The Greek noun boētheia (βοήθεια) means help, aid, or assistance — particularly urgent help given in a time of need. Derived from boēthos (helper, from boē, a cry + theō, to run), it literally pictures one who runs in response to a cry for help. In nautical usage it referred to the cables or tackle used to undergird a ship in distress. It appears twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 4:16; Acts 27:17).
In Hebrews 4:16, boētheia is the crowning promise of the high priestly theology: "Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help (boētheia) in our time of need." Christ is not a distant, unmoved deity — He is a High Priest who was tempted in every way, and who therefore responds to our cry with running urgency. The word paints a God who doesn't wait for us to reach Him but runs toward our need. This is the character of grace: divine help that arrives at the moment of deepest need.