Timothy×3
• Titus×1
• Philemon×1
• Hebrews×1
• James×3
• 2 Peter×1
• 2 John×1
• 3 John×1
• Jude×1

• Matthew 1:19

  And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly, decided to send her away secretly.

• Matthew 11:27

  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

• Mark 15:15

  And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and having flogged Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

• Luke 10:22

  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and the one to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

• Luke 22:42

  saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; yet not my will, but yours, be done.”

• John 18:39

  But you have a custom that I release one man to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

• Acts 5:28

  saying, “We strictly ordered you not to teach in this name, and look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring upon us the blood of this man.”

• Acts 5:33

  And when they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

• Acts 12:4

  When he had seized him, he also put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of four soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

• Acts 15:37

  Now Barnabas wanted to take along also John who was called Mark.

• Acts 17:20

  For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”

• Acts 18:15

  but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not want to be a judge of these things.”

• Acts 18:27

  And when he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

• Acts 19:30

  But when Paul wanted to go in among the people, the disciples would not let him.

• Acts 22:30

  And the next day, wanting to know for certain what he was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to come together; and bringing down Paul, he set him before them.

• Acts 23:28

  And wanting to find out the reason for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.

• Acts 25:20

  And I, being at a loss about the investigation of these things, asked whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged about these things.

• Acts 25:22

  And Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself too.” “Tomorrow,” he says, “you will hear him.”

• Acts 27:43

  But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their plan, and ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land,

• Acts 28:18

  who, when they had examined me, wanted to release me because there was no cause for death in me.

• 1 Corinthians 12:11

  But all these things the one and the same Spirit works, distributing to each one individually just as he wills.

• 2 Corinthians 1:15

  And with this confidence I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second grace,

• 2 Corinthians 1:17

  So when I intended this, surely I did not act with fickleness? Or what I plan, do I plan it according to the flesh, so that with me there may be “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

• Philippians 1:12

  Now I want you to know, brothers, that the things concerning me have turned out rather for the advance of the good news,

• 1 Timothy 2:8

  So I want the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

• 1 Timothy 5:14

  So I want younger widows to marry, to bear children, to manage their households, to give the adversary no occasion for reproach;

• 1 Timothy 6:9

  But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

• Titus 3:8

  The word is trustworthy, and concerning these things I want you to insist, so that those who have believed God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are good and useful for people.

• Philemon 1:13

  I wanted to keep him with me, so that on behalf of you he might serve me in the chains of the good news;

• Hebrews 6:17

  Therefore, when God wanted to show more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,

• James 1:18

  Because he willed it, he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

• James 3:4

  Look also at the ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the pilot wants.

• James 4:4

  Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

• 2 Peter 3:9

  The Lord is not slow about the promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to a change of mind.

• 2 John 1:12

  Though I have many things to write to you, I did not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be complete.

• 3 John 1:10

  For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to the works that he is doing, talking nonsense about us with evil words; and not content with that, he himself does not receive the brothers, and he hinders those who want to, and puts them out of the assembly.

• Jude 1:5

  But I want to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.