Bible Lexicons

ἐπι -ζητέω , -ῶ ,

[in LXX chiefly for H1875, 2 Kings 8:8, Isaiah 62:12, al.; also for H1245, 1 Kings 20:1, Ecclesiastes 7:28), Hosea 3:5; H6485, 2 Kings 3:8;]

"directive" of ζητέω (MM, Exp., xiv),

to inquire for, seek after, wish for: c. acc rei, Matthew 6:32; Matthew 12:39; Matthew 16:4, Luke 12:30, Acts 19:39, Romans 11:7, Philippians 4:17, Hebrews 11:14; Hebrews 13:14; c. acc pers., Luke 4:42, Acts 12:19; c. inf., Acts 13:7.†

A few exx. may be quoted to illustrate the varying shades of meaning of this verb in the NT. Thus for the sense ";seek for,"; as in Luke 4:42, cf. P Hamb I. 27.4 (B.C. 250) τῆι δὲ ἐφαύριον αὐτὸν ἐπεζήτουν καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισ [κον ἐμ Φιλαδε ]λφείαι, and for ";inquire,"; cf. P Fay 39.14 (A.D. 183) ἐπιζητου ̣ͅν ̣τ ̣ί σοι, ";in answer to your inquiry,"; and so P Oxy I. 77.6 (A.D. 223) : the directive rather than the intensive force of the compound is well seen in P Tebt II. 411.7 (ii/A.D.) ὁ γὰρ κράτιστος ἐπιστράτηγος ἱκανῶς σε ἐπεζήτησε, ";has made several inquiries about you."; Similarly for ";desire,"; cf. P Tebt II. 314.6 (ii/A.D.) ἐπιζητοῦντος τοῦ [ἀ ]ρχιερέως τὸν παι ̣ͅδ ̣α ε [ἰ ]δῖν, and for the stronger ";demand,"; P Lille I. 7.6 (iii/B.C.) καὶ ἐπιζητήσαντος αὐτοῦ βυβλάριά τινα, ἃ ἐδεδώκειν ἐν φυ (λακῆι), P Tebt II. 416.20 (iii/A.D.) μηδὲν ἐπιζητείτω, ";let her want for nothing"; (Edd.). The passive appears in P Oxy I. 80.15 (A.D. 238–44) τοὺς ἐπιζητουμένους, of criminals who are ";wanted,"; P Oxy IX. 1194.2 (c. A.D. 265) πρὸς τὰ ἐπιζητηθέντα ὥστε μεταδοθῆναι τὰ λοιπαζόμενα, ";in answer to the requisition for a report of the arrears"; (Ed.), ib. 1196.15 (A.D. 211–12) ἐ ̣μφανὴς ὢν ὁπόταν ἐπιζητηθῶ, ";appearing whenever I may be required"; (Ed.), and in the interesting P Oxy I. 36ii. 8 (ii/iii A.D.) from which we learn that if a tax-gatherer had any suspicion that a merchant had more goods on his ship than he had declared (ἀπεγράψατο) he had the right of requiring the cargo to be unloaded—ἐ ̣[ὰν ] δ ̣ε ̣, τελώνης ἐκφορ [τισ ]φῆναι τὸ πλοῖον ἐπιζητήσῃ, ὁ ἔμπορος ἐκφορτιζέ [τ ]ω.

 

επεζητησεν επεζήτησεν ἐπεζήτησεν επεζητουν ἐπεζήτουν επιζητει επιζητεί ἐπιζητεῖ επιζητείς επίζητεις επιζητειτε επιζητείτε ἐπιζητεῖτε επιζήτησαι επιζητησας επιζητήσας ἐπιζητήσας επιζητήσομεν επιζήτησον επιζητήσωμεν επιζητουμεν επιζητούμεν ἐπιζητοῦμεν επιζητουμένη επιζητούσι επιζητουσιν ἐπιζητοῦσιν επιζητω επιζητώ ἐπιζητῶ epezetesen epezētēsen epezḗtesen epezḗtēsen epezetoun epezētoun epezḗtoun epizetei epizeteî epizētei epizēteî epizeteite epizeteîte epizēteite epizēteîte epizetesas epizetḗsas epizētēsas epizētḗsas epizeto epizetô epizētō epizētō̂ epizetoumen epizetoûmen epizētoumen epizētoûmen epizetousin epizetoûsin epizētousin epizētoûsin