Bible Lexicons

δέησις , -εως , ἡ

(< δέομαι ),

[in LXX for H8467, H7440, H8605, etc.;]

1. a wanting, need (so Psalms 22:25).

2. an asking, entreaty, supplication; in NT always addressed to God: Luke 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Philippians 1:19, 2 Timothy 1:3, James 5:16, 1 Peter 3:12 (LXX); with νηστεῖαι , Luke 2:37; προσυνχή , -αί , Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:1; 1 Timothy 5:5; ἱκετηρίαι , Hebrews 5:7; προσκαρτέρησις , Ephesians 6:18; ἐντεύξεις , 1 Timothy 2:1; δ . ποιεῖσθαι (Deiss., BS, 250), Luke 5:33, Philippians 1:4 (pl.), 1 Timothy 2:1; seq. ὑπέρ , 2 Corinthians 9:14, Philippians 1:4; περί , Ephesians 6:18; πρός , Romans 10:1.†

SYN.: προσευχή G4335, used of prayer in general, while δ . gives prominence to the sense of need; on the other hand, δ . is used as well of requests from man to man, while Papyri is limited to prayer to God. ἔντευξις G1783, in the papyri, is the regular word for petition to a superior (Deiss., BS, 250; cf. the Pauline ἐντυγχάνειν G1793, to entreat). Cf. also εὐχή G2171. (James 5:15), αἴτημα , ἱκετηρία (Tr., Syn., § 1i; Cremer, 73, 174, 684).

With δέησις , ";supplication,"; as in Philippians 1:4, may be compared P Par 69E. .11 (A.D. 232) ἔνθα σπονδὰ [ς καὶ δε ]ήσεις ποιησάμενος , and the Ptolemaic P Petr II. 19 (1a).2 where a prisoner supplicates μετὰ δεήσεως καὶ ἱκετείας οὕνεκα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος , ";in the name of God and of fair play"; (Ed.). In one of the Serapeum documents regarding the Twins, P Lond 21.20 (B.C. 162) (= I. p. 13), Ptolemy petitions Sarapion on their behalf, ἀξιῶ οὖν σε μετὰ δεήσεως νομίσαντα ταῖς διδύμαις ἰδίαι (= ἰδίᾳ ) σε ταῦτα διδόναι ; cf. the δέησις addressed by a woman to Abinnaeus, P Lond 306 (c. A.D. 346) (= II. p. 281), and P Giss I. 41ii. 10 (time of Hadrian) ἐπινεύσαντος ο [ὖ ]ν τη ̣̑[ι ] δεήσει μου , of a petition to the Praefect Apollonius. For petitions addressed to the Emperor cf. CP Herm 6.1 ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ὁποῖα προ ̣[σην ]έγκαμεν τὴν δέησιν ποιούμεθα : the statement follows, with θ ]ειότατε αὐτοκράτωρ in the next line. So ib 119 versoiii. 11, where Gallienus replies κα [λε ]ῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ το [ῦ δι ]καίου τάξις ὡς κ ̣αὶ τ ̣ὰ ἐκ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ δεήσεως ἑτοίμως [δ ]ι ̣δ [ό ]ναι τήν χάριν . It is clear that the word is a strong one, even if the language of exaggeration will sometimes employ it where ";request"; would express the sense : thus BGU I. 180.17 (A.D. 172) δικαίαν δέ [ησ ]ιν ποιούμενος , P Gen I. 16.10 (A.D. 207) δ ]έησίν σοι προσφέρομεν , κύριε . The noun and its original verb δέομαι retain connexion with the idea of ";need";; and δέησις was thus ready for its special NT use of ";entreaty"; towards God—we recall Trench’s epigram defining prayer as ";the mighty utterance of a mighty need.";

 

 

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