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The Blue Letter Bible

Lexicon :: Strong's G2212 - zēteō

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ζητέω
Transliteration
zēteō (Key)
Pronunciation
dzay-teh'-o
Listen
Part of Speech
verb
Root Word (Etymology)
Of uncertain affinity
mGNT
117x in 32 unique form(s) TR
119x in 35 unique form(s) LXX
244x in 48 unique form(s)
Dictionary Aids

Vine's Expository Dictionary: View Entry

TDNT Reference: 2:892,300

Strong’s Definitions

ζητέω zētéō, dzay-teh'-o; of uncertain affinity; to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life):—be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (X will) seek (after, for, means). Compare G4441.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 119x

The KJV translates Strong's G2212 in the following manner: seek (100x), seek for (5x), go about (4x), desire (3x), miscellaneous (7x).

KJV Translation Count — Total: 119x
The KJV translates Strong's G2212 in the following manner: seek (100x), seek for (5x), go about (4x), desire (3x), miscellaneous (7x).

  1. to seek in order to find

    1. to seek a thing

    2. to seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into

    3. to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after

  2. to seek i.e. require, demand

    1. to crave, demand something from someone

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)
ζητέω zētéō, dzay-teh'-o; of uncertain affinity; to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life):—be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (X will) seek (after, for, means). Compare G4441.
STRONGS G2212:
ζητέω, ζητῶ; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζήτει, plural ἐζήτουν; future ζητήσω; 1 aorist ἐζήτησα; passive, present ζητοῦμαι; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζητεῖτο (Hebrews 8:7); 1 future ζητηθήσομαι (Luke 12:48); (from Homer on); the Sept. for דָּרַשׁ, and much more often for בִּקֵשׁ; to seek, i. e.
1. to seek in order to find;
a. universally and absolutely: Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9f (see εὑρίσκω, 1 a); τινα, Mark 1:37; Luke 2:48 (Luke 2:45 R L marginal reading), (Luke 4:42 Rec.); John 6:24; John 18:4, 7; Acts 10:19, and often; followed by ἐν with the dative of place, Acts 9:11; with the accusative of the thing (μαργαρίτας), of buyers, Matthew 13:45; something lost, Matthew 18:12; Luke 19:10; τί ἐν τίνι, as fruit on a tree, Luke 13:6f; ἀνάπαυσιν, a place of rest, Matthew 12:43; Luke 11:24; after the Hebrew (פּ אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בִּקֵּשׁ... (cf. Winer's Grammar, 33 (32); 18)) ψυχήν τίνος, to seek, plot against, the life of one, Matthew 2:20; Romans 11:3, (Exodus 4:19, etc.); universally, τί ζητεῖς; what dost thou seek? what dost thou wish? John 1:38 (39); (John 4:27).
b. to seek (i. e. in order to find out) by thinking, meditating, reasoning; to inquire into: περί τίνος ζητεῖτε μετ' ἀλλήλων; John 16:19; followed by indirect discourse, πῶς, τί, τινα: Mark 11:18; Mark 14:1, 11; Luke 12:29; Luke 22:2; 1 Peter 5:8; τόν Θεόν, to follow up the traces of divine majesty and power, Acts 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, Matthew 26:16; Luke 22:6; ψευδομαρτυρίαν, Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:55; τόν θάνατον, an opportunity to die, Revelation 9:6; λύσιν, 1 Corinthians 7:27; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31; τά ἄνω, Colossians 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1 Peter 3:11; ἀφθαρσίαν etc. Romans 2:7; δόξαν ἐκ τίνος, 1 Thessalonians 2:6; τήν δόξαν τήν παρά τίνος, John 5:44; τά τίνος, the property of one, 2 Corinthians 12:14; τήν δόξαν Θεοῦ, to seek to promote the glory of God, John 7:18; John 8:50; τό θέλημα τίνος, to attempt to establish, John 5:30; τό σύμφορον τίνος, to seek to further the profit or advantage of one, 1 Corinthians 10:33, equivalent to ζητεῖν τά τίνος, 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:21; ὑμᾶς, to seek to win your souls, 2 Corinthians 12:14; τόν Θεόν, to seek the favor of God (see ἐκζητέω, a.), Romans 10:20; (Romans 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: Matthew 12:46 (Matthew 12:47 (WH in marginal reading only)); Matthew 21:46; Mark 4:19 (L Tr marginal reading); Mark 12:12; Luke 5:18; Luke 6:19; Luke 9:9; John 5:18; John 7:4 (Buttmann, § 142, 4); John 5:19; Acts 13:8; Acts 16:10; Romans 10:3; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 2:17; followed by ἵνα (Buttmann, 237 (205)), 1 Corinthians 14:12.
2. to seek i. e. require, demand: (σημεῖον, Mark 8:12 L T Tr WH; Luke 11:29 T Tr WH); σοφίαν, 1 Corinthians 1:22; δοκιμήν, 2 Corinthians 13:3; τί παρά τίνος, to crave, demand something from someone, Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Luke 12:48; ἐν τίνι, the dative of person, to seek in one, i. e. to require of him, followed by ἵνα, 1 Corinthians 4:2. (Compare: ἀναζητέω, ἐκζητέω, ἐπιζητέω, συζητέω.)
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's

Exodus
4:19
Matthew
2:20; 6:33; 7:7; 12:43; 12:46; 12:47; 13:45; 18:12; 21:46; 26:16; 26:59
Mark
1:37; 4:19; 8:11; 8:12; 11:18; 12:12; 14:1; 14:11; 14:55
Luke
2:45; 2:48; 4:42; 5:18; 6:19; 9:9; 11:9; 11:16; 11:24; 11:29; 12:29; 12:31; 12:48; 12:48; 13:6; 19:10; 22:2; 22:6
John
1:38; 4:27; 5:18; 5:19; 5:30; 5:44; 6:24; 7:4; 7:18; 8:50; 16:19; 18:4; 18:7
Acts
9:11; 10:19; 13:8; 16:10; 17:27
Romans
2:7; 3:11; 10:3; 10:20; 11:3
1 Corinthians
1:22; 4:2; 7:27; 10:24; 10:33; 13:5; 14:12
2 Corinthians
12:14; 12:14; 13:3
Galatians
1:10; 2:17
Philippians
2:21
Colossians
3:1
1 Thessalonians
2:6
Hebrews
8:7
1 Peter
3:11; 5:8
Revelation
9:6

Word / Phrase / Strong's Search

Strong's Number G2212 matches the Greek ζητέω (zēteō),
which occurs 244 times in 228 verses in the LXX Greek.

Page 1 / 5 (Gen 19:11–2Sa 17:3)

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 19:11

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 19:11 - And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 37:15

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 37:15 - And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 37:16

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 37:16 - “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 43:9

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 43:9 - I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

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Unchecked Copy Box Gen 43:30

Unchecked Copy BoxGen 43:30 - Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 2:15

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 2:15 - When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 4:19

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 4:19 - And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 4:24

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 4:24 - At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 10:11

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 10:11 - No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

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Unchecked Copy Box Exo 33:7

Unchecked Copy BoxExo 33:7 - Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.

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Unchecked Copy Box Lev 10:16

Unchecked Copy BoxLev 10:16 - Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned up! And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, saying,

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Unchecked Copy Box Num 16:10

Unchecked Copy BoxNum 16:10 - and that he has brought you near him, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?

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Unchecked Copy Box Num 35:23

Unchecked Copy BoxNum 35:23 - or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm,

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Unchecked Copy Box Deu 4:29

Unchecked Copy BoxDeu 4:29 - But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

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Unchecked Copy Box Deu 13:10

Unchecked Copy BoxDeu 13:10 - You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

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Unchecked Copy Box Deu 22:2

Unchecked Copy BoxDeu 22:2 - And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him.

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Unchecked Copy Box Jdg 4:22

Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 4:22 - And behold, as Barak was pursuing Sisera, Jael went out to meet him and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent, and there lay Sisera dead, with the tent peg in his temple.

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Unchecked Copy Box Jdg 18:1

Unchecked Copy BoxJdg 18:1 - In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them.

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Unchecked Copy Box Rth 3:1

Unchecked Copy BoxRth 3:1 - Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 9:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 9:3 - Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 10:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 10:2 - When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 10:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 10:14 - Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 10:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 10:21 - He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;[fn] and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 13:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 13:14 - But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince[fn] over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 14:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 14:4 - Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 16:16

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 16:16 - Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 19:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 19:2 - And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 19:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 19:10 - And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 22:23

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 22:23 - Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:10 - Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:14 - And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:15 - David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:25

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:25 - And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:2 - Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 24:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 24:9 - And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 25:26

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 25:26 - Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 25:29

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 25:29 - If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 26:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 26:2 - So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 26:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 26:20 - Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 27:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 27:1 - Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 27:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 27:4 - And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:7 - Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:17 - And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 4:8

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 4:8 - and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 5:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 5:17 - When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 11:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 11:3 - And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 12:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 12:16 - David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 14:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 14:16 - For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 16:11

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 16:11 - And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 17:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 17:3 - and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man,[fn] and all the people will be at peace.”

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