called to one’s aid, in a court of justice: as Subst., legal assistant, advocate, D. 19.1, Lycurg. Fr. 102, etc.
2. summoned,
II intercessor, Ph. 2.520: hence in NT,
one called or sent for to assist another;
an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another, 1Jn 2:1;
genr. one present to render various beneficial service, and thus the Paraclete, whose influence and operation were to compensate for the departure of Christ himself, Joh 14:16; Joh 14:26; Joh 15:26; Joh 16:7* advocate; counselor; helper.
G3875 —
1. "one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate": Demosthenes, p. 341, 11; (Diogenes Laërtius 4, 50, cf. Dio Cassius, 46, 20.
2. universally, one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor: Philo, de mund. opif. § 59; de Josepho § 40; in Flaccum §§ 3 and 4; so of Christ, in his exaltation at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins, 1Jo 2:1 (in the same sense, of the divine Logos in Philo, vita Moys. iii. § 14).
3. in the widest sense, a helper, succorer, aider, assistant; so of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of gospel truth, and to give them the divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom: Joh 14:16, Joh 14:26; Joh 15:26; Joh 16:7, cf. Mat 10:19; Mar 13:11; Luk 12:11f (Philo de mund. opif. § 6 at the beginning says that God in creating the world had no need of a
** παρά - κλητος , - ον
( < παρακαλεω ),
[in Aq ., Th.: Job 16:2 * ;]
called to one's aid in a judicial cause (Dion. Cass.); hence, most freq . as subst ., ὁ Papyri, an advocate, pleader, intercessor (Dem., al. ; so in Rabbinic lit., פְּרַקְלִיטָא ), "a friend of the accused person, called to speak to his character, or otherwise enlist sympathy in his favour" ( Field, Notes , 102). In NT, specif., ὁ Papyri,
(a) of Christ, 1Jn 2:1 ( v. ICC , Jo. Epp., 23 ff .);
(b) of the Holy Spirit ( AV , comforter; but v. opp . c .), Joh 14:16; Joh 14:26; Joh 15:26; Joh 16:7 ( cf. also Abbott, Essays , 86, 97; Deiss., LAE , 339 f .; MM , xviii; Westc ., Jo., ii, 188