Quick Definition
ἵλεως Adj propitious, forgiving
Strong's Definition
perhaps from the alternate form of 138; cheerful (as attractive), i.e. propitious; adverbially (by Hebraism) God be gracious!, i.e. (in averting some calamity) far be it
KJV Usage: be it far, merciful
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ων | ἱλαρός
88.77 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Mercy, Merciless
merciful (derivative of ἐλεάω ‘to show mercy,’ 88.76) pertaining to showing mercy
88.78 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Mercy, Merciless
Collocation: ἵλεώς σοι
God forbid it, may it not happen (an idiom, literally: mercy to you) a highly elliptical expression equivalent in meaning to the statement may God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo some experience
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἵλεως hileōs 2x
propitious, favorable, merciful, gracious, Heb. 8:12; from the Hebrew, ἵλεως σοι (ὁ θεός) God have mercy on thee, God forbid, far be it from thee, Mt. 16:22*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἵλεως, -ων
(Att. for ἵλαος), [in LXX for חָלִיל, I Ki 14:45, II Ki 20:20, al.; ἵ. εἶναι, סלח, III Ki 8:30 ff., Je 38(31):34, al.;]
propitious, merciful: τ. ἀδικίαις, He 8:12 (Je 38(31):34; cf. III Ki 8:30 ff.); ἵ. σοι (sc. ἔστω ὁ θεός), Mt 16:22 (cf. I Ki 14:45).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἵλεως. With Heb 8!cf. P Par 512 (B.c. 160) (= Selections, p. 20) ἐλθέ por, θεὰ θεῶν, εἵλεως γινομένη, ἐπάκουσόν μου, ἐλέησον τὰς Διδύμας, and similarly Leid Uii. 19 (ii/B.C.). See also OG/S 3837 (mid i/B.c.) ἐγὼ πατρῴους ἅπαντας θεοὺς . . . εἕἴλεως εἰς πᾶσαν χάριν εὔχομαι διαμένειν, "ἢ παρὰ τῆς ἐμῆς εὐχῆς ἵλεως δαίμονας καὶ θεοὺς πάντας ἐχέτω. For the phrase in Mt 16” (cf. LXX Gen 43”, 2 Kings 2079, 1 Chr 1113) see Cagnat I. 107!°"Theds σοι, ἀλύπι, and OG/S 72119 (iv/A.D.) (= Letronne 221) ἵλεως ἡμῖν Πλάτων καὶ ἐνταῦθα, with the other exx. in Proleg. p. 240, where the deprecatory meaning is compared with our vernacular expression, ‘* Mercy on us!
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἵλεως (hileōs) — propitious/gracious. Included with: ἵλαος [see. entry near the end], ον, Epic dialect and Lyric poetry (incl. Lyric poetry of Trag., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: irregular genitive ἱλάονος [Refs 4th c.BC+]; Attic dialect and later ἵλεως, ων (also in [Refs 3rd c.BC+], variant for{ἵλεον} in [Refs 5th c.BC+] indeclinable as nominative plural, [Refs 2nd c.BC+], as accusative singular, [LXX+5th c.BC+]: ἵλεος, ον, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: ἵληϝος, uncertain in [Refs 6th c.BC+],= epigram cited in [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; Aeolic dialect ἴλλαος [Refs]:—of gods, propitious, gracious, ἔπειθ᾽ ἵλαος Ὀλύμπιος ἔσσεται ἡμῖν [NT+8th c.BC+]; in deprecation, ἵλεώς σοι, κύριε (i.e. ὁ θεός), i.e. be it far from thee, [NT+4th c.AD+]
2. of things, propitious, blameless, atoned for, ἵλαον ἦναι, opposed to ἰνμενφὲς ἦναι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. of men, gracious, kindly, σὺ δ᾽ ἵλαον ἔνθεο θυμόν [Refs 8th c.BC+]
III. adverb ἱλάως and ἱλέως, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; elsewhere ᾰ, see above, also [Refs]