ζητέω

ζητῶ; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζήτει, plural ἐζήτουν; future ζητήσω; 1 aorist ἐζήτησα; passive, present ζητοῦμαι; imperfect 3 person singular ἐζητεῖτο (Heb 8:7); 1 future ζητηθήσομαι (Lk 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: Mt 7:7; Lk 11:9f (see εὑρίσκω, 1 a); τινα, Mk 1:37; Lk 2:48 (Lk 2:45 R L marginal reading), (Lk 4:42 Rec.); Jn 6:24; Jn 18:4, Jn 18:7; 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, Mt 13:45; something lost, Mt 18:12; Lk 19:10; τί ἐν τίνι, as fruit on a tree, Lk 13:6f; ἀνάπαυσιν, a place of rest, Mt 12:43; Lk 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, Mt 2:20; Rom 11:3, (Ex 4:19, etc.); universally, τί ζητεῖς; what dost thou seek? what dost thou wish? Jn 1:38 (39); (Jn 4:27).
b. to seek (i. e. in order to find out) by thinking, meditating, reasoning; to inquire into: περί τίνος ζητεῖτε μετ' ἀλλήλων; Jn 16:19; followed by indirect discourse, πῶς, τί, τινα: Mk 11:18; Mk 14:1, Mk 14:11; Lk 12:29; Lk 22:2; 1 Pet 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, Mt 26:16; Lk 22:6; ψευδομαρτυρίαν, Mt 26:59; Mk 14:55; τόν θάνατον, an opportunity to die, Rev 9:6; λύσιν, 1 Cor 7:27; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Mt 6:33; Lk 12:31; τά ἄνω, Col 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1 Pet 3:11; ἀφθαρσίαν etc. Rom 2:7; δόξαν ἐκ τίνος, 1 Thess 2:6; τήν δόξαν τήν παρά τίνος, Jn 5:44; τά τίνος, the property of one, 2 Cor 12:14; τήν δόξαν Θεοῦ, to seek to promote the glory of God, Jn 7:18; Jn 8:50; τό θέλημα τίνος, to attempt to establish, Jn 5:30; τό σύμφορον τίνος, to seek to further the profit or advantage of one, 1 Cor 10:33, equivalent to ζητεῖν τά τίνος, 1 Cor 10:24; 1 Cor 13:5; Phm 2:21; ὑμᾶς, to seek to win your souls, 2 Cor 12:14; τόν Θεόν, to seek the favor of God (see ἐκζητέω, a.), Rom 10:20; (Rom 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: Mt 12:46 ( (WH in marginal reading only)); ; Mk 4:19 (L Tr marginal reading); Mk 12:12; Lk 5:18; Lk 6:19; Lk 9:9; Jn 5:18; Jn 7:4 (Buttmann, § 142, 4); Jn 5:19; Acts 13:8; Acts 16:10; Rom 10:3; Gal 1:10; Gal 2:17; followed by ἵνα (Buttmann, 237 (205)), 1 Cor 14:12.
2. to seek i. e. require, demand: (σημεῖον, Mk 8:12 L T Tr WH; Lk 11:29 T Tr WH); σοφίαν, 1 Cor 1:22; δοκιμήν, 2 Cor 13:3; τί παρά τίνος, to crave, demand something from someone, Mk 8:11; Lk 11:16; Lk 12:48; ἐν τίνι, the dative of person, to seek in one, i. e. to require of him, followed by ἵνα, 1 Cor 4:2. (Compare: ἀναζητέω, ἐκζητέω, ἐπιζητέω, συζητέω.)