Greek word · G2294
θάρσος
tharsos
courage/confidence
Courage, boldness, confidence: the inner firmness to face a threat. It is related to the verb tharseō, 'be of good courage, take heart'.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
1. courage, boldness , (Homer), attic; θ. τινός courage to do a thing, (Aeschulus Tragicus)
2. that which gives courage , θάρση grounds of confidence , (Euripides)
3. in bad sense, audacity , (Iliad by Homer): compare θράσος. (ML)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Courage, boldness, confidence: the inner firmness to face a threat. It is related to the verb tharseō, 'be of good courage, take heart'.
- Against the English
KJV, WEB, ESV and NASB keep 'took courage'. BSB and NIV have 'was encouraged', which turns Paul's taking hold of courage into something done to him and softens the sense of danger behind the word.
- How it drifted
Modern 'encouraged' often just means cheered up or pleased. Tharsos implies there was something to be afraid of.
- Used elsewhere in the period
In Greek from Homer onward it is courage in battle or in danger, and 'to take courage' is a common Greek turn of phrase. This is its only use in the New Testament, but the related verb appears at the turning point of Acts 23:11, where the Lord tells Paul: 'Take courage (tharsei)! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.'
Where it appears
Acts · 1
-
Acts 28:15 θάρσος.¶ courage.
The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.
Here: Boldness or confidence in the face of danger. This is its only use in the New Testament, and it echoes the Lord's 'Take courage' (tharsei) to Paul in Acts 23:11.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.