Quick Definition
ἐκζητέω v. I seek out, require
Strong's Definition
from 1537 and 2212; to search out, i.e. (figuratively)investigate, crave, demand, (by Hebraism) worship
KJV Usage: en- (re-)quire, seek after (carefully, diligently)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ζητέω
27.35 · Learn · Try To Learn
to make a careful search, to seek diligently to learn, to make an examination to exert considerable effort and care in learning something
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐκ-ζητέω, -ῶ; 1 aor. ἐξεζήτησα; Pass., 1 aor. ἐξεζητήθην; 1 fut. ἐκζητηθήσομαι; (ἐκ out from a secret place, from all sides) ; Sept. very often for w77, also for wp3, ete. ; a. to seek out, search for: properly, twa, 1 Mace. ix. 26; figuratively: τὸν κύριον, τὸν θεόν, to seek the favor of God, worship him, Acts xv. 17; Ro. iii. 11 [Tr mrg. WH mrg. ζητῶν]; Heb. xi. 6, (Ps. xiii. (xiv.) 2; xxxiii. (xxxiv.) 5; Ixviii. (Ixix.) 33; Amos v. 4, etc.). b. to seek out i. 6. investigate, scrutinize: τί, Sir. xxxix. 1, 3; περί τινος, to examine into anything, 1 Pet. i. 10, where it is joined with ἐξερευνᾶν [to seek out and search out], as in 1 Mace. ix. 26. ce. to seek out for one’s self, beg, crave: Heb. xii. 17. ἃ. to demand back, require: τὸ αἷμα τῶν προφητῶν ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης, to take vengeance on this generation for the slaughter of the prophets (after the Hebr., cf. 2S. ἵν. 11: Ezek. iii. 18; see ἐκ, I. 7): Lk. xi. 50, [51]. (In prof. auth. thus far only a single passage has been noted in which this word appears, Arisiid. or. 8, i. p. 488 [i. 6. orat. 38, i. p. 726 ed. Dind.].)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐκζητέω ekzēteō 7x
to seek out, investigate diligently, scrutinize, 1 Pet. 1:10; to ask for, beseech earnestly, Heb. 12:17; to seek diligently or earnestly after, Acts 15:17; Rom. 3:11; Heb. 10:6; from the Hebrew, to require, exact, demand, Lk. 11:50, 51; Heb. 12:07*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
† ἐκ-ζητέω, -ῶ
[in LXX chiefly for דָּרַשׁ, also for נָצַר, בָּקַשׁ, etc. ;]
to seek out or after, search for: c. acc pers. (I Mac 9:26); fig., τ. κύριον, θεόν (cf. Ps 14:2, Am 5:4, al.), Ac 15:17, Ro 3:11, He 11:6; εὐλογίαν, He 12:17; ἐξεζήτησαν κ. ἐξηραύνησαν (as in I Mac l.c.), sought and searched out: I Pe 1:10.
As in II Ki 4:11, Ez 3:18, 20 al. (דָּרַשׁ), to demand, require: Lk 11:50, 51 †
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐκζητέω. To the single instance of this verb from profane sources (Aristid. I. 488) cited by Thayer and LS, we can now add BGU IV. 1141"! (B.c. 14) περὶ δὲ τῆς σκιᾶς φανερόν μοι ἐγενήθη ἐκζητήσαντι ἠλλάχθαι μὲν τὴν πορφυρᾶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Διοδώρου καὶ μὴ δεδωκέναι σοί, P Oxy XII. 1465" (18.6.) ἀξιῶ συντ[ά]ξαι ἐ[κ]ζητήσαντᾳς τοὺς α[ἰτίο]υς, ““1 request you to give orders (to your subordinates) to search out the guilty persons” (Edd.), and the inscr. from Hierapolis Cagnat IV. 834° δώσει. . τῷ ἐκξητήσαντι δηνάρια δισχίλια. With Lk 115° ἵνα ἐκζητηθῇ τὸ αἷμα πάντων τῶν προφητῶν, cf. the use of the simplex in the Jewish prayer for vengeance Syll 816% (ii/B.c.) ἵνα ἐγδικήσῃς τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἀναίτιον ἴητήσῃς καὶ τὴν ταχίστην : for the text and the date, see Deissmann LAE p. 423 ff.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐκζητέω (ekzēteō) — to seek out. ἐκζητ-έω, seek out, [Refs 1st c.BC+]; περίτινος [NT]
II. demand an account of, τὸ αἷμα [LXX+NT]