What does θαῤῥέω (tharréō) mean in the Bible?
G2292 means to be confident, courageous, or bold. Its six New Testament forms occur only in 2 Corinthians and Hebrews.
Greek · G2292
θαῤῥέω
To exercise courage
Reading a lexicon entry
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θαρρέω G2292
Pronunciation tharréō
What does θαῤῥέω (tharréō) mean in the Bible?
G2292 means to be confident, courageous, or bold. Its six New Testament forms occur only in 2 Corinthians and Hebrews.
Reader summary
Full entry for θαῤῥέω (G2292) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2292?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include bold (1), I can have complete confidence (1), I may not need to be (1), we are always confident (1), We are confident (1).
Where does θαῤῥέω (tharréō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Corinthians 5:6. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Corinthians (5), Hebrews (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G2292 means to be confident, courageous, or bold. Its six New Testament forms occur only in 2 Corinthians and Hebrews. Paul uses it twice while describing confidence in the face of mortality and his preference to be at home with the Lord. He later expresses confidence in the Corinthians, then discusses the boldness opponents attribute to him and the firmness he may need when confronting claims that his ministry is fleshly.
Hebrews 13:6 uses the verb as it introduces a confident confession that the Lord is the helper, so human threats need not rule the speaker. The word does not identify the object or moral quality of confidence by itself. John 16:33 uses the related G2293, not G2292, so that verse must not remain this entry's primary anchor.
How the Bible Uses It
G2292 appears in confidence facing mortality, confidence in fellow believers, anticipated boldness in confrontation, and a confident confession grounded in the Lord's help. The object and warrant of confidence come from each passage.
- 2Co.5.6
Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.
The confidence does not deny mortality or present absence; verses 7 and 8 explain its faith-shaped direction.
- 2Co.5.8
We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
The repeated verb accompanies Paul's preference and should not be detached from the surrounding account of faith, embodiment, and pleasing the Lord.
- 2Co.7.16
I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.
The object is the Corinthians, and the confidence follows Paul's account of their response and Titus's refreshed spirit.
- 2Co.10.2
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.
Boldness here is an anticipated firmness in a disputed pastoral confrontation, not a general personality ideal.
- Heb.13.6
So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
The confession locates courage in the Lord's help rather than personal invulnerability.
Passage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It bold 1× 2 Corinthians 10:1
I can have complete confidence 1× 2 Corinthians 7:16
I may not need to be 1× 2 Corinthians 10:2
we are always confident 1× 2 Corinthians 5:6
We are confident 1× 2 Corinthians 5:8
with confidence 1× Hebrews 13:6
Show sample aligned rows
2 Corinthians 5:6 Θαρροῦντες to we are always confident Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 2 Corinthians 5:8 Θαρροῦμεν to We are confident Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural 2 Corinthians 7:16 θαρρῶ to I can have complete confidence Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 10:1 θαρρῶ to bold Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 2 Corinthians 10:2 θαρρῆσαι to I may not need to be Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active Hebrews 13:6 θαρροῦντας to with confidence Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 2 Corinthians 5:6
Aligned rows 6
Books represented 2
2 Corinthians 5 Hebrews 1
Source forms
θαρρῶ 2x tharrō 2 Corinthians 7:16, 2 Corinthians 10:1
θαρρῆσαι 1x tharrēsai 2 Corinthians 10:2
Θαρροῦμεν 1x Tharroumen 2 Corinthians 5:8
θαρροῦντας 1x tharrountas Hebrews 13:6
Θαρροῦντες 1x Tharrountes 2 Corinthians 5:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 2x 2 Corinthians 7:16, 2 Corinthians 10:1
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 1x 2 Corinthians 10:2
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural 1x 2 Corinthians 5:8
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural 1x Hebrews 13:6
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x 2 Corinthians 5:6
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Ask what confidence rests on and whether the surrounding passage warrants it.
- Join courage in confrontation to truth, gentleness, accountability, and love.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim G2292 occurs in John 16:33.
- Do not claim Christian confidence removes bodily weakness or fear automatically.
- Do not claim every display of boldness is spiritually faithful.
- Do not use Paul's confrontation language to excuse intimidation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Courage grounded in confidence or assurance, often directed toward bold speech or action before others
Source Gloss
to exercise courage
Extended definition
Courage grounded in confidence or assurance, often directed toward bold speech or action before others
:--be bold, X boldly, have confidence, be confident.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
6 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
2 Corinthians 5:6 Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
θαρροῦντες qarrountev
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 5:8 Verb First Person Plural Present Active Indicative
θαρροῦμεν qarroumen
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 7:16 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θαρρῶ qarrw
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 10:1 Verb First Person Singular Present Active Indicative
θαρρῶ qarrw
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 10:2 Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
θαρρῆσαι qarrhsai
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verse Hebrews 13:6 Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine
θαρροῦντας qarrountav
I am courageous, of good cheer
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Word Origins
θαῤῥέω is built from this root:
For the Preacher and Teacher
G2292 asks not merely whether a person feels confident, but what that confidence rests on and where it is directed. In 2 Corinthians 5, courage faces mortality while walking by faith and seeking to please the Lord. In chapter 7, confidence in a congregation follows evidence of a real response to correction. In chapter 10, boldness may be required in confrontation, yet Paul begins his appeal with Christ's gentleness and hopes severe firmness will not be necessary.
Hebrews 13 provides the clearest confession: the Lord is helper, so fear of human action need not govern. This distribution corrects two errors. Christian courage is not denial of bodily weakness, and boldness is not automatically faithful because it feels forceful. Passage-shaped confidence has a truthful object, a warranted basis, and conduct consistent with Christ.
Anchor passage
Heb.13.6
Doctrinal connections
- 2Co.5.6-9 - confidence faces mortality while walking by faith and seeking to please the Lord.
- 2Co.7.13-16 - confidence in the Corinthians follows Titus's comfort and their response.
- 2Co.10.1-2 - possible boldness in confrontation is framed by Christ's gentleness and Paul's appeal.
- 2Co.10.7-11 - opponents contrast Paul's bodily presence with his letters.
- Heb.13.5-6 - contentment and freedom from fear rest on God's presence and help.
- G2293 in Jhn.16.33 - the related verb, not G2292, supplies Jesus' command to take courage.
The six forms span five morphology patterns: two present participles, three present finite forms, and one aorist infinitive. The two lemmas G2292 and G2293 are related but remain distinct Strong's identities in the governed corpus.
From Old to New Testament
Hebrews 13:6 places G2292 in a scriptural confession about the Lord's help. That explicit use should govern cross-testament teaching rather than a broad appeal to every biblical courage text.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain