ζητέω, ζητῶ; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζήτει, plural ἐζήτουν; future ζητήσω; 1 aorist ἐζήτησα; passive, present ζητοῦμαι; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζητεῖτο (Heb 8:7); 1 future ζητηθήσομαι (Luk 12:48); (from Homer on); the Sept. for ãÈÌøÇùÑ, and much more often for áÄÌ÷ÅùÑ; to seek, i. e.

1. to seek in order to find;

a. universally and absolutely: Mat 7:7; Luk 11:9 f (see εὑρίσκω, 1 a); τινα, Mar 1:37; Luk 2:48 (Luk 2:45 R L marginal reading), (Luk 4:42 Rec.); Joh 6:24; Joh 18:4; Joh 18:7; Act 10:19, and often; followed by ἐν with the dative of place, Act 9:11; with the accusative of the thing (μαργαρίτας), of buyers, Mat 13:45; something lost, Mat 18:12; Luk 19:10; τί ἐν τίνι, as fruit on a tree, Luk 13:6 f; ἀνάπαυσιν, a place of rest, Mat 12:43; Luk 11:24; after the Hebrew (ôÌ àÆúÎðÆôÆùÑ áÄÌ÷ÅÌùÑ ... (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 33 (32); 18)) ψυχήν τίνος, to seek, plot against, the life of one, Mat 2:20; Rom 11:3, (Exo 4:19, etc.); universally, τί ζητεῖς; what dost thou seek? what dost thou wish? Joh 1:38 (39); (Joh 4:27).

b. to seek (i. e. in order to find out) by thinking, meditating, reasoning; to inquire into: περί τίνος ζητεῖτε μετ’ ἀλλήλων; Joh 16:19; followed by indirect discourse, πῶς, τί, τινα: Mar 11:18; Mar 14:1; Mar 14:11; Luk 12:29; Luk 22:2; 1Pe 5:8; τόν Θεόν, to follow up the traces of divine majesty and power, Act 17:27 (universally, to seek the knowledge of God, Wis 1:1 Wis 13:6; (Philo, monarch. i. § 5)).

c. to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after: εὐκαιρίαν, Mat 26:16; Luk 22:6; ψευδομαρτυρίαν, Mat 26:59; Mar 14:55; τόν θάνατον, an opportunity to die, Rev 9:6; λύσιν, 1Co 7:27; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Mat 6:33; Luk 12:31; τά ἄνω, Col 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1Pe 3:11; ἀφθαρσίαν etc. Rom 2:7; δόξαν ἐκ τίνος, 1Th 2:6; τήν δόξαν τήν παρά τίνος, Joh 5:44; τά τίνος, the property of one, 2Co 12:14; τήν δόξαν Θεοῦ, to seek to promote the glory of God, Joh 7:18; Joh 8:50; τό θέλημα τίνος, to attempt to establish, Joh 5:30; τό σύμφορον τίνος, to seek to further the profit or advantage of one, 1Co 10:33, equivalent to ζητεῖν τά τίνος, 1Co 10:24; 1Co 13:5; Php 2:21; ὑμᾶς, to seek to win your souls, 2Co 12:14; τόν Θεόν, to seek the favor of God (see ἐκζητέω, a.), Rom 10:20; (Rom 3:11 Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading). followed by an infinitive (Buttmann, 258 (222); Winers Grammar, § 44, 3) to seek i. e. desire, endeavor: Mat 12:46 ( (WH in marginal reading only)); ; Mar 4:19 (L Tr marginal reading); Mar 12:12; Luk 5:18; Luk 6:19; Luk 9:9; Joh 5:18; Joh 7:4 (Buttmann, § 142, 4); Joh 5:19; Act 13:8; Act 16:10; Rom 10:3; Gal 1:10; Gal 2:17; followed by ἵνα (Buttmann, 237 (205)), 1Co 14:12.

2. to seek i. e. require, demand: (σημεῖον, Mar 8:12 L T Tr WH; Luk 11:29 T Tr WH); σοφίαν, 1Co 1:22; δοκιμήν, 2Co 13:3; τί παρά τίνος, to crave, demand something from someone, Mar 8:11; Luk 11:16; Luk 12:48; ἐν τίνι, the dative of person, to seek in one, i. e. to require of him, followed by ἵνα, 1Co 4:2. (Compare: ἀναζητέω, ἐκζητέω, ἐπιζητέω, συζητέω.)