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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
243x 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 34 times in 32 verses in 'Jhn' in the MGNT Greek.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 1:38

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 1:38 - Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 4:23

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 4:23 - But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 4:27

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 4:27 - Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:18

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:18 - So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:30

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:30 - I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:44

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 5:44 - No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 6:24

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 6:24 - So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 6:26

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 6:26 - Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:1

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:1 - After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:4

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:4 - You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:11

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:11 - The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:18

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:18 - Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:19

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:19 - Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:20

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:20 - The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:25

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:25 - Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:30

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:30 - Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time[fn] had not yet come.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:34

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:34 - You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:36

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 7:36 - What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:21

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:21 - Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:37

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:37 - Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:40

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:40 - Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:50

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 8:50 - And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 10:39

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 10:39 - Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 11:8

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 11:8 - But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people[fn] in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 11:56

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 11:56 - They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 13:33

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 13:33 - Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 16:19

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 16:19 - Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:4

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:4 - Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:7

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:7 - Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:8

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 18:8 - “I told you that I AM he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 19:12

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 19:12 - Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’[fn] Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

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Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 20:15

Unchecked Copy BoxJhn 20:15 - “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
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