θέλω thélō

Meaning

to determine (as an active option from subjective impulse; whereas G1014 (βούλομαι) properly denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, to wish, i.e. be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly); impersonally for the future tense, to be about to; by Hebraism, to delight in

In the King James Version: desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have, -ling, - ling(-ly))

Derivation: apparently strengthened from the alternate form of G138 (αἱρέομαι);

Where it is used

• Acts 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
• Acts 17:18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.
• Acts 17:20 For you are bringing some strange notions to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”
• Acts 18:21 But as he left, he said, “I will come back to you if God is willing.” And he set sail from Ephesus.
• Acts 19:33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
• Acts 24:6 and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.
• Acts 24:27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
• Acts 25:9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”
• Acts 26:5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
• Romans 1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
• Romans 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.
• Romans 7:16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.
• Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
• Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
• Romans 7:20 And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
• Romans 7:21 So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
• Romans 9:16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
• Romans 9:18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
• Romans 9:22 What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
• Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
• Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.
• Romans 16:19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
• 1 Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only what these arrogant people are saying, but what power they have.
• 1 Corinthians 4:21 Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
• 1 Corinthians 7:7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
• 1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 7:36 However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.
• 1 Corinthians 7:39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 10:1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea.
• 1 Corinthians 10:20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
• 1 Corinthians 10:27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.
• 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
• 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
• 1 Corinthians 12:18 But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.
• 1 Corinthians 14:5 I wish that all of you could speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be edified.
• 1 Corinthians 14:19 But in the church, I would rather speak five coherent words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
• 1 Corinthians 14:35 If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.
• 1 Corinthians 15:38 But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.
• 1 Corinthians 16:7 For I do not want to see you now only in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
• 2 Corinthians 1:8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
• 2 Corinthians 5:4 For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.
• 2 Corinthians 8:10 And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.
• 2 Corinthians 8:11 Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.
• 2 Corinthians 11:12 But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.
• 2 Corinthians 11:32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
• 2 Corinthians 12:6 Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
• Galatians 1:7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.
• Galatians 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
• Galatians 4:9 But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
• Galatians 4:17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
• Galatians 4:20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.
• Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
• Galatians 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
• Galatians 6:12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
• Galatians 6:13 For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
• Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
• Colossians 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face,
• Colossians 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.