Strong's Lexicon
paraklétos: Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counselor
Original Word:παράκλητος
Part of Speech:Noun, Masculine
Transliteration:paraklétos
Pronunciation:pah-RAH-klee-toss
Phonetic Spelling:(par-ak'-lay-tos)
Definition:Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counselor
Meaning:(a) an advocate, intercessor, (b) a consoler, comforter, helper, (c) Paraclete.
Word Origin:Derived from the Greek verb παρακαλέω (parakaleó), meaning "to call to one's side," "to summon," or "to comfort."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries:The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the concept of "paraklétos" is מְנַחֵם (menachem), meaning "comforter" or "consoler," though there is no direct one-to-one correspondence in the Old Testament.
Usage:The term "paraklétos" is used in the New Testament to describe someone who is called to aid, support, or intercede on behalf of another. In a legal context, it refers to an advocate or legal assistant. In a broader sense, it signifies a helper or comforter who provides encouragement and support. In the New Testament, "paraklétos" is primarily used to describe the Holy Spirit, who acts as a divine helper and guide for believers.
Cultural and Historical Background:In ancient Greek culture, a "paraklétos" was someone who provided legal assistance or advocacy, akin to a modern-day lawyer or legal counselor. This role extended beyond legal matters to include any form of support or encouragement. In the context of the New Testament, the term takes on a spiritual dimension, emphasizing the Holy Spirit's role in guiding, comforting, and advocating for believers in their spiritual journey.
HELPS Word-studies
3875paráklētos (from3844/pará, "from close-beside" and2564/kaléō, "make a call") – properly, alegal advocate who makes the right judgment-call becauseclose enough to the situation.3875/paráklētos ("advocate, advisor-helper") is the regular term in NT times of anattorney (lawyer) – i.e. someonegiving evidence that stands up in court.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
parakaleóDefinitioncalled to one's aid
NASB TranslationAdvocate (1), Helper (4).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3875: παράκλητοςπαράκλητος,
παρακλητου,
ὁ (
παρακαλέω), properly,
summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid; hence,
1. "one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate":Demosthenes, p. 341, 11; (Diogenes Laërtius 4, 50, cf.Dio Cassius, 46, 20.
2. universally,one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor:Philo, de mund. opif. § 59; de Josepho § 40; in Flaccum §§ 3 and 4; so of Christ, in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins,1 John 2:1 (in the same sense, of the divine Logos inPhilo, vita Moys. iii. § 14).
3. in the widest sense,a helper, succorer, aider, assistant; so of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of gospel truth, and to give them the divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom:John 14:16, 26;John 15:26;John 16:7, cf.Matthew 10:19;Mark 13:11;Luke 12:11f (Philo de mund. opif. § 6 at the beginning says that God in creating the world had no need of aπαράκλητος, an adviser, counsellor, helper. The Targums and Talmud borrow the Greek wordsפְּרַקְלִיט andפְּרַקְלִיטָא and use them of any intercessor, defender, or advocate; cf. Baxtorf, Lex. Talm., p. 1843 ((edited by Fischer, p. 916)); so Targ. onJob 33:23 forמֵלִיץמַלְאָך, i. e. an angel that pleads man's cause with God; (cf.πλουσίωνπαρακλητοι in 'Teaching' etc. 5 [ET] under the end; the Epistle of Barnabas 20, 2 [ET]; Apostolic Constitutions 7, 18)). Cf. Knapp, Scripta varii Argumenti, p. 124ff; Düsterdieck on1 John 2:1, p. 147ff; (Watkins, ExcursusG, in Ellicott's N. T. Commentary for English Readers; Westcott in theSpeaker's commentary Additional Note onJohn 14:16; Schaff in Lange ibid.).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
advocate, comforter.An intercessor, consoler -- advocate, comforter.
Forms and Transliterations
παρακλητον παράκλητον παρακλήτορες παρακλητος παράκλητος parakleton paraklēton parákleton paráklēton parakletos paraklētos parákletos paráklētosLinks
Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts
