Strong's Lexicon
parakaleó: To call to one's side, to exhort, to encourage, to comfort, to urge
Original Word:παρακαλέω
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:parakaleó
Pronunciation:pah-rah-kah-LEH-oh
Phonetic Spelling:(par-ak-al-eh'-o)
Definition:To call to one's side, to exhort, to encourage, to comfort, to urge
Meaning:(a) I send for, summon, invite, (b) I beseech, entreat, beg, (c) I exhort, admonish, (d) I comfort, encourage, console.
Word Origin:From παρά (para, "beside") and καλέω (kaleo, "to call")
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: -H5162 (נָחַם, nacham): To comfort, console
-H7121 (קָרָא, qara): To call, proclaim
Usage:The verb "parakaleó" is used in the New Testament to convey a range of meanings centered around the idea of calling someone to one's side for the purpose of exhortation, encouragement, comfort, or urging. It is often used in contexts where believers are encouraged to live out their faith, comfort one another in times of distress, or be urged to adhere to the teachings of Christ. The term reflects both a personal and communal aspect of the Christian life, emphasizing the importance of mutual support and encouragement within the body of Christ.
Cultural and Historical Background:In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of "parakaleó" would have been understood in various contexts, such as legal, military, and personal relationships. In a legal sense, it could refer to calling someone to testify or advocate on one's behalf. In a military context, it might involve rallying troops or encouraging them before battle. Within the early Christian communities, "parakaleó" took on a distinctly spiritual dimension, reflecting the role of the Holy Spirit as the "Paraclete" or "Comforter" (John 14:16), who comes alongside believers to guide and support them.
HELPS Word-studies
3870parakaléō (from3844/pará, "from close-beside" and2564/kaléō, "to call") – properly, "make a call" from being "close-up and personal."3870/parakaléō ("personally make a call") refers to believersoffering up evidence thatstands up in God's court.
[3870 (parakaléō), the root of3875/paráklētos ("legal advocate"), likewise haslegal overtones.]
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
para and
kaleóDefinitionto call to or for, to exhort, to encourage
NASB Translationappeal (4), appealed (1), appealing (2), beg (1), begging (2), beseeching (1), comfort (5), comforted (11), comforts (2), conciliate (1), encourage (6), encouraged (4), encouraging (3), entreat (1), exhort (8), exhortation* (1), exhortations (1), exhorted (2), exhorting (3), exhorts (1), given (1), implore (4), implored (9), imploring (5), invited (2), making an appeal (1), plead (1), pleaded (1), pleading (1), preach (1), requested (1), urge (17), urged (5), urging (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3870: παρακαλέωπαρακαλέω,
παρακαλῶ; imperfect 3 person singular
παρεκάλει, 1 and 3 person plural
παρεκάλουν; 1 aorist
παρεκάλεσα; passive, present
παρακαλοῦμαι; perfect
παρακέκλημαι; 1 aorist
παρεκλήθην; 1 future
παρακληθήσομαι; from
Aeschylus and
Herodotus down;
I. as in Greek writingsto call to one's side, call for, summon:τινα, with an infinitive indicating the purpose,Acts 28:20 (others (less naturally) refer this to II. 2, making the accusative the subjunctive of the infinitive).
II.to address, speak to (call to, call on), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.; hence, result a variety of senses, on which see Knapp, Scripto varii arg. edition 2, p. 117ff; cf. Fritzsche, Ep. ad Romans, i., p. 32f.
1. as in Greek authors,to admonish, exhort: absolutely,Luke 3:18; (Acts 20:1 (RG omit));Romans 12:8;2 Timothy 4:2;Hebrews 10:25;1 Peter 5:12; followed by direct discourse,2 Corinthians 5:20; followed byλέγων with direct discourse,Acts 2:40; followed by an infinitive where in Latinut,1 Timothy 2:1;τινα,Acts 15:32;Acts 16:40;2 Corinthians 10:1;1 Thessalonians 2:12 ();;1 Timothy 5:1;Hebrews 3:13;τιναλόγῳπολλῷ,Acts 20:2;ἰντα followed by direct discourse,1 Corinthians 4:16;1 Thessalonians 5:14;Hebrews 13:22 (hereLWH marginal reading infinitive);1 Peter 5:1f;τινα followed by an infinitive where in Latinut (cf.Buttmann, §§ 140, 1; 141, 2;Winer's Grammar, 332 (311); 335 (315) n.): infinitive present,Acts 11:23;Acts 14:22;Philippians 4:2;1 Thessalonians 4:10;Titus 2:6;1 Peter 2:11 (here Lachmann addsὑμᾶς to the infinitive, andWH meg. with manuscripts A CL etc. readἀπέχεσθε);Jude 1:3; infinitive aorist,Acts 27:33;Romans 12:1;Romans 15:30;2 Corinthians 2:8;2 Corinthians 6:1;Ephesians 4:1;1 Timothy 1:3;Hebrews 13:19;τινα followed byἵνα with subjunctive (cf.Buttmann, § 139, 42;Winer's Grammar, 335 as above),1 Corinthians 1:10;1 Corinthians 16:15;2 Corinthians 8:6;1 Thessalonians 4:1;2 Thessalonians 3:12; to enjoin a thing by exhortation (cf.Buttmann, § 141, 2),1 Timothy 6:2;Titus 2:15.
2.to beg, entreat, beseech (Josephus, Antiquities 6, 7, 4; (11, 8, 5); often inEpictetus cf. Schweighäuser, Index graecit.Epictetus, p. 411;Plutarch, apophth. regum, Mor. ii, p. 30, Tauchn. edition (vi. 695 edition Reiske; examples fromPolybius,Diodorus,Philo, others, inSophocles' Lexicon, under the word); not thus in the earlier Greek authors except where the gods are called on for aid, in the expressions,παρακαλεῖνΘεούς, soΘεόν inJosephus, Antiquities 6, 2, 2 and 7, 4; (cf.Winer's Grammar, 22)): (absolutely,Philemon 1:9 (yet see the commentaries at the passage));τινα,Matthew 8:5;Matthew 18:32;Matthew 26:53;Mark 1:40;Acts 16:9;2 Corinthians 12:18;πολλά,much,Mark 5:23:τιναπερίτίνος,Philemon 1:10; followed by direct discourse,Acts 9:38LTTrWH withλέγων added and direct discourse,Matthew 18:29;Mark 5:12; (Luke 7:4 (Tdf.ἠρώτων)); without the accusative.Acts 16:15;τινα followed by an infinitive (Winers Grammar, andButtmann's Grammar, as above),Mark 5:17;Luke 8:41;Acts 8:31;Acts 19:31;Acts 28:14 (1 Macc. 9:35);τινα followed byὅπως,Matthew 8:34 (here Lachmannἵνα (see above));Acts 25:2 (4 Macc. 4:11;Plutarch, Demetr c. 38);τινα followed byἵνα (Winers Grammar, § 44, 8 a.;Buttmann, § 139, 42),Matthew 14:36;Mark 5:18;Mark 6:56;Mark 7:32;Mark 8:22;Luke 8:31f; (2 Corinthians 9:5);τιναὑπέρτίνος,ἵνα,2 Corinthians 12:8;πολλά (much)τινα,ἵνα,Mark 5:10;1 Corinthians 16:12; followed byτοῦμή with an infinitive (Buttmann, § 140, 16δ.;Winer's Grammar, 325 (305)),Acts 21:12; by an infinitiveActs 9:38RG; by an accusative with an infinitive,Acts 13:42;Acts 24:4; (Romans 16:17).to strive to appease by entreaty: absolutely,1 Corinthians 4:13;τινα,Luke 15:28;Acts 16:39 (2 Macc. 13:23).
3.to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort, (theSept. forנִחַם; very rarely so in Greek authors, asPlutarch, Oth. 16): absolutely,2 Corinthians 2:7;τινα,2 Corinthians 1:6;2 Corinthians 7:6f;ἐν with a dative of the thing with which one comforts another,1 Thessalonians 4:18;τιναδιάπαρακλήσεως,2 Corinthians 1:4; with an accusative of the contents,διάτῆςπαρακληθῆναιἧς (forἥν, seeὅς,ἡ,ὁ, II. 2 c.α.)παρακαλούμεθα, ibid.; in the passive,to receive consolation, be comforted,Matthew 2:18;2 Corinthians 13:11;ἐπίτίνιover (in) a thing (seeἐπί, B. 2 a.δ.),2 Corinthians 1:4; of the consolation (comfort) given not in words but by the experience of a happier lot or by a happy issue, equivalent toto refresh, cheer: passive,Matthew 5:4 (5);Luke 16:25;Acts 20:12;2 Corinthians 7:13 (where a full stop must be put afterπαρακεκλήμεθα;ἐντίνι, by the help of a thing,2 Corinthians 7:6f;ἐπίτίνι,1 Thessalonians 3:7; with (ἐν)παρακλήσει added,2 Corinthians 7:7.
4.to encourage, strengthen (i. e. in the language ofA. V.comfort (see Wright, Bible Word-Book, 2nd edition, under the word)) (in faith, piety, hope):τάςκαρδίας, your hearts,Ephesians 6:22;Colossians 2:2;Colossians 4:8;2 Thessalonians 2:17, (alsoχεῖραςἀσθενεῖς,Job 4:3 forחִזַק;γόναταπαραλελυμένα,Isaiah 35:3f (see the Hebrew) forאִמֵּץ).
5. it combines the ideas of exhorting and comforting and encouraging inRomans 12:8;1 Corinthians 14:31;1 Thessalonians 3:2.
6.to instruct, teach:ἐντῇδιδασκαλία,Titus 1:9. (Compare:συμπαρακαλέω.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beseech, call for, urge
Frompara andkaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation) -- beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort(-ation), intreat, pray.
see GREEKpara
see GREEKkaleo
Forms and Transliterations
παρακαλει παρακαλεῖ παρακάλει παρακαλειν παρακαλείν παρακαλεῖν παρακαλείσθαι παρακαλεισθε παρακαλείσθε παρακαλεῖσθε παρακαλειται παρακαλείται παρακαλεῖται παρακαλειτε παρακαλείτε παρακαλείτέ παρακαλεῖτε παρακαλεσαι παρακαλέσαι παρακαλεσας παρακαλέσας παρακαλέσατε παρακαλέσει παρακαλέσεις παρακαλέσετε παρακαλεση παρακαλέση παρακαλέσῃ παρακαλεσον παρακάλεσον παρακαλέσουσιν παρακαλέσω παρακαλέσωσί παρακαλουμεθα παρακαλούμεθα παρακαλουμεν παρακαλούμεν παρακαλοῦμεν παρακαλούντας παρακαλουντες παρακαλούντες παρακαλοῦντες παρακαλουντος παρακαλούντος παρακαλοῦντος παρακαλουσιν παρακαλούσιν παρακαλοῦσιν παρακαλω παρακαλώ παρακαλῶ παρακαλων παρακαλών παρακαλῶν παρακαλωνται παρακαλώνται παρακαλῶνται παρακεκλημεθα παρακεκλήμεθα παρακεκλημένοι παρακληθείς παρακληθηναι παρακληθήναι παρακληθῆναι παρακληθής παρακληθήσεσθε παρακληθήσεται παρακληθήσομαι παρακληθησονται παρακληθήσονται παρακλήθητι παρακληθώ παρακληθωσιν παρακληθώσιν παρακληθῶσιν παρεκαλει παρεκάλει παρεκαλεσα παρεκάλεσα παρεκάλεσά παρεκαλεσαν παρεκάλεσαν παρεκαλεσας παρεκάλεσας παρεκάλεσάς παρεκάλεσε παρεκάλεσέ παρεκαλεσεν παρεκάλεσεν παρεκάλεσέν παρεκαλουμεν παρεκαλούμεν παρεκαλοῦμεν παρεκαλουν παρεκάλουν παρεκληθη παρεκλήθη παρεκληθημεν παρεκλήθημεν παρεκλήθην παρεκλήθης παρεκληθησαν παρεκλήθησαν parakalei parakaleî parakálei parakalein parakaleîn parakaleisthe parakaleîsthe parakaleitai parakaleîtai parakaleite parakaleîte parakalesai parakalésai parakalesas parakalésas parakalese parakalesē parakalései parakalésēi parakaleson parakáleson parakalo parakalô parakalō parakalō̂ parakalon parakalôn parakalōn parakalō̂n parakalontai parakalôntai parakalōntai parakalō̂ntai parakaloumen parakaloûmen parakaloumetha parakaloúmetha parakalountes parakaloûntes parakalountos parakaloûntos parakalousin parakaloûsin parakeklemetha parakeklēmetha parakeklḗmetha paraklethenai paraklethênai paraklēthēnai paraklēthē̂nai paraklethesontai paraklethḗsontai paraklēthēsontai paraklēthḗsontai paraklethosin paraklethôsin paraklēthōsin paraklēthō̂sin parekalei parekálei parekalesa parekálesa parekálesá parekalesan parekálesan parekalesas parekálesás parekalesen parekálesen parekálesén parekaloumen parekaloûmen parekaloun parekáloun pareklethe pareklēthē pareklḗthe pareklḗthē pareklethemen pareklēthēmen pareklḗthemen pareklḗthēmen pareklethesan pareklēthēsan pareklḗthesan pareklḗthēsan
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