Strong G2212ζητέω
to seek
- Transliteration
- zēteō
- Pronunciation
- dzay-teh'-o
- Morphology
- Greek Verb
Definition
Of uncertain affinity; to seek (literally or figuratively); specifically (by Hebraism) to worship (God) or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life): - be (go) about desire endeavour enquire (for) require (X will) seek (after for means). Compare G4441 .
Detailed definition
ζητέω, -ῶ,
[in LXX chiefly for בּקשׁ pi., also for דּרשׁ, etc.;]
1. to seek, seek for: Mat.7:7, 8 Luk.11:9, 10; with accusative of person(s), Mrk.1:37, Luk.2:48, Jhn.6:24, al.; id. before ἐν, Act.9:11; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.13:45, Luk.19:10; before ἐν, Luk.13:6, 7; ψυχήν, of plotting against one's life ( Exo.4:19, al.), Mat.2:20, Rom.11:3" (LXX). Metaphorical, to seek by thinking, search after, inquire into: Mrk.11:18, Luk.12:28, Jhn.16:19; τ. θεόν, Act.17:27.
2. to seek or strive after, desire: Mat.12:46, Mrk.12:12, Luk.9:9, Jhn.5:18, Rom.10:3, al.; τ. θάνατον, Rev.9:6; τ. βασιλείαν τ. θεοῦ, Mat.6:33 (Dalman, Words, 121f.); τὰ ἄνω, Col.3:1; εἰρήνην, 1Pe.3:11 (LXX).
3. to require, demand: with accusative of thing(s), Mrk.8:12, Luk.11:29, 1Co.1:22, 2Co.13:3; before παρά, Mrk.8:11, al.; ἵνα, 1Co.4:2 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-ζητέω).
(AS)
[in LXX chiefly for בּקשׁ pi., also for דּרשׁ, etc.;]
1. to seek, seek for: Mat.7:7, 8 Luk.11:9, 10; with accusative of person(s), Mrk.1:37, Luk.2:48, Jhn.6:24, al.; id. before ἐν, Act.9:11; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.13:45, Luk.19:10; before ἐν, Luk.13:6, 7; ψυχήν, of plotting against one's life ( Exo.4:19, al.), Mat.2:20, Rom.11:3" (LXX). Metaphorical, to seek by thinking, search after, inquire into: Mrk.11:18, Luk.12:28, Jhn.16:19; τ. θεόν, Act.17:27.
2. to seek or strive after, desire: Mat.12:46, Mrk.12:12, Luk.9:9, Jhn.5:18, Rom.10:3, al.; τ. θάνατον, Rev.9:6; τ. βασιλείαν τ. θεοῦ, Mat.6:33 (Dalman, Words, 121f.); τὰ ἄνω, Col.3:1; εἰρήνην, 1Pe.3:11 (LXX).
3. to require, demand: with accusative of thing(s), Mrk.8:12, Luk.11:29, 1Co.1:22, 2Co.13:3; before παρά, Mrk.8:11, al.; ἵνα, 1Co.4:2 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-ζητέω).
(AS)
In the Bible
Strong G2212 appears in 116 verses of the KJV.
Translated in the KJV by
- seek94
- seeketh8
- desire3
- go3
- be2
- enquire2
- require2
- thou2
- endeavour1
- for1
- goeth1
- he1
First verses
- Matthew 2:13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
- Matthew 2:20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
- Matthew 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
- Matthew 7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Matthew 7:8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
- Matthew 12:43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
- Matthew 12:46While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
- Matthew 12:47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
- Matthew 13:45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
- Matthew 18:12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
- Matthew 21:46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
- Matthew 26:16And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
- Matthew 26:59Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
- Matthew 28:5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
- Mark 1:37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
- Mark 3:32And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
- Mark 8:11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
- Mark 11:18And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
- Mark 12:12And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
- Mark 14:1After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
Occurrences by book
Related words
Detailed Greek dictionary
ζητ-έω,
Doric dialect participle ζάτεισα [Refs 3rd c.BC+ (3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 1.85:)]imperfect ἐζήτουν, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. singular ζήτει [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 14.258 (nowhere else in 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus))]: aorist 1 ἐζήτησα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 16.14)]: perfect ἐζήτηκα [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Dinarchus Orator 2.19:)] —middle, aorist 1 ἐζητησάμην (ἀν-) [Refs 3rd c.AD+ (3rd c.AD(?): Longus Scriptor Eroticus “Prooem.” 2)]:—passive, future ζητηθήσομαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+ (2nd c.AD: Sextus Empiricus Philosophus “Πυρρώνειοι ὑποτυπώσεις” 1.60, “M.” 8.16)]; but ζητήσομαι in passive sense,[Refs 2nd c.AD+ ([prev. work] 1.28, 2nd c.AD: Galenus Medicus 1.649)]:—seek, seek for, ἐμὲ δ᾽ ἔξοχα πάντων ζήτει Il.[same place]; ζ. πημάτων ἀπαλλαγάς [Refs 5th c.BC+ (4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 318, compare 264; εὑρήσεις ζητῶν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 105)]; μὴ ζητῶν without seeking, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Agesilaus” 8.1)]; τὸ ζητούμενον ἁλωτόν what is sought for may be found, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 110.)]
2 mquire for, τὰ πινάκια καὶ τὰ γραμματεῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (“IG” 12.91.11; τοὺς ἄρχοντας 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 2.3.2: with _relative_ clause, ὅτου δέοιτο ὁ Κῦρος [prev. author] “Cyr.” 8.5.13.)]
3 search after, search out, τὸν αὐτόχειρα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 266; μεγάλοις μηνύτροις ἐζητοῦντο οἱ δράσαντες 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.27)]; of huntsmen, ζ. τὸν λαγώ [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Cynegeticus” 6.25.)]
4 search or inquire into, investigate, examine, of philosophical investigation, ζ. τὰ θεῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 1.1.15; ζ. καὶ ἐρευνῶ κατὰ τὸν θεόν 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 23b; ζητουμένης ἀρετῆς ὅ τι ἐστίν [prev. author] “Men.” 79d)]; τὸ ζητούμενον the matter of inquiry, the question, [Refs 4th c.BC+ ([prev. author] “Tht.” 201a, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Topica” 110a7, 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 2.1.18, 2nd c.AD: Apollonius Dyscolus Grammaticus “de Adverbiis;” 188.13)]; also of judicial inquiry, ζ. περὶ ἀδικημάτων [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Dinarchus Orator 1.8; ζήτησιν τὴν ὑπέρ τινος ζ. [prev. work] 10; ἔνοχος εἶναι τοῖς ζητουμένοις [prev. work] 55)]: generally, ζ. πότερον.. ἤ [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Philebus” 27c; ζ. πρὸς ἐμαυτόν 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Lex.” 17.)]
5 require, demand, τῶν πράξεων παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τὸν λόγον ζητοῦντες [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 4.33: _metaphorically_, ὁ περικράνιος ὑμὴν.. τὴν ἐπιδιαίρεσιν ζ)]. requires the opening up of the wound, [Refs 1st c.AD+ (1st-2nd c.AD: Heliodorus Medicus cited in 4th c.AD: Oribasius Medicus 46.7.3.)]
II seek after, desire, ἀμήχανα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Alcestis” 203; ἐμοὶ ζητῶν ὄλεθρον 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 659)]; of natural tendencies, ὁ θερμὸς ὕφαμμον χώραν ζητεῖ [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Theophrastus Philosophus “Historia Plantarum” 8.11.8)]:—passive, ζητούμενος sought after, in great demand, [Refs (PMag.Par. 1.3086,3114.)]
II.2 with infinitive, seek to do, ἐκμαθεῖν τι ζ. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.137, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 776; μεταλαβεῖν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 370. compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 322b, “Men.” 90e, “SIG” 372.7 (Samothrace, 3rd c.BC))]: with future infinitive, ζητεῖς ἀναπείσειν [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 573 codices (sed to be read -πείθειν))]: with accusative et infinitive, seek or desire that, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 443b, “Chrm.” 172c.)]
III have to seek, feel the want of, ἵνα μὴ ζητέοιεν σιτία [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.94; Νέρωνα 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus “Galba” 8)]:—passive, ζητούμενος οἷς ἀπέλειπες [Refs (“epigram Gr.” 215.3 (from Rhenea).)]
Doric dialect participle ζάτεισα [Refs 3rd c.BC+ (3rd c.BC: Theocritus Poeta Bucolicus 1.85:)]imperfect ἐζήτουν, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. singular ζήτει [Refs 8th c.BC+ (8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 14.258 (nowhere else in 8th c.BC: Homerus Epicus))]: aorist 1 ἐζήτησα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 16.14)]: perfect ἐζήτηκα [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Dinarchus Orator 2.19:)] —middle, aorist 1 ἐζητησάμην (ἀν-) [Refs 3rd c.AD+ (3rd c.AD(?): Longus Scriptor Eroticus “Prooem.” 2)]:—passive, future ζητηθήσομαι [Refs 2nd c.AD+ (2nd c.AD: Sextus Empiricus Philosophus “Πυρρώνειοι ὑποτυπώσεις” 1.60, “M.” 8.16)]; but ζητήσομαι in passive sense,[Refs 2nd c.AD+ ([prev. work] 1.28, 2nd c.AD: Galenus Medicus 1.649)]:—seek, seek for, ἐμὲ δ᾽ ἔξοχα πάντων ζήτει Il.[same place]; ζ. πημάτων ἀπαλλαγάς [Refs 5th c.BC+ (4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 318, compare 264; εὑρήσεις ζητῶν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 105)]; μὴ ζητῶν without seeking, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Agesilaus” 8.1)]; τὸ ζητούμενον ἁλωτόν what is sought for may be found, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 110.)]
2 mquire for, τὰ πινάκια καὶ τὰ γραμματεῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (“IG” 12.91.11; τοὺς ἄρχοντας 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Anabasis” 2.3.2: with _relative_ clause, ὅτου δέοιτο ὁ Κῦρος [prev. author] “Cyr.” 8.5.13.)]
3 search after, search out, τὸν αὐτόχειρα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 266; μεγάλοις μηνύτροις ἐζητοῦντο οἱ δράσαντες 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.27)]; of huntsmen, ζ. τὸν λαγώ [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Cynegeticus” 6.25.)]
4 search or inquire into, investigate, examine, of philosophical investigation, ζ. τὰ θεῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Memorabilia” 1.1.15; ζ. καὶ ἐρευνῶ κατὰ τὸν θεόν 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 23b; ζητουμένης ἀρετῆς ὅ τι ἐστίν [prev. author] “Men.” 79d)]; τὸ ζητούμενον the matter of inquiry, the question, [Refs 4th c.BC+ ([prev. author] “Tht.” 201a, 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Topica” 110a7, 1st c.BC-1st c.AD: Strabo Geographus 2.1.18, 2nd c.AD: Apollonius Dyscolus Grammaticus “de Adverbiis;” 188.13)]; also of judicial inquiry, ζ. περὶ ἀδικημάτων [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Dinarchus Orator 1.8; ζήτησιν τὴν ὑπέρ τινος ζ. [prev. work] 10; ἔνοχος εἶναι τοῖς ζητουμένοις [prev. work] 55)]: generally, ζ. πότερον.. ἤ [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Philebus” 27c; ζ. πρὸς ἐμαυτόν 2nd c.AD: Lucianus Sophista “Lex.” 17.)]
5 require, demand, τῶν πράξεων παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τὸν λόγον ζητοῦντες [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 4.33: _metaphorically_, ὁ περικράνιος ὑμὴν.. τὴν ἐπιδιαίρεσιν ζ)]. requires the opening up of the wound, [Refs 1st c.AD+ (1st-2nd c.AD: Heliodorus Medicus cited in 4th c.AD: Oribasius Medicus 46.7.3.)]
II seek after, desire, ἀμήχανα [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Alcestis” 203; ἐμοὶ ζητῶν ὄλεθρον 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 659)]; of natural tendencies, ὁ θερμὸς ὕφαμμον χώραν ζητεῖ [Refs 4th c.BC+ (4th-3rd c.BC: Theophrastus Philosophus “Historia Plantarum” 8.11.8)]:—passive, ζητούμενος sought after, in great demand, [Refs (PMag.Par. 1.3086,3114.)]
II.2 with infinitive, seek to do, ἐκμαθεῖν τι ζ. [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.137, 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 776; μεταλαβεῖν 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 370. compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 322b, “Men.” 90e, “SIG” 372.7 (Samothrace, 3rd c.BC))]: with future infinitive, ζητεῖς ἀναπείσειν [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Plutus” 573 codices (sed to be read -πείθειν))]: with accusative et infinitive, seek or desire that, [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 443b, “Chrm.” 172c.)]
III have to seek, feel the want of, ἵνα μὴ ζητέοιεν σιτία [Refs 5th c.BC+ (5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.94; Νέρωνα 1st-2nd c.AD: Plutarchus Biographus et Philosophus “Galba” 8)]:—passive, ζητούμενος οἷς ἀπέλειπες [Refs (“epigram Gr.” 215.3 (from Rhenea).)]