11. TO DESIRE, WILL, PURPOSE
11. TO DESIRE, WILL, PURPOSE
Both and , which latter word is of much more frequent use, are translated ‘to will’ and the latter ‘to desire,’ with other variations of both in the A.V
The distinction of the two words seems to be justly designated (at least as to their N.T. use) thus: expresses in general ‘to exercise the will’ – the will which proceeds from inclination or desire. is the will which follows from deliberation, and involves a carefully-weighed purpose.
They occur together in Mat 1:19; Joseph not desiring (.) to expose Mary publicly, purposed (.) to have put her away secretly. In 1Ti 5:11, as to the younger widows not being put on the list, they will (.), their desire is, to marry: in 1Ti 5:14 Paul’s deliberate judgement and will is that they should; “I will (.) therefore.”
In Phm 1:13 the apostle “would have” (.), was desirous of, keeping Onesimus with him, but without Philemon’s mind” willed (.) to do nothing.” Also in 1Ti 2:4, as to “God our Saviour, who desires that all men should be saved,” it is : see Eze 18:23 (LXX, Vat. ) “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” (with which may be compared 1Co 12:18 “as it hath pleased [.] him,” and 1Co 15:38): in 1Ti 2:8 it is as in 1Ti 5:14 “I will therefore,” the active wish being implied
For see more fully Joh 6:67, “Will ye also go away?” not simply the act, but the will to do it: ‘is it your will or disposition?’ ‘are ye also disposed to go away?’ Luk 15:28: “he was angry, and ‘would’ not go in.” Mar 6:19: “would have killed him.” 1Co 10:27: “and ye be ‘disposed’ to go.” Mat 17:12: “whatsoever they listed.” Compare the use of for ‘I would’ and ‘would not’ in Rom 7:15-16; Rom 7:18-21, in opposition to ‘I hate,’ ‘I do.’ Also 1Co 7:7: “I would that all men were even as myself.” Rom 9:16: “it is not of him that willeth.” Mar 9:35; Mar 12:38, may be added where it is ‘desire’ and ‘love.’
For see Mat 11:27: “he to whomsoever the Son will (or ‘wills to’) reveal him.” Heb 6:17: “wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel.” (The word ‘counsel’ is the substantive : it occurs ten times so rendered in the A.V.) So 1Co 12:11 of the “Spirit, dividing to every one severally as he will.” Jam 1:18: “of his own will” – ‘having so purposed or willed:’ it was the fruit of His own mind, and so a free gift (Jam 1:17). 2Pe 3:9: “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” thus becomes clear as the expression of His purpose. 2Pe 3:5 may be referred to for the force of : “this they are willingly ignorant of,” or “this is hidden from them through their own wilfulness.”
With the above may be compared the judicial ‘will’ or ‘would’ () of Act 18:15; Act 22:30; Act 23:28; Act 25:22; Act 28:18; and Pilate’s use of it in putting the momentous decision to the Jews, Joh 18:39. In 1Ti 6:9, it will be seen that “will be rich” (.) includes the idea of purpose; as also Jam 4:4, with regard to the friendship of the world
Eph 1:11 brings together the substantives formed from the two words: “after the counsel () of his own will ().” The latter is used in Eph 2:3, “the ‘desires’ of the flesh and of the mind;” and the consistent distinction of the former is maintained in 1Co 4:5, “and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”
only occurs in Act 27:43, translated ‘purpose,’ and Rom 9:19, ‘will.’
is another word connected with ‘purpose,’ which is its fitting translation: it is, according to the verb , what I set before myself, and so propose and determine. See for the verb Rom 1:13 and Eph 1:9. The substantive, , is found in connection with the ‘showbread’ in its physical force of setting forth, or placing a thing in view, Heb 9:2 – the O.T. expression for the rite of the “setting forth of the loaves”; but, following the verb, it is “purpose of heart” in Act 11:23 (comp. 2Ti 3:10), and in five other passages applied to the purposes of God’s heart, Rom 8:28; Rom 9:11; Eph 1:11 (where it is closely associated with and ); Eph 3:11; 2Ti 1:9