helkuo, helko denotes pulling or hauling something along, and in two sayings drawing people toward oneself.

The predominant use describes forcefully pulling, dragging, drawing, or hauling persons and objects: people are taken into public places or courts, a sword is drawn, and a net is hauled in. In two sayings, the term describes persons being drawn to Jesus or to himself.

1. Pulling, dragging, or hauling · dominant

   In Acts 16:19 and Acts 21:30, plural past forms occur where Paul and Silas, and then Paul, are seized and taken away; the APB renders the actions “dragged.” James 2:6 similarly places the present plural form in the rich people's action against the poor, while John 18:10 concerns drawing a sword and John 21:6 and John 21:11 concern hauling in a fish-filled net.

   Acts 16:19Acts 21:30James 2:6John 18:10John 21:6John 21:11
2. Drawing persons toward oneself · occasional

   In John 6:44, an aorist active subjunctive is used in the condition that the Father draws a person to Jesus. In John 12:32, the first-person future active form occurs in the statement that, when lifted up from the earth, the speaker will draw all to himself.

   John 6:44John 12:32

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB varies its wording across the verses: “dragged” for people, “drew” for a sword, “haul” for a net, and “draws” or “will draw” in the two sayings about persons. These renderings confirm the clauses' overall presentation rather than assigning a separate English equivalent in every case.