Word study
Help
14 Hebrew and 6 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: help, helped, helps, helping. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “help” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- עָזַר âzarhelp, succourtranslated this way 58 times of its 81 uses · Strong’s H5826Verb · Translated: help 34, helped 14, helps 7, helper 7Full study and all 77 verses →
Genesis 49:25 by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.
Deuteronomy 32:38 which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let them give you shelter!
- עֶזְרָה ezrâhhelp, succour, assistancetranslated this way 17 times of its 26 uses · Strong’s H5833Noun · Translated: help 17, helper 3, aid 3, allies 2Full study and all 25 verses →
Judges 5:23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ says the angel of the LORD. ‘Bitterly curse her inhabitants; for they did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty.’
2 Chronicles 28:21 Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.
- עֵזֶר êzerhelp, succourtranslated this way 14 times of its 21 uses · Strong’s H5828Noun · Translated: help 14, helper 4, aid 1, protects 1Full study and all 21 verses →
Deuteronomy 33:7 And concerning Judah he said: “O LORD, hear the cry of Judah and bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause, but may You be a help against his foes.”
Psalm 20:2 May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.
- שָׁוַע shâvacry out for helptranslated this way 14 times of its 21 uses · Strong’s H7768Verb · Translated: cry for help 5, cry 4, help 4, call for help 2Full study and all 21 verses →
Job 19:7 Though I cry out, ‘Violence!’ I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice.
Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- יָשַׁע yâshadelivertranslated this way 8 times of its 203 uses · Strong’s H3467Verb · Translated: save 98, saved 40, saves 13, Savior 12Full study and all 198 verses →
Exodus 2:17 And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock.
2 Samuel 10:19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
- חָזַק châzaqbe or grow firm, strong, strengthentranslated this way 4 times of its 290 uses · Strong’s H2388Verb · Translated: strong 37, made repairs 22, strengthened 16, repaired 15Full study and all 264 verses →
Leviticus 25:35 Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
Judges 9:24 in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.
- שַׁוְעָה shavâhcry for helptranslated this way 4 times of its 11 uses · Strong’s H7775Noun · Translated: cry 5, cry for help 3, cry for deliverance 1, outcry 1Full study and all 11 verses →
2 Samuel 22:7 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- קוּם qûmarise, stand up, standtranslated this way 3 times of its 594 uses · Strong’s H6965Verb · Translated: rise 68, got 61, set 44, Get 42Full study and all 570 verses →
Deuteronomy 22:4 If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.
2 Samuel 12:17 The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
- אֵת êthwithtranslated this way 2 times of its 640 uses · Strong’s H854Preposition · Translated: with 144, with you 64, with him 62, with me 35Full study and all 585 verses →
Genesis 4:1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
- רוּם rûmbe high, exalted, risetranslated this way 2 times of its 185 uses · Strong’s H7311Verb · Translated: exalted 23, exalt 18, lift 14, raised 10Full study and all 180 verses →
Genesis 39:15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
Genesis 39:18 but when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
- הָיָה hâyâhfall out, come to pass, become, betranslated this way 2 times of its 2,848 uses · Strong’s H1961Verb · Translated: will be 206, become 178, came 169, was 151Full study and all 2,573 verses →
- נָשָׂא nâsâlift, take, carrytranslated this way 2 times of its 642 uses · Strong’s H5375Verb · Translated: bear 49, lift 45, lifted 41, carried 38Full study and all 601 verses →
Numbers 11:17 And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.
- לֹא lônottranslated this way 2 times of its 4,657 uses · Strong’s H3808Adverb · Translated: no 309, not 269, never 218, will not 156Full study and all 3,775 verses →
- תְּשׁוּעָה teshûâhdeliverance, salvationtranslated this way 2 times of its 34 uses · Strong’s H8668Noun · Translated: salvation 16, victory 10, deliverance 3, help 2Full study and all 32 verses →
Psalm 60:11 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
Psalm 108:12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
Greek words (New Testament)
- βοηθέω boēthéōI come to the rescue oftranslated this way 8 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G997Verb · Translated: help 6, helped 2Full study and all 8 verses →
Matthew 15:25 The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
Mark 9:22 “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.”
- ἐγείρω egeírōI wake, arouse, raise uptranslated this way 4 times of its 144 uses · Strong’s G1453Verb · Translated: raised 53, Get 18, risen 13, got 11Full study and all 138 verses →
Mark 1:31 So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Acts 3:7 Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.
- συλλαμβάνω syllambánōI seize, apprehend, become pregnanttranslated this way 2 times of its 16 uses · Strong’s G4815Verb · Translated: conceived 3, seized 3, arrest 2, help 2Full study and all 16 verses →
Luke 5:7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Philippians 4:3 Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have contended at my side for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
- συναντιλαμβάνομαι synantilambánomaiI assist, helptranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G4878Verb · Translated: help 1, helps 1Full study and all 2 verses →
Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
- ἀντιλαμβάνομαι antilambánomaiI take hold of, help, share intranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G482Verb · Translated: helped 1, help 1, receiving 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Luke 1:54 He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful,
Acts 20:35 In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- προπέμπω propémpōI send forward, accompanytranslated this way 2 times of its 9 uses · Strong’s G4311Verb · Translated: accompanied 2, equip 2Full study and all 9 verses →
1 Corinthians 16:6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
2 Corinthians 1:16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.