Greek word · G3889
παραμυθία
paramythia
comfort
Consolation, comfort, soothing encouragement. The related verb paramytheomai means 'speak to someone in order to calm, console or cheer them'. Greek writers used it of words spoken to the bereaved, and 'consolation speeches' (paramythētikoi logoi) were a recognised literary form.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
παραμυθία, -ας, ἡ
(παραμυθέομαι) [in LXX: Esther 8:13, Wisdom of Solomon 19:12 * ;]
1. encouragement, exhortation.
2. comfort, consolation: 1 Corinthians 14:3 .†
SYN.: παράκλησις (AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of 1 Corinthians 14:3
- Range of meaning
Consolation, comfort, soothing encouragement. The related verb paramytheomai means 'speak to someone in order to calm, console or cheer them'. Greek writers used it of words spoken to the bereaved, and 'consolation speeches' (paramythētikoi logoi) were a recognised literary form.
- Against the English
KJV and BSB have 'comfort'; WEB, ESV and NASB have 'consolation'. When the KJV was made, 'comfort' still carried its Latin root confortare, 'to strengthen'. Today 'comfort' often suggests coziness or ease. The Greek word means steadying someone who is grieving or losing heart.
- How it drifted
English 'comfort' moved over time from 'strengthen, support' toward 'physical ease, coziness'.
- Used elsewhere in the period
This noun appears only here in the New Testament. The related neuter paramythion appears in Philippians 2:1 ('any consolation of love'). The verb appears in John 11:19, 31 (Jews consoling Martha and Mary over Lazarus), 1 Thessalonians 2:12 and 5:14 ('encourage the fainthearted'). Wisdom of Solomon 3:18 uses paramythion of the hope or comfort the ungodly lack at judgment.
Similar words
Where it appears
1 Corinthians · 1
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1 Corinthians 14:3 παραμυθίαν. consolation.
But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort.
Here: Speech that calms and steadies people who are grieving, discouraged or fainthearted. This noun appears only here in the New Testament. It is the gentlest of the three words.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.