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 γΘΜψΗωΡ, and much more often for αΔΜχΕωΡ; 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 (τΜ ΰΖϊΞπΖτΖωΡ αΔΜχΕΜωΡ ... (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.)

ζητέω zēteō 117x to seek, look for, Mat_18:12 ; Luk_2:48-49 ; to search after, Mat_13:45 ; to be on the watch for, Mat_26:16 ; to pursue, endeavor to obtain, Rom_2:7 ; 1Pe_3:11 ; to desire, wish, want, Mat_12:47 ; to seek, strive for, Mat_6:33 ; to endeavor, Mat_21:46 ; to require, demand, ask for, Mar_8:11 ; Luk_11:16 ; Luk_12:48 ; to inquire or ask questions, question, Joh_16:19 ; to deliberate, Mar_11:18 ; Luk_12:29 ; in NT from Hebrew, ζητεῖν τὴν ψυχήν , to seek the life of any one, to seek to kill, Mat_2:20 search; seek.

ζητέω , -ῶ , [in LXX chiefly for pi ., also for H1245 , etc.;] 1. to seek, seek for: Mat_7:7-8 Luk_11:9-10 ; c . acc pers ., Mar_1:37 , Luk_2:48 , Joh_6:24 , al. ; id . seq . ἐν , Act_9:11 ; c . acc rei , Mat_13:45 , Luk_19:10 ; seq . ἐν , Luk_13:6-7 ; ψυχήν , of plotting against one's life ( Exo_4:19 , al. ), Mat_2:20 , Rom_11:3 ( LXX ). Metaph ., to seek by thinking, search after, inquire into: Mar_11:18 , Luk_12:29 , Joh_16:19 ; τ . θεόν , Act_17:27 . 2. to seek or strive after, desire: Mat_12:46 , Mar_12:12 , Luk_9:9 , Joh_5:18 , Rom_10:3 , al. ; T . θάνατον , Rev_9:6 ; τ . βασιλείαν τ . θεοῦ , Mat_6:33 ( Dalman, Words , 121 f .); τὰ ἄνω , Col_3:1 ; εἰρήνην , 1Pe_3:11 ( LXX ), 3. to require, demand: c . acc rei , Mar_8:12 , Luk_11:29 , 1Co_1:22 , 2Co_13:3 ; seq . παρά , Mar_8:11 , al. ; ἵνα , 1Co_4:2 ( cf. ἀνα -, ἐκ -, ἐπι -, συν -ζητέω ).

ζητέω [page 273] PSI IV. 382 .5 (B.C. 248 7) ξύλα ἐζητήκαμεν πανταχοῦ . The verb is found along with εὑρίσκω in the curious nursery acrostic P Tebt II. 278 .30 (early i/A.D.) ζητῶι καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκωι : cf. P Giss I. 21 .5 (Rom.) ἐζήτησα τὸ λακ̣ώνιον καὶ οὐχ εὗρον ἀλλὰ ἀτταλιανὸν σαπρόν , where both λακ̣ώνιον and ἀτταλιανόν are to be understood as articles of dress. In their note on P Ryl II. 220 .74 , an official list of names belonging to ii/A.D., the editors state that the note ζη (τητέον ) δίπ (λωμα ) is found frequently in the margin of similar fragments, and that in one case οὐχ εὑρέθ (η ) . . . occurs. With Mat_7:7 cf. especially the new Logion P Oxy IV. 654 .6 μὴ παυ̣σάσθω ὁ ζη [τῶν . . . . . . . . ἕως ἂν ] εὕρῃ : see also Epict. i. 28. 19 ζήτει καὶ εὑρήσεις . Other examples of this common verb are P Oxy I. 34 iii. 13 (A.D. 127) τοὺ [ς ] διὰ ἀπειθίαν κ [αὶ ] ὡς (or κ [ακ ]ῶς , see s.v. κακῶς ) ἀφορμὴν ζητοῦντας (cf. Luk_11:54 D) ἁμαρτημάτω [ν ] τειμωρήσομαι , and ib. II. 237 vi. 41 (A.D. 186) ἐ [ζ ]ήτησεν ἀκρειβ [ῶ ]ς [τὸ πρ ]ᾶγμα ἐκ τῶν βιβλιοφ [υ ]λάκ [ω ]ν , made a searching inquiry into the matter on the evidence of the keepers of the archives. A similar judicial reference is found in P Oxy IV. 726 .16 (A.D. 135) περὶ τῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ζητηθησομέ [ν ]ων ἐπί τε τοῦ κρατίστου ἡγεμ [ό ]νος , in the inquiry to be held against him before his highness the praefect (Edd.), and Theb Ostr 134 .4 (i/ii A.D.) οὐδὲν γὰρ ζητεῖται πρὸς αὐτόν , for there is no question against him (Ed.). In Kaibel 215 .3 (i/A.D.) ἤλυθες εἰς Ἀίδην ζητούμενος οἶς ἀπέλειπες , the verb is=ποθέω (see Herwerden Lex. s.v. ). MGr ζητῶ , request, ask.

ζητέω "to seek, seek for", Il. , Aesch. , etc.; μὴ ζητῶν without "seeking", Xen. ; τὸ ζητούμενον ἁλωτόν "what is sought for" may be found, Soph. "to enquire for", Xen. : "to ask about" a thing, id=Xen. "to search after, search out", Soph. , Thuc. "to search or inquire into, investigate", Plat. , etc.; ζ. τὰ θεῖα Xen. , etc. "to require, demand", παρὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ λόγον ζητοῦντες Dem. "to seek after, desire", ἀμήχανα Eur. c. inf. "to seek to" do, Hdt. , Aesch. , etc. "to have to seek, feel the want of", Lat. desidero, Hdt.

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)