Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v. t.) To be necessary for; to be fit for; to be meet for, with respect to necessity, duty, or convenience; -- mostly used impersonally. 2. (v. i.) To be necessary, fit, or suitable; to befit; to belong as due. 3. (n.) Advantage; behoof. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia BEHOOVE be-hoov': Used in the New Testament for two Greek words dei (Luke 24:26 Acts 17:3) and opheilo (Hebrews 2:17); the former referring to a physical, and the latter to a moral, necessity (Bengelon, 1 Corinthians 11:10). The former means "must," that is, it is required by the order which God has ordained; the latter, "ought," that is, it is required as a debt.