Greek word · G997

βοηθέω

boētheō

to help

To come to the aid of, rescue, help someone in need or danger. In ordinary Greek it is used of military relief, help in court, and medical aid.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

βοηθέω, -ῶ

(βοή + θέω, to run), [in LXX chiefly for עזר ;]

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: To come to the aid of, rescue, help someone in need or danger. In ordinary Greek it is used of military relief, help in court, and medical aid. The word is usually traced to βοή ('a cry') and θέω ('run'), giving 'running to a cry for help.' That origin shows how the word was felt, but its usage, not its history, sets the meaning.
Against the English: BSB/WEB/NIV/ESV "help" is correct but mild. KJV "succour" (to run to the aid of) catches the rescue sense better. NASB's 'come to the aid of' is also strong.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the LXX it is very common for God as helper of the distressed: Ps 78:9 LXX (79:9) 'Help us, O God our Savior'; Isa 41:10 'I have helped you'; Ps 117:6 LXX (118:6) 'The Lord is my helper (βοηθός),' which Hebrews quotes at 13:6. NT: Matt 15:25 'Lord, help me'; Mark 9:24 'help my unbelief'; Acts 16:9 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' Hebrews 4:16 continues the thought: draw near 'to find grace for timely help (βοήθεια).'

Range of meaning: Come to the aid of someone, especially someone in distress who has cried out. It is traditionally explained from βοή ('a shout') and θέω ('run'): 'run at a cry'. In classical Greek it is common for military relief of a threatened ally or city. It also means help or succour in general.
Against the English: 'Help' is accurate but weak. The Greek is an aorist imperative ('come to our aid!') and carries more urgency than the casual English 'help'.
Used elsewhere in the period: Thucydides and other historians use it for sending relief forces. In the Septuagint it is used often of God helping his people (e.g. Ps 79:9 [78:9 LXX]; Isa 41:10). In the Gospels it is the cry of desperate people: 'Lord, help me' (Matt 15:25), 'help my unbelief' (Mark 9:24).

Range of meaning: To come to someone's aid or rescue, to help. It is usually used of a stronger party helping one in danger or need: an ally in battle, a doctor, a god. It takes a dative of the one helped. Its traditional root is 'run to a cry' (βοή + θέω). In actual use it simply means 'help'.
Against the English: English 'help' fits well. What English hides is the echo inside the scene. In v.22 the father begged 'help us' (aorist βοήθησον, a one-off rescue). Here he says βοήθει (present tense), and the thing to be helped has moved from 'us' to 'my unbelief'. The YLT's 'be helping' tries to show the tense.
Used elsewhere in the period: It is common in Septuagint prayers: 'Help me, O LORD my God' (Ps 108:26 LXX [109:26]). The Canaanite woman's 'Lord, help me' (κύριε, βοήθει μοι, Matt 15:25) uses the same present imperative form.

Matthew · 1

Matthew 15:25 βοήθει do help

The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

Here: A command form used as a plea: 'Help!' The verb means coming to the aid of someone in danger or distress. It is the vocabulary of the Greek Psalms' cries to God. Her earlier request (v. 22) has been cut down to two words.

Mark · 2

Mark 9:22 βοήθησον do help

“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Mark 9:24 βοήθει do help

Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

Here: A present-tense command: 'help!' or 'be helping!'. It deliberately echoes his earlier plea in v.22, 'help us' (βοήθησον ἡμῖν). Now what he asks help for is himself, or more exactly his own lack of trust.

Acts · 2

Acts 16:9 βοήθησον do help

During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

Here: An urgent command for a decisive act: 'come to our aid!' It is the word used when someone in need or danger cries out for rescue or relief.
Acts 21:28 βοηθεῖτε. do help.

crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

Here: An urgent command, "Help!". It is a call to come running, the way someone shouts when a thief or attacker has been caught. Bystanders are summoned to act.

2 Corinthians · 1

2 Corinthians 6:2 ἐβοήθησά I helped

For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

Here: The word literally suggests running to someone's cry for help. It translates Hebrew 'azartikha, 'I helped you'. Together with 'heard' it forms a picture of rescue: the cry is heard, then help arrives.

Hebrews · 1

Hebrews 2:18 βοηθῆσαι.¶ to help.

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Here: "To come to the rescue of." It is the help given to someone in danger or distress who calls out, and in the Greek Old Testament it is often used of God helping his people. The word comes last in the sentence for emphasis.

Revelation · 1

Revelation 12:16 ἐβοήθησεν gave help

But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.

Here: A word for rescue in an emergency: coming to the aid of someone in danger. The past tense tells a single decisive act. The help comes from an unexpected ally, the ground itself.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.