ζητέωzētéō
to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life)
Greek (New Testament) · G2212
Meanings
1. to seek, seek for: Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:8, Luke 11:9, 10; with accusative of person, Mark 1:37, Luke 2:48, John 6:24, and elsewhere; id. followed by ἐν, Acts 9:11; with accusative of thing, Matthew 13:45, Luke 19:10; followed by ἐν, Luke 13:6, Luke 13:7; ψυχήν, of plotting against one's life (Exodus 4:19, and elsewhere), Matthew 2:20, Romans 11:3(LXX). Metaph., to seek by thinking, search after, inquire into: Mark 11:18, Luke 12:28, John 16:19; τ. θεόν, Acts 17:27.
2. to seek or strive after, desire: Matthew 12:46, Mark 12:12, Luke 9:9, John 5:18, Romans 10:3, and elsewhere; τ. θάνατον, Revelation 9:6; τ. βασιλείαν τ. θεοῦ, Matthew 6:33; τὰ ἄνω, Colossians 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1 Peter 3:11(LXX).
3. to require, demand: with accusative of thing, Mark 8:12, Luke 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 13:3; followed by παρά, Mark 8:11, and elsewhere; ἵνα, 1 Corinthians 4:2 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-ζητέω).
Same root
- ζήτησιςzḗtēsis · G2214a searching (properly, the act), i.e. a dispute or its theme
- ζήτημαzḗtēma · G2213a search (properly concretely), i.e. (in words) a debate
- ἐπιζητέωepizētéō · G1934to search (inquire) for; intensively, to demand, to crave
- ἀναζητέωanazētéō · G327to search out
- ἐκζητέωekzētéō · G1567to search out, i.e. (figuratively)investigate, crave, demand, (by Hebraism) worship
- συζητέωsyzētéō · G4802to investigate jointly, i.e. discuss, controvert, cavil
Where it appears
Appears 117 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 2:13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
- Matthew 2:20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
- Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
- Matthew 7:7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
- Matthew 7:8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
- Matthew 12:43 “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.
See every passage
- Matthew 2:13, 2:20, 6:33, 7:7, 7:8, 12:43, 12:46, 12:47, 13:45, 18:12, 21:46, 26:16, 26:59, 28:5
- Mark 1:37, 3:32, 8:11, 8:12, 11:18, 12:12, 14:1, 14:11, 14:55, 16:6
- Luke 2:48, 2:49, 5:18, 6:19, 9:9, 11:9, 11:10, 11:16, 11:24, 11:29, 12:29, 12:31, 12:48, 13:6, 13:7, 13:24, 15:8, 17:33, 19:3, 19:10, 19:47, 20:19, 22:2, 22:6, 24:5
- John 1:38, 4:23, 4:27, 5:18, 5:30, 5:44, 6:24, 6:26, 7:1, 7:4, 7:11, 7:18, 7:19, 7:20, 7:25, 7:30, 7:34, 7:36, 8:21, 8:37, 8:40, 8:50, 10:39, 11:8, 11:56, 13:33, 16:19, 18:4, 18:7, 18:8, 19:12, 20:15
- Acts 9:11, 10:19, 10:21, 13:8, 13:11, 16:10, 17:5, 17:27, 21:31, 27:30
- Romans 2:7, 10:3, 10:20, 11:3
- 1 Corinthians 1:22, 4:2, 7:27, 10:24, 10:33, 13:5, 14:12
- 2 Corinthians 12:14, 13:3
- Galatians 1:10, 2:17
- Philippians 2:21
- Colossians 3:1
- 1 Thessalonians 2:6
- 2 Timothy 1:17
- Hebrews 8:7
- 1 Peter 3:11, 5:8
- Revelation 9:6
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.