δέησις,
-εως,
ἡ, (
δέομαι);
1. need, indigence (Psalm 21:25 (
Ps. 22:25)); Aeschines dial. 2, 39f; [Plato, Eryx. 405 e. bis]; Aristotle, rhet. 2, 7 [ii., p. 1385
a, 27]).
2. a seeking, asking, entreating, entreaty (from Plato down); in the
N. T. requests addressed by men to God (German
Bittgebet,
supplication); universally:
James 5:16;
1 Peter 3:12; as often in the
Sept., joined with
προσευχή (i. e. any pious address to God [see below]):
Acts 1:14 Rec.;
Ephesians 6:18;
Philippians 4:6; plural
2 Timothy 1:3; joined with
προσευχαί,
1 Timothy 5:5; with
νηστεῖαι,
Luke 2:37;
ποιεῖσθαι δέησιν,
Philippians 1:4;
π.
δεήσεις,
Luke 5:33;
1 Timothy 2:1. contextually, of prayers imploring God's aid in some particular matter:
Luke 1:13;
Philippians 1:19; plural
Hebrews 5:7; supplication for others: [
2 Corinthians 1:11];
περί τινος,
Ephesians 6:18;
ὑπέρ τινος,
2 Corinthians 9:14;
Philippians 1:4; with the addition
πρὸς τὸν θεόν,
Romans 10:1.
[Synonyms:
δέησις,
προσευχή,
ἔντευξις:
πρ., as Professor Grimm remarks, is unrestricted as respects its contents, while
δ. is petitionary; moreover
πρ. is a word of sacred character, being limited to prayer to God, whereas
δ. may also be used of a request addressed to man. In Byzantine Greek it is used of a written supplication (like our
petition); cf.
Sophocles Lexicon under the word. See more at length Trench § 51; also Bp. Lightfoot on
Philippians 4:6; Ellicott on
Ephesians 6:18; cf. Schmidt chapter 7. In
1 Timothy 2:1 to these two words is added
ἔντευξις, which expresses confiding access to God; thus, in combination,
δέησις gives prominence to the expression of personal need,
προσευχή to the element of devotion,
ἔντευξις to that of child-like confidence, by representing prayer as the heart's converse with God. See Huther's extended note at the passage; Ellicott at the passage; Trench as above.]
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's