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They came to his help
I found this sentence while I was studying English in my English grammar book.
And my book said it meant:
They came to help him
But I don't understand what it means when I read this sentence without an explanation.
When I read I wanted his help this sentence I can understand.
I want to know why it means They came to help him like this!
"They came to his help" does not sound idiomatic to me at all. If it ever has been used, it is not used in modern speech. I have never personally heard it used, nor would I use myself.
We would more likely say:
"They came to his aid" is idiomatic if perhaps a little formal.
This ngram is interesting - it compares:
The results seem to indicate that "to my/his aid" has always been the more popular phrase, and even though it has declined in usage, is still more widely used than any of the others.
come to help, come to aid and come to rescue mean more or less the same and they are idioms. For example ,
1.If the Government had not come to my help, I would have died.
2 .If he had not come to my rescue, I would have been in deep trouble
3 .If my friend had not come to my aid, I would have been in a financial crisis
come to one's help means help somebody when they are in deep trouble
