What does προθυμία (prothymía) mean in the Bible?
Prothymia names eagerness, willingness, or readiness. Acts 17:11 describes the Bereans receiving the message eagerly while examining the Scriptures every day to test what they heard.
Greek · G4288
προθυμία
Prothymia names eagerness, willingness, or readiness. Acts 17:11 describes the Bereans receiving the message eagerly while examining the Scriptures every day to test what they heard.
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προθυμίαG4288
Pronunciationprothymía
What does προθυμία (prothymía) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for προθυμία (G4288) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4288?
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include eagerness (2), eagerness [to help] (2), eager (1).
Where does προθυμία (prothymía) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Acts 17:11. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Corinthians (4), Acts (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Prothymia names eagerness, willingness, or readiness. Acts 17:11 describes the Bereans receiving the message eagerly while examining the Scriptures every day to test what they heard. Their readiness is therefore attentive rather than uncritical. The other four direct passages concern the collection for the saints in Second Corinthians. Paul asks that the earlier eagerness become a completed gift according to the Corinthians' means, states that willingness is assessed according to what a person has, and connects his own readiness to accountable administration of the offering.
Their eagerness also encourages other churches, but preparation is still needed. The word opens the fruitful movement from willing reception or intention to responsible action. It cannot equate enthusiasm with truth, replace follow-through, or authorize pressure on people to give resources they do not possess.
How the Bible Uses It
One direct witness concerns eager reception tested by Scripture; four concern a freely prepared, completed and responsibly administered offering. Readiness is commended, but its actual expression is governed by truth, means and follow-through.
- Acts.17.11
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
Eagerness accompanies daily examination of Scripture, so the Bereans' receptive posture includes active testing of the message.
- 2Cor.8.11
Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.
Paul calls for completing the promised work with the same eager desire, while explicitly measuring the action according to their means.
- 2Cor.8.12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
The willing gift is accepted according to resources actually held, not an imagined amount the giver does not have.
- 2Cor.8.19
More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.
The church-chosen traveling brother participates in accountable handling of an offering that honors the Lord and expresses readiness to help.
- 2Cor.9.2
For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.
Achaia's readiness has encouraged others, but Paul sends the brothers so the announced willingness will be supported by actual preparation.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Iteagerness2×Acts 17:11, 2 Corinthians 8:12
eagerness [to help]2×2 Corinthians 8:19, 2 Corinthians 9:2
eager1×2 Corinthians 8:11
Show sample aligned rows
Acts 17:11προθυμίαςtoeagernessNoun - Genitive Feminine Singular2 Corinthians 8:11προθυμίαtoeagerNoun - Nominative Feminine Singular2 Corinthians 8:12προθυμίαtoeagernessNoun - Nominative Feminine Singular2 Corinthians 8:19προθυμίανtoeagerness [to help]Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular2 Corinthians 9:2προθυμίανtoeagerness [to help]Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowActs 17:11
Aligned rows5
Books represented2
Acts12 Corinthians4
Source forms
προθυμία2xprothymia2 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Corinthians 8:12
προθυμίαν2xprothymian2 Corinthians 8:19, 2 Corinthians 9:2
προθυμίας1xprothymiasActs 17:11
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular2x2 Corinthians 8:19, 2 Corinthians 9:2
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular2x2 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Corinthians 8:12
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular1xActs 17:11
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Encourage realistic commitments and follow-through without manipulating enthusiasm into unaffordable promises.
- Allow time for Scripture examination rather than treating careful questions as a lack of willingness.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim eagerness proves a teaching is true, because Acts pairs it with daily scriptural examination.
- Do not claim a gift is measured by unavailable resources, because Paul explicitly distinguishes what one has from what one lacks.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Eagerness that manifests as willing, active readiness; the disposition preceding voluntary action.
Strong'sG4288
Lexical occurrences5 versesGreek text appearances5 timesWord forms3 forms5 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
eagerness
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Eagerness that manifests as willing, active readiness; the disposition preceding voluntary action.
(πρόθυμος), [in LXX: Sir.45:23 * ;] eagerness, willingness, readiness: Act.17:11, 2Co.8:11-12 8:19 9:2.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Acts 17:11Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
προθυμίας,proqumiav
inclination, readiness
Read verse2 Corinthians 8:11Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
προθυμίαproqumia
inclination, readiness
Read verse2 Corinthians 8:12Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
προθυμίαproqumia
inclination, readiness
Read verse2 Corinthians 8:19Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
προθυμίανproqumian
inclination, readiness
Read verse2 Corinthians 9:2Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
προθυμίανproqumian
inclination, readiness
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns3Aligned forms5Case patternAccusative (2)Number patternSingular (5)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine2 Cor 8:11 · 2 Cor 8:122×
Genitive · Singular · FeminineActs 17:111×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine2 Cor 8:19 · 2 Cor 9:22×
Word Origins
προθυμία is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
Readiness needs a faithful next step. The Bereans do not receive the message eagerly and stop; they examine Scripture. The Corinthians are not asked merely to repeat their willing intention; they are urged to complete the collection with resources actually available. Paul also places his readiness to help within a publicly accountable process, involving a brother chosen by the churches and concern for what is right before God and people.
These scenes connect the heart's willingness with truthfulness and concrete responsibility. A teacher can encourage an eager response without making excitement a proof of accuracy or turning promised generosity into coercion. The gift should be prepared and completed, but Paul's measure of available means must remain visible throughout the appeal.
Anchor passage
2Cor.8.12
Doctrinal connections
- Acts 17:11 joins receptive eagerness to daily examination of the Scriptures.
- Second Corinthians 8:9-12 grounds the giving appeal in Christ's grace and available means.
- Second Corinthians 8:13-14 rejects relieving others by placing an undue burden on the givers.
- Second Corinthians 8:19-21 joins readiness to accountable handling before God and people.
- Second Corinthians 9:2-5 moves encouraging intent toward a prepared and ungrudging gift.
- Exodus 35:20-29 supplies supporting narrative of willing hearts bringing resources for the appointed work.
Prothymia is a feminine Greek noun describing eagerness or readiness. It names the disposition rather than the completed deed; Luke's examination and Paul's completion verbs show what that disposition must lead toward in their particular contexts.
From Old to New Testament
Exodus 35:20-29 describes willing men and women bringing actual materials and skilled work for the tabernacle. This is a supporting pattern of readiness embodied in contribution, not a direct identity claim about this Greek noun or a reason to impose Israel's building instructions on every church gift.