boulē · plan, purpose

What it means

boulē (βουλή) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “plan, purpose”.

Counsel; also a decision.

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. What God or a person decides to do.
2. What several people resolve together.

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

How it is translated

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

• plan ×4
• purpose ×3
• counsel ×2
• decision ×2
• intentions ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Luke×2
• Acts×7
• 1 Corinthians×1
• Ephesians×1
• Hebrews×1

• Luke 7:30

  but the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been immersed by him.

• Luke 23:51

  (this one had not consented to their decision and action), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God.

• Acts 2:23

  this man, handed over by the determined plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed by nailing him to a cross by the hand of lawless men.

• Acts 4:28

  to do whatever your hand and your plan had determined beforehand to take place.

• Acts 5:38

  And now I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will be overthrown;

• Acts 13:36

  For David, after serving the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was added to his fathers and saw decay;

• Acts 20:27

  for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

• Acts 27:12

  And because the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

• Acts 27:42

  And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that no one would swim off and escape.

• 1 Corinthians 4:5

  So do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will also bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make known the intentions of the hearts; and then the praise will come to each one from God.

• Ephesians 1:11

  in whom we also obtained an inheritance, having been destined beforehand according to the purpose of the one who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

• 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,