Quick Definition
σπουδή, ῆς, ἡ n.f. haste, diligence
Strong's Definition
from 4692; "speed", i.e. (by implication) despatch, eagerness, earnestness
KJV Usage: business, (earnest) care(-fulness), diligence, forwardness, haste
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ῆς | σπεύδω
68.79 · Aspect · Rapidity, Suddenness
to hasten to, to hurry to, to do quickly to do something hurriedly, with the implication of associated energy
68.63 · Aspect · Do Intensely or Extensively
to work hard, to do one’s best, to endeavor to do something with intense effort and motivation
25.74 · Attitudes and Emotions · Be Eager, Be Earnest, In a Devoted Manner
to be eager, eagerness, devotion to be eager to do something, with the implication of readiness to expend energy and effort
ROM 12:11 · 2CO 7:11 · 2CO 7:12 · 2CO 8:7 · 2CO 8:8 · 2CO 8:16 · HEB 6:11
68.64 · Aspect · Do Intensely or Extensively
Collocation: σπουδὴν πᾶσαν παρεισφέρω
to do one’s best, to make every effort to, to try as hard as possible (an idiom, literally: to bring every effort to) to do one’s very best in attempting to do something In some languages it may be almost impossible to speak of ‘adding goodness to faith’ (2PE 1:5). However, an appropriate equivalent of this expression may be ‘do your best to be good as well as to believe.’
1 The meanings in this series (68.79) may very well be classified under Domain 67 Time, implying either that the period of time before beginning the event is a brief one or that the event itself takes place in a brief period of time. There is, however, a factor of energy involved in these terms, and therefore it seems legitimate to consider this additional factor as justifying the classification of these meanings as aspectual.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σπουδή, -ῆς, 7), (σπεύδω, [q. v-]), fr. Hom. down; 1. haste: μετὰ σπουδῆς, with haste, Mk. νἱ. 25; Lk. 1. 39, (Sap. xix. 2; Joseph. antt. 7, 9,7; Hdian. 3, 4,1; 6, 4,3). 2. earnestness, diligence: univ. earnestness in accomplish ing, promoting, or striving after anything, Ro. xii. 11; 2 Co. vii. 11, 12; viii. 7sq.; ἐν σπουδῇ, with diligence, Ro. xii. 8; σπουδὴν ἐνδείκνυσθαι, Heb. vi. 11; πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιεῖσθαι (see ποιέω, 1. 3 p. 525
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σπουδή spoudē 12x
haste; μετὰ σπουδῆς, with haste, hastily, quickly, Mk. 6:25; Lk. 1:39; earnestness, earnest application, diligence, enthusiasm, Rom. 12:8, 11; 2 Cor. 7:11, 12; 8:16; 8:7f.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σπουδή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< σπεύδω), [in LXX chiefly for בּהל, its parts and derivatives ;]
haste, speed: μετὰ σ. (Wi 19:2), Mk 6:25, Lk 1:39.
zeal, diligence, earnestness: Ro 12:11, II Co 7:11, 12 8:7, 8; ἐν σ., Ro 12:8 (v. M, Pr, 104); seq. ὑπέρ, II Co 8:16; σπουδὴν ἐνδείκνυσθαι, He 6:11; σ. παρεισφέρειν, II Pe 1:5; πᾶσαν σ. ποιεῖσθαι, Ju 3 (v. MM, xxiii; M, Pr., 214; Deiss., BS, 361, 364).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σπουδή. (1) With σπουδή = “‘haste,”’ ‘“‘speed,’’ as in Mk 6585, Lk 139, cf. P Ryl II. 231!% (A.D. 40) κατὰ σπουδὴν δέ σοι ἔγραψα, P Tebt 11. 3158 (ii/a.p.) μετὰ σ]π[ο]υδῆς γράφω ὅπως [μὴ pep]tpvys, “1 am writing in haste that you may not be over-anxious’”” and P Oxy I. 635 (ii/iii A.D.) (amended Archiv i. p. 128) προνόησον σὺν πάσῃ σπουδῇ ἐνβαλέσθαι αὐτοῦ τὸν γόμον, ‘‘ please to see that his freight is embarked with all despatch ”’ (Edd.). (2) The word passes readily into the meaning “‘zeal,”’ “‘earnestness,’’ as in 2 Cor 711,12, cf. P Par 6315! (B.c. 164) (=P Petr III. p. 28) πεῖραν λαμβάνειν τῶν ἐξακολουθούντων ἐπιτίμων τοῖς παρακούουσί τινος τῶν μετὰ σπουδῆς [ἐ]νθυμουμένων, ““ἴο experience the penalties which are inflicted on those who wilfully misinterpret any of the regulations which have been carefully conceived’ (Mahaffy), 76.145 τὴν πᾶσαν προσενεγκάμενοι σπουδὴν κ[αὶ] προθυμίαν, ‘ making use of the greatest zeal and forethought,’’ P Tebt I. 3319 (B.C. 112) (= Selections, p. 31) Thy πᾶσαν προσενέγκαι σπουδήϊν, “display the utmost zeal,’’ in preparations for a Roman visitor, BGU IV. 12097 (B.C. 23) οὐδὲν σπουδῆς οὐδὲ κακοπαθίας παρέλιπον. (3) The further meaning ‘‘good-will’’ may be illustrated by P Tebt II. 3149 (ii/a.pD.) τῆς δὲ τῶν φίλων σπουδῆς τυχόντος ἐπετύχαμεν, “by means of the good offices of our friends we attained it ’’ (Edd.), P Oxy VI. 963 (ii/iii A.D.) χάριν δέ σοι οἶδα, μῆτερ, ἐπὶ τῇ σπουδῇ τοῦ καθεδραρίου, a woman thanking her mother for sending a stool, and 26. VII. 106838 (iii/A.D.) παρακαλῶ οὖν, κύριέ pov, imapte(= αι) αὐτοῖς καὶ Ta τῆς σῆς σπουδῆς, ‘so I urge you, my lord, to supply them with the marks of your good will”’ (Ed.). (4) The way for the religious connotation of the word, as in 2 Cor 87, cf. Rom 12%, Heb 611, may be said to be prepared by such passages from the inscrr. as Magn 5351
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
σπουδή (spoudē) — diligence. σπουδή, ἡ, (σπεύδω) haste, speed, σπουδὴν ἔχειν make haste, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ἔσται τῆς ὁδοῦ haste on the journey, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χωρίον.., οἷ σπουδὴν ἔχω whither I am hastening, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σπουδῇ in haste, see infr. IV; σὺν σπουδῇ ταχύς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σὺν πάσῃ σ. with all dispatch, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; διὰ σπουδῆς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετὰ σ. [NT+5th c.BC+]
II. zeal, pains, trouble, effort, ἄτερ σπουδῆς [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σῆς ὑπὸ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; frequently in dative σπουδῇ, zealously, see below[Refs]; σὺν πολλῇ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ μεγάλης σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετὰ πολλῆς σ. [Refs]; σπουδὴν ποιεῖσθαι exert oneself, take pains, be eager, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ποιεῖσθαι περί τινος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; περί τινα[Refs 2nd c.AD+] make much ado about.. , [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σπουδαὶ λόγων κατατεινομένων zeal for the conflicting arguments, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ἔχειν, with infinitive, to be eager, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; with accusative et infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ σ. τῆς ἀπίξιος my zeal in coming, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅπλων σπουδῇ with great attention to the arms, [Refs 5th c.BC+] eagerness for.. , [Refs]; zealous exertions, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. b in a religious sense, zeal, πρὸς τὴν θεάν [NT+2nd c.BC+]; ἐνδείκνυσθαι σ. [NT]
II.2. esteem, regard for a person, διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; good will, good offices, σ. ὑπέρ τινος [NT+2nd c.AD+]; support in political life, [Refs 1st c.AD+]: plural, party feelings or attachments, rivalries, σ. ἰσχυραὶ φίλων περί τινος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σπουδαὶ ἐρώτων erotic enthusiasms, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. disputation, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
III. earnestness, σ. ἔχειν, ποιεῖσθαι,= σπουδάζειν, [NT+5th c.BC+] in earnest, seriously, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μετὰ σπουδῆς, opposed to ἐν παιδιαῖς, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μετά τε παιδιᾶς καὶ μετὰ σ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III.2. object of attention, serious engagement or pursuit, σπουδὴν ἐπ᾽ ἄλλην Ἡρακλῆς ὁρμώμενος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. σπουδῇ as adverb, in haste, hastily, προερέσσαμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Doric dialect, σπουδᾷ ἐξελθοῦσα [Refs 4th c.BC+]; frequently in Attic dialect, σ. πάνυ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV.2. with great exertion and difficulty, and so, hardly, scarcely, σπουδῇ ἕζετο λαός [Refs 8th c.BC+]
IV.3. earnestly, seriously, urgently, τί με καλεῖς σπουδ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάνυ σ. attentively, [Refs]; πολλῇ σ. very busily, [Refs 5th c.BC+]