Greek word · G5111
τολμάω
tolmaō
be bold
"To dare, have the courage or nerve to, venture". It can be admiring (brave daring) or critical (presumption, audacity). With a negative, as here, it describes being held back by fear or awe.
Appears 16 times in 15 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
τολμάω, -ῶ
[in LXX: Job 15:12 (לָקַח), Esther 1:18 7:5 (לֵב מָלֵא) Judith 14:13, 2Ma.4:2, 3Ma.3:21 R, 4Ma.8:18 * ;]
to have courage, to venture, dare, be bold: absol, 2 Corinthians 11:21; before ἐπί, 2 Corinthians 10:2; with inf. (Bl., § 69, 4), Matthew 22:46, Mark 12:34, Luke 20:40, John 21:12, Acts 5:13 7:32, Romans 15:18, 1 Corinthians 6:1, 2 Corinthians 10:12, Philippians 1:14, Jude 1:9; to submit to (in cl. usually absol. in this sense), Romans 5:7 (see Field, Notes, 155); τολμήσας εἰσῆλθεν, took courage and went in (see Field, op. cit., 44), Mark 15:43 (cf. ἀπο-τολμάω).†
(AS)
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
"To dare, have the courage or nerve to, venture". It can be admiring (brave daring) or critical (presumption, audacity). With a negative, as here, it describes being held back by fear or awe.
- Against the English
"Dared" is accurate. The KJV's "durst" is the old past tense of "dare" and means the same thing.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Luke uses it the same way: after Jesus' answers "they no longer dared to ask him anything" (Luke 20:40). In Acts 7:32 Moses, trembling at the burning bush, "did not dare to look". Mark 12:34 and Matt 22:46 have the same phrase. In Jewish Greek writers such as Josephus it often means the nerve to approach something holy or dangerous.
- Range of meaning
To dare, venture, have the courage to do something risky or presumptuous (BDAG). It can be admirable (courage) or overreaching (presumption). Mark uses it in 12:34: after Jesus' reply, 'no one dared ask him any more questions'.
- Against the English
KJV/BSB/WEB/YLT 'boldly' (an adverb). ESV 'took courage', NASB 'gathered up courage', NLT 'took a risk'. The renderings that use a verb keep the sense of a deliberate decision before acting.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Common in Greek of every period for daring action. Josephus uses it often for bold or reckless deeds against authorities. The Greek form here (an aorist participle placed before the main verb) presents the daring as a decisive step leading into the action.
From the study of Romans 15:18
- Range of meaning
To dare, to have the courage to do something, to presume, to venture. It can be praise (courage) or blame (presumption), depending on context.
- Against the English
KJV/WEB/YLT "dare" keeps the echo of v.15. BSB/NASB "presume" brings out the overstepping sense. Each catches half of the word.
- Used elsewhere in the period
In 2 Cor 10:12 Paul uses the same verb in a very similar boasting context: "we do not dare to class or compare ourselves" with others. That passage continues, "we do not boast beyond limits in other men's labours" (10:15). This shows the word belongs to Paul's language of fair limits on boasting.
Where it appears
Matthew · 1
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Matthew 22:46 ἐτόλμησέν dared
No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.
Here: To bring oneself to do something risky. Questioning Jesus in public had become a danger to their own standing, so they stopped.
Mark · 2
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Mark 12:34 ἐτόλμα was daring
When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
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Mark 15:43 τολμήσας having boldness
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.
Here: 'Daring it' or 'taking the risk'. He made up his mind to do something dangerous for his standing and possibly his safety, then did it.
Luke · 1
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Luke 20:40 ἐτόλμων were they daring
And they did not dare to question Him any further.
John · 1
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John 21:12 ἐτόλμα was daring
“Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord.
Here: The tense pictures an ongoing state, "no one was daring." It implies the question was on their lips and they held it back the whole meal.
Acts · 2
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Acts 5:13 ἐτόλμα was daring
Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.
Here: The imperfect tense describes a situation that went on: "no one was daring". Joining the group casually took a nerve that people did not have after the fear of verses 5 and 11.
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Acts 7:32 ἐτόλμα he was daring
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
Here: The tense describes an ongoing past state: he kept not daring. It is not a single failed attempt. He no longer had the nerve to go on looking.
Romans · 2
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Romans 5:7 τολμᾷ would dare
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
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Romans 15:18 τολμήσω will I dare
I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
Here: Future tense, "I will not dare". It echoes v.15, where Paul admits he wrote to Rome "rather boldly" (tolmēroteron). He has been bold, but there is one kind of boldness he refuses: claiming credit beyond what Christ actually did.
1 Corinthians · 1
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1 Corinthians 6:1 Τολμᾷ Dare
If any of you has a grievance against another, how dare he go to law before the unrighteous instead of before the saints!
2 Corinthians · 4
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2 Corinthians 10:2 τολμῆσαι to be daring
I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.
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2 Corinthians 10:12 τολμῶμεν dare we
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.
Here: 'We dare.' This picks up 10:2, where Paul says he is ready to 'be bold' against some people. Here he claims to be too timid to rank himself with these impressive men, which is sarcasm. Compare 11:21: 'to my shame, we were too weak for that!'
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2 Corinthians 11:21 τολμᾷ, τολμῶ may be daring —, am daring
To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.
Philippians · 1
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Philippians 1:14 τολμᾶν to dare
And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.
Here: To take a risk and do something dangerous. The present tense points to ongoing daring, not one brave act.
Jude · 1
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Jude 1:9 ἐτόλμησεν did dare
But even the archangel Michael, when he disputed with the devil over the body of Moses, did not presume to bring a slanderous charge against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Here: 'Did not dare / did not presume'. The issue is overstepping, not fear of the devil: Michael would not take a role that belonged to someone else.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.