What does θέλω (thélō) mean in the Bible?
Thelo means to will, want, wish, desire, or be willing. It reaches into the active orientation of a person toward an end: what someone wants, refuses, chooses, or is disposed to do.
Greek · G2309
θέλω
To will/desire
Reading a lexicon entry
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θέλω G2309
Pronunciation thélō
What does θέλω (thélō) mean in the Bible?
Thelo means to will, want, wish, desire, or be willing. It reaches into the active orientation of a person toward an end: what someone wants, refuses, chooses, or is disposed to do.
Reader summary
Full entry for θέλω (G2309) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2309?
The BSB source-word alignment has 208 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Do you want (18), wants (17), I want (9), I do not want (8), want (7).
Where does θέλω (thélō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (42), Luke (28), Mark (25), John (23).
Are there verse guides for θέλω (thélō)?
This entry includes 3 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Thelo means to will, want, wish, desire, or be willing. It reaches into the active orientation of a person toward an end: what someone wants, refuses, chooses, or is disposed to do. The New Testament uses it for God's merciful desire, human refusal, discipleship willingness, Jesus' obedient surrender, the divided moral will, and God's gracious work inside believers.
It is not a full doctrine of the will by itself, and it should not be made to carry every debate about sovereignty and responsibility. Still, the word is pastorally important because Scripture does not treat wanting as spiritually neutral. What people will, what they refuse, and what God works in them to will all belong to the story of sin, grace, obedience, and hope.
How the Bible Uses It
Thelo names willing, wanting, desiring, and being willing. It can describe God's purpose, Jesus' obedience, human refusal, discipleship resolve, moral conflict, and grace-formed desire.
- Matt.9.13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus quotes God's desire for mercy and not sacrifice, placing thelo inside divine priority and mission to sinners.
- Matt.16.24
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Jesus says anyone who wants to follow Him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow, so willing becomes discipleship direction.
- Matt.23.37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
Jesus laments that He longed to gather Jerusalem's children, but they were unwilling, naming a tragic collision of divine compassion and human refusal.
- Mark.14.36
“Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
In Gethsemane, Jesus distinguishes His will from the Father's will and submits in obedient trust.
- John.5.40
Yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.
Jesus says His hearers refuse to come to Him for life, so thelo can name culpable unwillingness before Christ.
- Rom.7.15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
Paul uses the word to describe the painful gap between wanting the good and doing what he hates.
- Php.2.13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
God works in believers to will and to act for His good purpose, making willing itself a site of grace.
- Jas.4.15
Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”
James teaches creatures to say, if the Lord is willing, placing human plans under God's will.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Do you want 18× Matthew 13:28, Matthew 20:21, Matthew 20:32, Matthew 26:17
wants 17× Matthew 5:40, Matthew 16:24, Matthew 16:25, Matthew 20:26
I want 9× Matthew 20:14, Mark 6:25, John 17:24, John 21:22
I do not want 8× Matthew 15:32, Romans 1:13, Romans 7:20, Romans 11:25
want 7× John 6:67, John 9:27, Acts 7:28, Romans 7:21
you want 6× Matthew 19:17, Matthew 19:21, Mark 14:7, John 8:44
wanted 5× Matthew 18:23, Mark 3:13, Mark 6:19, John 7:44
desire 4× Romans 7:18, Romans 9:16, 2 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Timothy 3:12
I wish 4× Luke 4:6, Luke 12:49, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 4:20
You are willing 4× Matthew 8:2, Matthew 11:14, Mark 1:40, Luke 5:12
You wish 4× Matthew 17:4, Mark 6:22, John 15:7, 2 Corinthians 12:20
he refused 3× Matthew 18:30, Matthew 27:34, Luke 18:4
I am willing 3× Matthew 8:3, Mark 1:41, Luke 5:13
is willing 3× Acts 18:21, 1 Corinthians 4:19, James 4:15
they want 3× Galatians 4:17, Galatians 6:13, 1 Timothy 1:7
wanting 3× Luke 8:20, Luke 10:29, Luke 23:20
We do not want 3× Luke 19:14, 2 Corinthians 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:13
we want 3× Matthew 12:38, Mark 10:35, John 12:21
wishing 3× Luke 14:28, Acts 24:27, Acts 25:9
are you willing 2× Matthew 26:15, Acts 25:9
desires 2× John 7:17, Revelation 22:17
he did not want 2× Mark 6:26, John 7:1
He wishes 2× John 5:21, 1 Corinthians 7:36
I desire 2× Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7
I do not want [to do] 2× Romans 7:16, Romans 7:19
I have longed 2× Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34
I want [to do] 2× Romans 7:15, Romans 7:19
I wish that 2× 1 Corinthians 7:7, 1 Corinthians 14:5
refused 2× Luke 15:28, Acts 7:39
They like 2× Mark 12:38, Luke 20:46
they wanted 2× John 6:11, John 16:19
they wish 2× 1 Corinthians 14:35, Revelation 11:6
they wished 2× Matthew 17:12, Mark 9:13
trying 2× Acts 17:18, Galatians 1:7
will 2× Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:36
You did not desire 2× Hebrews 10:5, Hebrews 10:8
you were unwilling 2× Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34
you would have 2× Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31
[and] desire 1× Hebrews 13:18
[Herod] wanted 1× Matthew 14:5
[it is] 1× 1 Peter 3:17
[Jesus] decided 1× John 1:43
[Jesus] did not want 1× Mark 9:30
are not willing 1× Matthew 23:4
deliberately 1× 2 Peter 3:5
desired 1× Luke 10:24
do you prefer 1× 1 Corinthians 4:21
Do you wish 1× Galatians 4:9
does 1× Acts 2:12
has chosen 1× Colossians 1:27
He had wanted 1× Luke 23:8
He has designed 1× 1 Corinthians 15:38
He intended 1× Mark 6:48
he wanted 1× Luke 1:62
He wants [ to harden ] 1× Romans 9:18
He wants [to have mercy ] 1× Romans 9:18
He wants Him 1× Matthew 27:43
His design 1× 1 Corinthians 12:18
hoping 1× Acts 14:13
I did [not] want 1× Philemon 1:14
I please 1× Matthew 20:15
I wanted 1× 2 Corinthians 12:6
I will not 1× Matthew 21:29
I would like 1× Galatians 3:2
I would prefer 1× 3 John 1:13
I would rather 1× 1 Corinthians 14:19
intending 1× Romans 9:22
is unwilling 1× 2 Thessalonians 3:10
it wishes 1× John 3:8
mean 1× Acts 17:20
Not wanting anyone 1× Mark 7:24
refusing 1× Matthew 2:18
she is unwilling 1× Revelation 2:21
she wishes 1× 1 Corinthians 7:39
so he 1× Acts 19:33
their choosing 1× Matthew 27:15
they are willing 1× Acts 26:5
they refused 1× Matthew 22:3
they were willing 1× John 6:21
they will want 1× 1 Timothy 5:11
to have such a desire 1× 2 Corinthians 8:10
to will 1× Philippians 2:13
unwilling even 1× Luke 18:13
wanted [something] 1× Acts 10:10
was unwilling 1× Matthew 1:19
we do not wish 1× 2 Corinthians 5:4
we wanted 1× 1 Thessalonians 2:18
were unwilling [for] 1× Luke 19:27
were willing 1× John 5:35
when he wanted 1× Hebrews 12:17
who delights 1× Colossians 2:18
who wants 1× Matthew 5:42
wish 1× Luke 16:26
would 1× 1 Peter 3:10
you desire 1× Matthew 15:28
you do not want to go 1× John 21:18
you refuse 1× John 5:40
you wanted 1× John 21:18
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 1:19 θέλων to was unwilling Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 2:18 ἤθελεν to refusing Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 5:40 θέλοντί to wants Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular Matthew 5:42 θέλοντα to who wants Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular Matthew 7:12 θέλητε to you would have Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural Matthew 8:2 θέλῃς to You are willing Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 8:3 Θέλω to I am willing Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Matthew 9:13 θέλω to I desire Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular Matthew 11:14 θέλετε to you are willing Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Matthew 12:7 θέλω to I desire Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 1:19
Aligned rows 208
Books represented 22
Matthew 42 Mark 25 Luke 28 John 23 Acts 14 Romans 15 1 Corinthians 17 2 Corinthians 8 Galatians 9 Philippians 1 Colossians 3 1 Thessalonians 2 2 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 3 2 Timothy 1 Philemon 1 Hebrews 4 James 2 1 Peter 2 2 Peter 1 3 John 1 Revelation 5
Source forms
θέλω 30x thelō Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7, Matthew 15:32, Matthew 20:14
θέλει 19x thelei Matthew 16:24, Matthew 27:43, Mark 8:34, Mark 9:35
θέλετε 16x thelete Matthew 11:14, Matthew 20:32, Matthew 27:17, Matthew 27:21
ἤθελεν 14x ēthelen Matthew 2:18, Matthew 18:30, Mark 3:13, Mark 6:19
θέλεις 14x theleis Matthew 15:28, Matthew 17:4, Matthew 19:17, Matthew 19:21
θέλων 13x thelōn Matthew 1:19, Matthew 14:5, Luke 10:29, Luke 14:28
ἠθέλησεν 8x ēthelēsen Matthew 18:23, Matthew 27:34, Mark 6:26, John 1:43
ἤθελον 8x ēthelon Matthew 22:3, Matthew 27:15, Mark 9:13, John 6:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 35x Matthew 8:3, Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7, Matthew 15:32
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 19x Matthew 16:24, Matthew 27:43, Mark 8:34, Mark 9:35
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural 18x Matthew 11:14, Matthew 20:32, Matthew 26:15, Matthew 27:17
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular 18x Matthew 13:28, Matthew 15:28, Matthew 17:4, Matthew 19:17
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 14x Matthew 2:18, Matthew 18:30, Mark 3:13, Mark 6:19
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 13x Matthew 1:19, Matthew 14:5, Luke 10:29, Luke 14:28
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 8x Matthew 18:23, Matthew 27:34, Mark 6:26, John 1:43
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular 8x Matthew 16:25, Matthew 20:26, Matthew 20:27, Mark 8:35
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Use this word to examine desires pastorally, not to shame tender consciences for every unwanted struggle.
- When teaching God's will, distinguish trustful submission from speculative certainty about hidden providence.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that thelo alone proves a complete doctrine of the will.
- Do not claim that Philippians 2:13 removes human responsibility to obey.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
John 1:43 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἠθέλησεν ethelesen to will/desire The form highlights purposeful willing as the narrative doorway into the next actions, but the sentence context carries the full meaning. Read verse guide Matthew 1:19 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
θέλων thelon to will/desire The participle softens the scene by emphasizing Joseph's intention and restraint, so the focus falls on his desire not to shame Mary. Read verse guide Revelation 22:17 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
θέλων thelon to will/desire The form sharpens the invitation by naming the receptive person, not by narrowing the offer. Read verse guide Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. Immediate willing or desire, more emotional and practical than the deliberative choice of βούλομαι.
Source Gloss
to will/desire
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 210 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
qelwn
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 2:18 Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Active Indicative
ἤθελε hqelen
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 5:40 Verb Present Active Participle Dative Singular Masculine
θέλοντί qelonti
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 5:42 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine
θέλοντα qelonta
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 7:12 Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive
θέλητε qelhte
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 8:2 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Subjunctive
θέλῃς, qelhv
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 8:3 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
Θέλω, qelw
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 9:13 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θέλω, qelw
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 11:14 Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Indicative
θέλετε qelete
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 12:7 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θέλω qelw
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 12:38 Verb First Person Plural Present Active Indicative
θέλομεν qelomen
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 13:28 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Indicative
Θέλεις qeleiv
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 14:5 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
θέλων qelwn
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 15:28 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θέλεις. qeleiv
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 15:32 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θέλω, qelw
I will, wish, desire
Read verse Matthew 16:24 Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θέλει qelei
I will, wish, desire
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 208 Tenses Present, Imperfect, Aorist Voices Active
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 146×
Present Active Matt 8:3 · Matt 9:13 · Matt 12:7 · Matt 15:32 · Matt 20:14 · Matt 20:15 · Matt 21:29 · Matt 26:39 · Mark 1:41 · Mark 6:25 · Mark 14:36 · Luke 5:13 · Luke 12:49 · John 17:24 · Rom 1:13 · Rom 7:15 103×
Imperfect Active Matt 2:18 · Matt 18:30 · Mark 3:13 · Mark 6:19 · Mark 6:48 · Mark 7:24 · Mark 9:30 · Luke 15:28 · Luke 18:4 · Luke 18:13 · John 7:1 · Acts 10:10 · Acts 14:13 · Acts 19:33 · Matt 22:3 · Matt 27:15 23×
Aorist Active Matt 18:23 · Matt 27:34 · Mark 6:26 · John 1:43 · Acts 16:3 · 1 Cor 12:18 · 1 Cor 15:38 · Col 1:27 · Matt 17:12 · Luke 10:24 · Acts 7:39 · Matt 23:37 · Luke 13:34 · Phlm 1:14 · John 5:35 · Heb 10:5 20×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 30×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 25×
Present Active Matt 16:25 · Matt 20:26 · Matt 20:27 · Mark 8:35 · Mark 10:43 · Mark 10:44 · Luke 9:24 · John 7:17 · Matt 7:12 · Mark 14:7 · John 15:7 · Gal 5:17 · Matt 8:2 · Mark 1:40 · Mark 6:22 · Luke 5:12 20×
Aorist Active 1 Cor 4:19 · Jas 4:15 · Rev 11:5 · 2 Cor 12:6 · Rev 11:6 5×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 4×
Present Active Rom 7:18 · 2 Cor 8:10 · 2 Cor 8:11 · Phil 2:13 4×
Optative wish or remote possibility 3×
Present Active Luke 1:62 · Acts 17:18 · 1 Pet 3:17 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 206 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 158 aorist 25 imperfect 23
Voice
active 206
Mood
indicative 145 participle 29 subjunctive 25 infinitive 4 optative 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 1:19 θέλων present active participle participle Matthew 2:18 ἤθελεν imperfect active indicative background Matthew 5:40 θέλοντί present active participle participle Matthew 5:42 θέλοντα present active participle participle Matthew 7:12 θέλητε present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 8:2 θέλῃς present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 8:3 Θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 9:13 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 11:14 θέλετε present active indicative ongoing Matthew 12:38 θέλομεν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 12:7 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:28 Θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 14:5 θέλων present active participle participle Matthew 15:28 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 15:32 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 16:24 θέλει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 16:25 θέλῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 17:12 ἠθέλησαν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 17:4 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 18:23 ἠθέλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 18:30 ἤθελεν imperfect active indicative background Matthew 19:17 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 19:21 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 20:14 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 20:15 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 20:21 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 20:26 θέλῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 20:27 θέλῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 20:32 θέλετε present active indicative ongoing Matthew 21:29 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 22:3 ἤθελον imperfect active indicative background Matthew 23:37 ἠθέλησα aorist active indicative completed Matthew 23:37 ἠθελήσατε aorist active indicative completed Matthew 23:4 θέλουσιν present active indicative ongoing Matthew 26:15 θέλετέ present active indicative ongoing Matthew 26:17 θέλεις present active indicative ongoing Matthew 26:39 θέλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 27:15 ἤθελον imperfect active indicative background Matthew 27:17 θέλετε present active indicative ongoing Matthew 27:21 θέλετε present active indicative ongoing
+166 more occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To desire or determine.
I am willing
Additional Occurrences
Luke 13:31–35 ἠθελήσατε thélō
You were not willing
Luke 5:12–16 θέλεις thélō
You are willing
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 208 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
θέλω is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Reveals Christ’s gracious disposition. Acts 18:18-23
Expresses submission of plans to divine sovereignty. Luke 5:12–16
Canonical Themes
Messiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
The core insight of thelo is that Scripture cares about the heart's direction, not merely outward action. People refuse Christ because they do not want to come to Him. Disciples follow because they are willing to deny themselves and take up the cross. Jesus Himself prays in Gethsemane with a real human will that submits perfectly to the Father. Paul names the painful experience of wanting the good and still failing to do it.
Philippians then gives the gospel comfort: God works in His people both to will and to act for His good purpose. Thelo therefore does not solve every mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but it does give pastors language for desire under sin, desire surrendered to God, and desire renewed by grace.
Anchor passage
Philippians.2.13
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew.9.13: God desires mercy and calls sinners.
- Matthew.16.24: discipleship begins with a will directed after Jesus.
- Matthew.23.37: Jesus grieves unwillingness before His gathering compassion.
- Mark.14.36: Jesus submits His will to the Father in Gethsemane.
- Romans.7.15: the fallen moral will can desire good and fail to perform it.
- Philippians.2.13: God works in believers both to will and to act.
Thelo is a common verb for willing, wanting, wishing, or being willing. Because it is frequent and flexible, the subject, object, and immediate context must govern whether the emphasis is desire, resolve, consent, refusal, or divine purpose.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture regularly speaks of God's will, human desire, stubborn refusal, and renewed obedience. The New Testament concentrates those themes in Christ, whose will obeys the Father and whose grace renews the willing of His people.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain