Bible Dictionaries
Seek

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

signifies (a) "to seek, to seek for," e.g., Matthew 7:7,8; 13:45; Luke 24:5; John 6:24; of plotting against a person's life, Matthew 2:20; Acts 21:31; Romans 11:3; metaphorically, to "seek" by thinking, to "seek" how to do something, or what to obtain, e.g., Mark 11:18; Luke 12:29; to "seek" to ascertain a meaning, John 16:19 , "do ye inquire;" to "seek" God, Acts 17:27 , RV; Romans 10:20; (b) "to seek or strive affter, endeavor, to desire," e.g., Matthew 12:46,47 , RV, "seeking" (AV, "desiring"); Luke 9:9 , RV, "sought" (AV, "desired"); John 7:19 , RV, "seek ye" (AV, "go ye about"); so John 7:20; Romans 10:3 , RV, "seeking" (AV, "going about"); of "seeking" the kingdom of God and His righteousness, in the sense of coveting earnestly, striving after, Matthew 6:33; "the things that are above," Colossians 3:1; peace, 1 Peter 3:11; (c) "to require or demand," e.g., Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29 (some mss. have No. 4); 1 Corinthians 4:2 , "it is required;" 2 Corinthians 13:3 , "ye seek." See ABOUT , B, Note, DESIRE , B, Note (2) ENDEAVOR, GO , Note (2) (a), INQUIRE , REQUIRE.

"to seek carefully" (ana, "up," used intensively, and No. 1), is used of searching for human beings, difficulty in the effort being implied Luke 2:44,45 (some mss. have No. 1 in the latter ver.); Acts 11:25; numerous illustrations of this particular meaning in the papyri are given by Moulton and Milligan. In the Sept., Job 3:4; 10:6 .

signifies (a) "to seek out (ek) or after, to search for;" e.g., God, Romans 3:11; the Lord, Acts 15:17; in Hebrews 11:6 , RV, "seek after" (AV, "diligently seek"); Hebrews 12:17 , RV, "sought diligently" (AV, "sought carefully"); 1 Peter 1:10 , RV, "sought" (AV, "have inquired"), followed by exeraunao, "to search diligently;" (b) "to require or demand," Luke 11:50,51 . See INQUIRE , Note (3), REQUIRE.

"to seek after" (directive, epi, "towards") is always rendered in the RV, by some form of the verb "to seek," Acts 13:7 , "sought" (AV, "desired"); Acts 19:39 , "seek" (AV, "inquire"); Philippians 4:17 , "seek for" (AV, "desire"), twice; elsewhere, Matthew 6:32; 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:12 (in some texts); Luke 12:30; Acts 12:19; Romans 11:7; Hebrews 11:14; 13:14 . See DESIRE , INQUIRE.

"to reach out, or after," used in the Middle Voice is translated "seeketh" in 1 Timothy 3:1 , RV, of "seeking overseership" (AV, "desireth"). See DESIRE , No. 5.

Note: For the RV renderings of zeloo, in Galatians 4:17,18 , "they zealously seek," "ye may seek," "to be zealously sought," see AFFECT , Note, and ZEALOUS.