Keraia
Lexicon

ζητέω

zēteōto seekHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentVerb117 occurrences16 books114 verses

Definition

ζητέω, -ῶ,

[in LXX chiefly for בּקשׁ pi., also for דּרשׁ, etc. ;]

1. to seek, seek for: Matthew 7:7, 8 Luke 11:9, 10; with accusative of person(s), Mark 1:37, Luke 2:48, John 6:24, al.; id. before ἐν, Acts 9:11; with accusative of thing(s), Matthew 13:45, Luke 19:10; before ἐν, Luke 13:6, 7; ψυχήν, of plotting against one's life ( Exodus 4:19, al.), Matthew 2:20, Romans 11:3" (LXX) . Metaphorical, to seek by thinking, search after, inquire into: Mark 11:18, Luke 12:28, John 16:19; τ. θεόν, Acts 17:27.

2. to seek or strive after, desire: Matthew 12:46, Mark 12:12, Luke 9:9, John 5:18, Romans 10:3, al.; τ. θάνατον, Revelation 9:6; τ. βασιλείαν τ. θεοῦ, Matthew 6:33 (Dalman, Words, 121f.); τὰ ἄνω, Colossians 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1 Peter 3:11 (LXX).

3. to require, demand: with accusative of thing(s), Mark 8:12, Luke 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 13:3; before παρά, Mark 8:11, al.; ἵνα, 1 Corinthians 4:2 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐκ-, ἐπι-, συν-ζητέω).

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as ζητέω:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

117 total
  1. John 4:23ζητεῖ · is seeking
    But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.
  2. John 4:27ζητεῖς · do You want [from her]
    Just then His disciples returned and were surprised that He was speaking with a woman. But no one asked Him, “What do You want from her?” or “Why are You talking with her?”
  3. John 5:18ἐζήτουν · tried
    Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
  4. John 5:30ζητῶ · I do not seek
    I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
  5. John 5:44ζητεῖτε · do not seek
    How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
  6. John 6:24ζητοῦντες · to look for
    So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.
  7. John 6:26ζητεῖτέ · [that] you are looking for
    Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
  8. John 7:1ἐζήτουν · were trying
    After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jews there were trying to kill Him.
  9. John 7:4ζητεῖ · wants
    For no one who wants to be known publicly acts in secret. Since You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.”
  10. John 7:11ἐζήτουν · were looking for
    So the Jews were looking for Him at the feast and asking, “Where is He?”
  11. John 7:18ζητεῖ · seeks; ζητῶν · seeks
    He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood.
  12. John 7:19ζητεῖτε · are you trying
    Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
  13. John 7:20ζητεῖ · is trying
    “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
  14. John 7:25ζητοῦσιν · they are trying
    Then some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
  15. John 7:30Ἐζήτουν · they tried
    So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
  16. John 7:34ζητήσετέ · You will look for
    You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
  17. John 7:36Ζητήσετέ · You will look for
    What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
  18. John 8:21ζητήσετέ · you will look for
    Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
  19. John 8:37ζητεῖτέ · you are trying
    I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
  20. John 8:40ζητεῖτέ · you are trying
    But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.
  21. John 8:50ζητῶ · seek; ζητῶν · seeks [it]
    I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge.
  22. John 10:39Ἐζήτουν · they tried
    At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
  23. John 11:8ἐζήτουν · tried
    “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
  24. John 11:56ἐζήτουν · They kept looking for
    They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”
  25. John 13:33ζητήσετέ · You will look for
    Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
  26. John 16:19ζητεῖτε · Are you asking
    Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?
  27. John 18:4ζητεῖτε · are you seeking
    Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon Him, stepped forward and asked them, “Whom are you seeking?”
  28. John 18:7ζητεῖτε · are you seeking
    So He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered.
  29. John 18:8ζητεῖτε · you are looking for
    “I told you that I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you are looking for Me, let these men go.”
  30. John 19:12ἐζήτει · tried
    From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
  31. John 20:15ζητεῖς · are you seeking
    “Woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus asked. “Whom are you seeking?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him off, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.”
  32. Acts 9:11ζήτησον · ask for
    “Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
  33. Acts 10:19ζητοῦντές · are looking for
    As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
  34. Acts 10:21ζητεῖτε · you are looking for
    So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
  35. Acts 13:8ζητῶν · [and] tried
    But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
  36. Acts 13:11ἐζήτει · seeking
    Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
  37. Acts 16:10ἐζητήσαμεν · we got ready
    As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
  38. Acts 17:5ἐζήτουν · in search of
    The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.
  39. Acts 17:27ζητεῖν · [ God intended that ] they would seek
    God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
  40. Acts 21:31Ζητούντων · they were trying
    While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.
  41. Acts 27:30ζητούντων · attempted
    Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.
  42. Romans 2:7ζητοῦσιν · seek
    To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.
  43. Romans 10:3ζητοῦντες · sought
    Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
  44. Romans 10:20ζητοῦσιν · did not seek
    And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”
  45. Romans 11:3ζητοῦσιν · they are seeking
    “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?
  46. 1 Corinthians 1:22ζητοῦσιν · search for
    Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,
  47. 1 Corinthians 4:2ζητεῖται · it is required
    Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
  48. 1 Corinthians 7:27ζήτει · seek
    Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you free of commitment? Do not look for a wife.