בָּקַשׁ
bâqash · H1245 · Hebrew · 225 occurrences
Meanings
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to search, to seek, to look for
Action by which deities, humans, or animals make an intensive effort to locate (other) humans, animals, objects, or activities, which often requires them to move from one location to another
ExamplesGenesis 37:15 A man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
Genesis 37:16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers; please tell me where they are pasturing the flock.”
Exodus 4:19 Now 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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Literally: to seek (someone's) face; hence: action by which humans make an intensive effort to be in the presence of another human or deity (to seek (someone's) presence)
Examples2 Samuel 21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
1 Kings 10:24 And all the earth was seeking the attention of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
2 Chronicles 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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to inquire, to request, to plead
Action by which humans request information or a favor from someone in authority, or from a deity or other spiritual being, either directly or through the intermediary of a priest or prophet
ExamplesExodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance 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.
Leviticus 19:31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.
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Action where humans make an intensive effort to associate with a deity, to serve and worship him, and to get answers to questions (to seek (God))
ExamplesDeuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
1 Chronicles 16:10 Boast in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be joyful.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.
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Literallly: to seek from (someone else's) hand; hence: causative action by which humans or deities lay the responsiblity for something that happened on someone else and require compensation or punishment (to hold responsible, to call to account, to seek an occasion against (someone else))
ExamplesGenesis 31:39 “I did not even bring to you that which was torn by wild animals; I took the loss myself. You demanded it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
Genesis 43:9 “I myself will take responsibility for him! You may demand him back from me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you, then you can let me take the blame forever.
Joshua 22:23 “If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the LORD Himself demand it.
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Causative action by which animals, humans, or deities do whatever is necessary to perform a particular event (to try, to seek (to do something))
ExamplesGenesis 43:30 Joseph then hurried out, for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he looked for a place to weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there.
Exodus 2:15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
Exodus 4:24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the LORD met Moses, and sought to put him to death.
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to investigate
Action by which humans make an intensive effort to obtain in-depth information about a certain object or event
ExamplesJudges 6:29 So they said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.”
Esther 2:23 Then when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a wooden gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.
Job 10:6 That You should search for my guilt And carefully seek my sin?
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to seek
State in which humans experience the desire to attain a certain status or condition and do what is needed to make this a reality
ExamplesExodus 10:11 “Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the LORD, since that is what you desire.” So they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Ruth 3:1 Then her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may go well for you?
1 Samuel 25:26 “Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, may your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal.
How it’s used In 12 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
198 occurrences in 48 groups
- Not stated (infinitive) 32
- Not stated: they 31
- Not stated: I 21
- Not stated: you (more than one) 16
- Not stated (participle) 15
- Not stated: he, she or it 12
- Other words · 36 groups that occur once or twice (39) 39
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
149 occurrences in 65 groups
- נֶפֶשׁsoul, life 19
- וֹhim 12
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 11
- פָּנִיםface, presence, before 10
- דָּוִדDavid 6
- דָּםblood 4
- Other words · 53 groups that occur once or twice (68) 68
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
83 occurrences in 72 groups
- מִןfrom+ יָדhand, power 8
- לto/for+ מוּתto die 4
- מִןfrom+ הֶםthem 3
- לto/for+ ךְyou 3
- לto/for+ וֹhim 3
- Other words · 67 groups that occur once or twice (76) 76
With adverbsAdverbs
17 occurrences in 4 groups
- לֹאnot 10
- עוֹדstill, again, yet 3
- אַלnot, do not 2
- תָּמִידalways 2
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
26 occurrences in 8 groups
- נֶפֶשׁsoul, life 12
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 4
- רַעevil, bad 3
- ךָּyou 3
- מָוֶתdeath 1
- פָּנִיםface, presence, before 1
Named alongside itApposition
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- דָּרַשׁto seek, to inquire 1
- אִישׁman, person, each 1
- נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּרNebuchadnezzar 1
- רָדַףto pursue, to chase 1
What it doesIt is the subject
15 occurrences in 13 groups
- חָפֵרto paw 3
- Other words · 12 groups that occur once or twice (16) 16
What is done to itIt is the object
6 occurrences in 5 groups
- רָאָהto see 2
- הָיָהto be, to become 1
- מָצָאto find 1
- אָמַרto say 1
- שָׁמַעto hear, to listen, to obey 1
What it is said to bePredicate
3 occurrences in 3 groups
- יֵשׁthere is, there are 1
- אַיִןthere is no, not 1
- רַבmany, great 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- יָדhand, power 1
- עֵתtime, moment, period 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
26 occurrences in 3 groups
- לto/for 25
- בin/on/with 2
- עַלon, upon, over, against 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
10 occurrences in 3 groups
- יָדhand, power 7
- לֵבheart, mind 2
- פָּנִיםface, presence, before 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 7 words
- חָפַשׂ châphas · H2664 · to search, to examine, to look for
- Both lexemes genuinely overlap in the senses of seeking or searching. The target means 'to seek,' and חפשׂ means 'to search' — closely overlapping near-synonyms in the field of searching or seeking something out.
- תּוּר tûwr · H8446 · to spy out, to cause to spy out
- Both words denote searching or seeking activities, overlapping in "seek" and "search out."
- שָׁאַף shâʼaph · H7602 · to gasp, to pant, to sniff the air
- Both words are distinct verbs of desire: בָּקַשׁ (bâqash, H1245) is a broad "seek, request, desire" verb, while שָׁאַף (shâʼaph, H7602) conveys intense, visceral desire ("pant, snuff up, desire earnestly"); שָׁאַף (shâʼaph, H7602) is rarer and more intense.
- אָוָה ʼâvâh · H183 · to crave, to desire, to long for
- Both lexemes genuinely denote desiring or wishing as part of their semantic range, and could plausibly function as near-synonyms in contexts of wanting or seeking something.
- חָפַר châphar · H2658 · to paw, to dig
- Both lexemes share "Search" and "Wish" domains; בָּקַשׁ (bâqash, H1245) is a high-frequency general term for "seek, request, desire," while חָפַר (châphar, H2658) is a low-frequency term whose primary concrete sense is "dig" but extends metaphorically to "search out, seek." The semantic overlap is real but secondary for חָפַר (châphar, H2658) (whose primary sense is physical digging). Though the former's concrete-to-metaphorical range makes this a narrower, secondary convergence rather than a strong primary synonymy.
- שָׁחַר shâchar · H7836 · to turn black, to search, to look for
- בָּקַשׁ (bâqash, H1245) is the general term for seeking or searching (225×); שָׁחַר (shâchar, H7836) emphasizes early, diligent, or earnest seeking, often at dawn (13×).
- דָּרַשׁ dârash · H1875 · to look for, to inquire
- Both denote seeking or inquiring; דָּרַשׁ often emphasizes diligent searching or formal inquiry (including legal/cultic contexts), while בָּקַשׁ can include petition or desire alongside seeking.
In the other Testament 3 words
- ζητέω zētéō · G2212 · to try to learn where something is, to look for, to try to find
- Greek ζητέω (zētéō, G2212) is the standard LXX rendering of Hebrew בָּקַשׁ (bâqash, H1245), both denoting 'to seek' across literal search, inquiry, petition, and worship/devotional contexts; the Greek term inherits the full semantic range of the Hebrew including the Hebraic idiom of 'seeking God' as worship.
- ἐκζητέω ekzētéō · G1567 · to make a careful search, to seek diligently to learn, to make an examination
- Greek ἐκζητέω intensifies the search semantic with the ek- prefix ('search out thoroughly'), often rendering Hebrew בָּקַשׁ in contexts emphasizing diligent or exhaustive seeking, particularly in LXX passages where the search has religious/covenant significance (seeking God, seeking justice).
- ἐπιζητέω epizētéō · G1934 · to seek, to search, to try to find out by looking for
- Greek ἐπιζητέω (epizētéō, G1934) serves as the intensified form of seeking, corresponding to Hebrew בָּקַשׁ (bâqash, H1245) when the context emphasizes diligent or persistent searching/demanding rather than simple inquiry.
Semantic domains 8 entries
- Search002002001016
- בָּקַשׁ most basically describes searching for something, as in Genesis 37:16's "I am looking for my brothers" (מְבַקֵּשׁ), naming the act of seeking out a person or object.
- See002004001005
- The verb also carries a sense tied to looking for something with one's eyes, an extension of its search sense toward visual scanning for what is sought.
- Speak002004001009008
- בָּקַשׁ frequently describes making a verbal request, as in demanding or asking something aloud, reflected in Genesis 31:39's "you demanded it of my hand" (תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה), an act of verbally pressing for what is wanted.
- Associate002003002002
- The word can also mark seeking out a person for the purpose of establishing or renewing a relationship or dealings with them, connecting the search sense to interpersonal engagement.
- Bear002003003003
- בָּקַשׁ additionally carries a sense tied to bringing forth or producing what is sought, an extension of the pursuit sense toward yielding a result.
- Engage002003003011
- The verb also marks being occupied with or devoted to seeking something, characterizing an ongoing engagement with the object of the search rather than a single momentary act.
- Know002004002007
- בָּקַשׁ can further describe seeking to learn or find out something, tying the search sense to the pursuit of knowledge or information.
- Wish002004002001001
- The word most frequently in its request-sense carries the underlying desire or wish driving the seeking, as reflected in its regular translation "desire" or "request," naming the inner want behind the outward search.
Word family 2 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H1245. baqash [בָּקַשׁ]224 verb seek (Phoenician בקש) — Pi`el Perfect בִּקֵּשׁ Deu 13:11…
[בָּקַשׁ]224 verb seek (Phoenician בקש) —
Pi`el Perfect בִּקֵּשׁ Deu 13:11 Deu 13:15t.; בִּקְשָׁה Ecc 7:28; Est 2:15; suffix בִּקְשָׁתַם Hos 2:9; בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו Son 3:1-2, compare Son 5:6; בִּקְשׁוּ Ezr 2:62 Ezr 2:12t.; suffix בִּקְשֻׁנִי Isa 65:1-2t.; Imperfect יְבַקֵשׁ Jos 22:23 37t.; יְבַקֶּשֿׁ Pro 15:14 Pro 15:2t.; אֲבַקְשָׁה Psa 122:9 Psa 122:3t.; suffix יְבַקְשֵׁהוּ 1Sa 23:14 1Sa 23:7t.; יְבַקְשׁוּ 1Sa 16:16 1Sa 16:23t.; Imperative בַקֵּשׁ 1Sa 9:3 1Sa 9:3t.; בַּקְּשׁוּ 1Sa 28:7-8t.; Infinitive לְבַקֵּשׁ 1Sa 10:2 29t.; Participle מְבַקֵּשׁ Gen 37:16 Gen 37:23t.; plural מְבַקְשִׁים Exo 10:11 38t.; —
1 seek to find:
a. absolute Jdg 6:29; 2Ki 2:17; Jer 5:1; Eze 34:6; Ecc 3:6; Ecc 8:17 (yet see Ew).
b. accusative Gen 37:15-16, Jos 2:22 (J) Jdg 4:22; Jdg 14:4; 1Sa 9:3; 1Sa 10:2, 1Sa 10:14, 1Sa 10:21; 1Sa 16:16; 1Sa 23:14, 1Sa 23:25; 1Sa 24:3; 1Sa 26:2; 1Sa 27:1, 1Sa 27:4 + 1Sa 26:20 object a flea, but read ᵐ5 נַפְשִׁי Th We Kirkp Klo Dr; 2Sa 17:3, 2Sa 17:20; 1Ki 1:3; 1Ki 2:40; 1Ki 18:10; 2Ki 2:16; 2Ki 6:19; 1Ch 4:39; 2Ch 22:9; Ezr 2:62 (= Neh 7:64) Neh 12:27; Psa 37:25; Psa 37:36; Psa 119:176; Pro 2:4; Pro 21:6; Pro 23:35; Proverbs 7:28; Son 3:1 (twice in verse); Son 3:2 (twice in verse); Son 5:6; Son 6:1; Isa 41:12, Isa 41:17; Jer 2:24, Jer 2:33; Lam 1:11; Eze 7:25; Eze 22:30; Eze 34:4, Eze 34:16; Hos 2:9; Nah 3:11; Zec 11:16; Mal 2:15.
c. with לְ Job 10:6.
d. accusative of thing לְ person Jdg 18:1; 1Sa 13:14; 1Sa 28:7; 1Ki 1:2; Rth 3:1; Est 2:2; Psa 122:9; Isa 40:20; Lam 1:19; Nah 3:7.
2 seek to secure:
a. accusative the priesthood Num 16:10 (P); David for king 2Sa 3:17; in battle 2Sa 5:17 (= 1Ch 14:8); Psa 27:4; Jer 45:5 (compare Jer 45:5); נפשׁ בקשׁ seek to take one's life Exo 4:19 (J) 1Sa 20:1; 1Sa 22:23 (twice in verse); 1Sa 23:15; 1Sa 25:29; 2Sa 4:8; 2Sa 16:11; 1Ki 19:10, 1Ki 19:14; Psa 35:4; Psa 38:13; Psa 40:15; Psa 54:5; Psa 63:10; Psa 70:3; Psa 86:14; Pro 29:10; Jer 4:30; Jer 11:21; Jer 19:7, Jer 19:9; Jer 21:7; Jer 22:25; Jer 34:20-21, Jer 38:16; Jer 44:30 (twice in verse); Jer 46:26; Jer 49:37.
b. aim at, practise: רעה בקשׁ seek hurt of Num 35:23 (P) 1Sa 24:10; 1Sa 25:26 (אֶל) 1Ki 20:7; Psa 71:13; Psa 71:24; Est 9:2; ׳ב כזב Psa 4:3 compare Pro 17:11, שׁבר Pro 17:19, רצון Pro 11:27, טובה Neh 2:10, אמונה Jer 5:1, ענוה צדק, Zep 2:3 (twice in verse) שׁלום Psa 34:15, חכמה Pro 14:6; Ecc 7:25, בינה Dan 8:15, דעת Pro 15:14; Pro 18:15, תורה Mal 2:7, אהבה Pro 17:9, תאוה Pro 18:1 (ל of direct object), חשׁבנות Ecc 7:29.
c. Infinitive Exo 4:24 (J) Jer 26:21.
d. לְ & Infinitive Gen 43:30; Exo 2:15; Exo 10:11 (JE) Deu 13:11; 1Sa 14:4; 1Sa 19:2, 1Sa 19:10; 1Sa 23:10; 2Sa 20:19; 2Sa 21:2; 1Ki 11:22, 1Ki 11:40; Est 2:21; Est 3:6; Est 6:2; Psa 37:22; Ecc 12:10; Zec 6:7; Zec 12:9.
3 seek the face
a. of rulers 1Ki 10:24 (= 2Ch 9:23) Pro 29:26.
b. of God (from resorting to sacred places) Hos 5:15; 1Ch 16:11 (= Psa 105:4) 2Ch 7:14; 2Sa 21:1; Psa 24:6; Psa 27:8 (twice in verse); without מְּנֵי
c. יהוה Deu 4:29; Zep 1:6; Zep 2:3; Hos 3:5, Hos 3:5; Hos 5:6; Exo 33:7 (J) 1Ch 16:10 (= Psa 105:3) 2Ch 11:16; 2Ch 20:4; Isa 51:1; Pro 28:5; Zec 8:21-22, Jer 50:4; אלהים 2Sa 12:16, compare Ezekiel 8:22; Isa 45:19; Isa 65:1; 2Ch 15:4, 2Ch 15:15; Hos 7:10; Jer 29:13; Mal 3:1; Psa 40:17; Psa 70:5; Psa 69:7; Dan 9:3; י ׳דבר Amo 8:12; שׁמך Psa 83:17.
d. followed by Infinitive with לְ, of resort to wizards, but object not expressed Lev 19:34 (H).
4 desire, demand:
a. accusative 1Ch 21:3.
b. accusative of thing מִן person Eze 7:26; Dan 1:20.
5. a. require, exact, accusative of thing מִיַּד person Isa 1:12; מִן person Neh 5:12, accusative of thing Neh 5:18.
b. exact equivalent or penalty for, accusative of thing, מִיַּד person Gen 31:39; Gen 43:9 (JE) 1Sa 20:16; 2Sa 4:11; Eze 3:18, Eze 3:20; Eze 33:8, compare דרשׁ; no object expressed Jos 22:23 (P).
6 (late) ask, request, accusative of thing Est 2:15; עַל of thing Neh 2:4; עַל of thing מִן person Est 7:7; Ezr 8:23; עַל of thing מִלִּפְנֵי person Est 4:8; accusative of thing מִן person Dan 1:8 (object clause with אשׁר), Psa 104:21; מִן person 2Ch 20:4.
Pu`al Imperfect יְבֻקַּשׁ Jer 50:20, ׳וַיְב Est 2:23; תֲּבֻקְשִׁי Eze 26:21 be sought.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 8 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.