Quick Definition
I ask, inquire
Strong's Definition
to question, i.e. ascertain by inquiry (as a matter of information merely; and thus differing from G2065 (ἐρωτάω), which properly means a request as a favor; and from G154 (αἰτέω), which is strictly a demand for something due; as well as from G2212 (ζητέω), which implies a search for something hidden; and from G1189 (δέομαι), which involves the idea of urgent need); by implication, to learn (by casual intelligence)
Derivation: middle voice prolonged from a primary (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses);
KJV Usage: ask, demand, enquire, understand
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πυνθάνομαι; imperfect ἐπυνθανομην; 2 aorist ἐπυθόμην; (cf. Curtius, § 328); a deponent verb; as in classical Greek from Homer down.
1. to inquire, ask: followed by an indirect question with the indicative Act_10:18; with the optative, Joh_13:24 R G; Luk_15:26; Luk_18:36; Act_21:33; followed by a direct question, Act_4:7; Act_10:29; Act_23:19; παρά τίνος τί (Buttmann, 167 (146)), Joh_4:52; παρά τίνος followed by an indirect question with the indicative Mat_2:4; τί περί τίνος, Act_23:20.
2. to ascertain by inquiry: followed by ὅτι, Act_23:34 (A. V. understood).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πυνθάνομαι pynthanomai 12x
to ask, inquire, Mat_2:4 ; Luk_15:26 ;
to investigate, examine judicially, Act_23:20 ;
to ascertain by inquiry, understand, Act_23:34 ask.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πυνθώ 'ομαι ,
[in LXX for H1875 ;]
1. to inquire: c . acc rei , Joh_4:42 , Act_23:20 ; seq . quζst. indir., Mat_2:4 , Luk_15:25 ; Luk_18:36 , Act_10:18 ; Act_21:33 ; quζst. dir., Act_4:7 ; Act_10:20 ; Act_23:10 ; seq . παρά , c . gen . pers ., Mat_2:4 , Joh_4:52 .
2. to learn by inquiry: seq . ὅτι , Act_23:34 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πυνθάνομαι [page 559]
inquire, is common : P Petr II. 16 .18 (iii/B.C.) πευσόμεσθα ἀκριβέστερον (cf. Act_23:20 ), PSI VI, 614 .16 (iii/B.C.) πυνθάνεται εἴ τι ἥκει γράμμα παρά σου , P Cairo Zen I. 59044 .18 (B.C. 257) νῦν μὲν γὰρ̣ αὐτὸν πυνθανόμεθα ὀλιγωρεῖσθαι , P Eleph 13 .3 (B.C. 223 2) ἐγὼ οὖν ἐπυνθανόμην τοῦ Σανῶτος , εἴ τι βούλοιτο ἐν τοῖς καθ̣̕ ἡ̣μ̣ᾶς τόποις , P Lond 43 .1 (ii/B.C.) (= I. p. 48, Chrest . I. p. 162) πυνθανομένη μανθάνειν σε Αἰγύπτια γράμματα συνεχάρην σοι καὶ ἐμαυτῆι , P Oxy VIII. 1102 .11 ( c . A.D. 146) πυνθανομένου μου οὐδὲν σαφὲς ἐδήλω [σ ]ε̣[ν , ib . VI. 930 .11 (ii/iii A.D.) ἐμέλησε δέ μοι πέμψαι καὶ πυθέσθαι περὶ τῆς ὑγίας σου , and ib . VII. 1063 .6 (ii/iii A.D.) ἐμ [ο ]ῦ σου πυθομένου τί ἔπραξας .
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
πυνθάνομαι "to learn by hearsay or by inquiry", Hdt. : πυνθ. τί τινος "to learn" something "from" a person, Hom. , etc.; τι ἀπό τινος Aesch. ; ἔκ τινος Soph. ; παρά τινος Hdt. c. acc. rei only, "to hear or learn" a thing, Od. , attic c. gen. "to hear of, hear tell of, hear news of", Od. , etc. π. τινά τινος "to inquire about" one person "of or from" another, Ar. ; so, π. περί τινος Hdt. , attic c. part., πυθόμην ὁρμαίνοντα ὁδόν "I heard" that he was starting, Od. ; π. τὸ Πλημμύριον ἑαλωκός "to hear" that Plemmyrium had been taken, Thuc. :—so, οὔπω πυθέσθην Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος "they had" not yet "heard of" his being dead, Il. c. inf. "to hear or learn that", Soph. , etc.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
πυνθώ᾽ομαι
[in LXX for דָּרַשׁ ;]
__1. to inquire: with accusative of thing(s), Jhn.4:42, Act.23:20; before quæst. indir., Mat.2:4, Luk.15:25 18:36, Act.10:18 21:33; quæst. dir., Act.4:7 10:20 23:10; before παρά, with genitive of person(s), Mat.2:4, Jhn.4:52.
__2. to learn by inquiry: before ὅτι, Act.23:34.†
(AS)