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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #1245 - בָּקַשׁ
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- to seek, require, desire, exact, request
- (Piel)
- to seek to find
- to seek to secure
- to seek the face
- to desire, demand
- to require, exact
- to ask, request
- (Pual) to be sought
- (Piel)
- Book
- Word
did not use
this Strong's Number
2036) sqb (בקסה BQSh) AC: Seek CO: ? AB: ?: A search for something or for answers. [from: qp]
V) sqb (בקסה BQSh) - Seek: KJV (225): (vf: Pual, Piel) seek, require, request, enquire - Strongs: H1245 (בָּקַשׁ)
Nf1) esqb (בקסהה BQShH) - Request: KJV (8): request - Strongs: H1246 (בַּקָּשָׁה)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
Pi`el Perfect בִּקֵּשׁ Deuteronomy 13:11 15t.; בִּקְשָׁה Ecclesiastes 7:28; Esther 2:15; suffix בִּקְשָׁתַם Hosea 2:9; בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו Song of Solomon 3:1,2; compare Song of Solomon 5:6; בִּקְשׁוּ Ezra 2:62 12t.; suffix בִּקְשֻׁנִי Isaiah 65:1 2t.; Imperfect יְבַקֵשׁ Joshua 22:23 37t.; יְבַקֶּשֿׁ Proverbs 15:14 2t.; אֲבַקְשָׁה Psalm 122:9 3t.; suffix יְבַקְשֵׁהוּ 1 Samuel 23:14 7t.; יְבַקְשׁוּ 1 Samuel 16:16 23t.; Imperative בַקֵּשׁ 1 Samuel 9:3 3t.; בַּקְּשׁוּ 1 Samuel 28:7 8t.; Infinitive לְבַקֵּשׁ 1 Samuel 10:2 29t.; Participle מְבַקֵּשׁ Genesis 37:16 23t.; plural מְבַקְשִׁים Exodus 10:11 38t.; —
1 seek to find:
a. absolute Judges 6:29; 2 Kings 2:17; Jeremiah 5:1; Ezekiel 34:6; Ecclesiastes 3:6; Ecclesiastes 8:17 (yet see Ew).
b. accusative Genesis 37:15,16; Joshua 2:22 (J) Judges 4:22; Judges 14:4; 1 Samuel 9:3; 1 Samuel 10:2,14,21; 1 Samuel 16:16; 1 Samuel 23:14,25; 1 Samuel 24:3; 1 Samuel 26:2; 1 Samuel 27:1,4 + 1 Samuel 26:20 object a flea, but read נַפְשִׁיᵐ5 Th We Kirkp Klo Dr; 2 Samuel 17:3,20; 1 Kings 1:3; 1 Kings 2:40; 1 Kings 18:10; 2 Kings 2:16; 2 Kings 6:19; 1 Chronicles 4:39; 2 Chronicles 22:9; Ezra 2:62 (= Nehemiah 7:64) Nehemiah 12:27; Psalm 37:25; Psalm 37:36; Psalm 119:176; Proverbs 2:4; Proverbs 21:6; Proverbs 23:35; Proverbs 7:28; Song of Solomon 3:1 (twice in verse); Song of Solomon 3:2 (twice in verse); Song of Solomon 5:6; Song of Solomon 6:1; Isaiah 41:12,17; Jeremiah 2:24,33; Lamentations 1:11; Ezekiel 7:25; Ezekiel 22:30; Ezekiel 34:4,16; Hosea 2:9; Nahum 3:11; Zechariah 11:16; Malachi 2:15.
c. with לְ Job 10:6.
d. accusative of thing לְ person Judges 18:1; 1 Samuel 13:14; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Kings 1:2; Ruth 3:1; Esther 2:2; Psalm 122:9; Isaiah 40:20; Lamentations 1:19; Nahum 3:7.
2 seek to secure:
a. accusative the priesthood Numbers 16:10 (P); David for king 2 Samuel 3:17; in battle 2 Samuel 5:17 (= 1 Chronicles 14:8); Psalm 27:4; Jeremiah 45:5 (compare Jeremiah 45:5); בקשׁ נפשׁ seek to take one's life Exodus 4:19 (J) 1 Samuel 20:1; 1 Samuel 22:23 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 23:15; 1 Samuel 25:29; 2 Samuel 4:8; 2 Samuel 16:11; 1 Kings 19:10,14; Psalm 35:4; Psalm 38:13; Psalm 40:15; Psalm 54:5; Psalm 63:10; Psalm 70:3; Psalm 86:14; Proverbs 29:10; Jeremiah 4:30; Jeremiah 11:21; Jeremiah 19:7,9; Jeremiah 21:7; Jeremiah 22:25; Jeremiah 34:20,21; Jeremiah 38:16; Jeremiah 44:30 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 46:26; Jeremiah 49:37.
b. aim at, practise: בקשׁ רעה seek hurt of Numbers 35:23 (P) 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 25:26 (אֶל) 1 Kings 20:7; Psalm 71:13; Psalm 71:24; Esther 9:2; כזב׳ב Psalm 4:3 compare Proverbs 17:11, שׁבר Proverbs 17:19, רצון Proverbs 11:27, טובה Nehemiah 2:10, אמונה Jeremiah 5:1, צדק, ענוה Zephaniah 2:3 (twice in verse) שׁלום Psalm 34:15, חכמה Proverbs 14:6; Ecclesiastes 7:25, בינה Daniel 8:15, דעת Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 18:15, תורה Malachi 2:7, אהבה Proverbs 17:9, תאוה Proverbs 18:1 (ל of direct object), חשׁבנות Ecclesiastes 7:29.
c. Infinitive Exodus 4:24 (J) Jeremiah 26:21.
d.לְ & Infinitive Genesis 43:30; Exodus 2:15; Exodus 10:11 (JE) Deuteronomy 13:11; 1 Samuel 14:4; 1 Samuel 19:2,10; 1 Samuel 23:10; 2 Samuel 20:19; 2 Samuel 21:2; 1 Kings 11:22,40; Esther 2:21; Esther 3:6; Esther 6:2; Psalm 37:22; Ecclesiastes 12:10; Zechariah 6:7; Zechariah 12:9.
3 seek the face
a. of rulers 1 Kings 10:24 (= 2 Chronicles 9:23) Proverbs 29:26.
b. of God (from resorting to sacred places) Hosea 5:15; 1 Chronicles 16:11 (= Psalm 105:4) 2 Chronicles 7:14; 2 Samuel 21:1; Psalm 24:6; Psalm 27:8 (twice in verse); without מְּנֵי
c.יהוה Deuteronomy 4:29; Zephaniah 1:6; Zephaniah 2:3; Hosea 3:5,5; Hosea 5:6; Exodus 33:7 (J) 1 Chronicles 16:10 (= Psalm 105:3) 2 Chronicles 11:16; 20:4; Isaiah 51:1; Proverbs 28:5; Zechariah 8:21,22; Jeremiah 50:4; אלהים 2 Samuel 12:16, compare Ezekiel 8:22; Isaiah 45:19; Isaiah 65:1; 2 Chronicles 15:4,15; Hosea 7:10; Jeremiah 29:13; Malachi 3:1; Psalm 40:17; Psalm 70:5; Psalm 69:7; Daniel 9:3; ׳דבר י Amos 8:12; שׁמך Psalm 83:17.
d. followed by Infinitive with לְ, of resort to wizards, but object not expressed Leviticus 19:34 (H).
4 desire, demand:
a. accusative 1 Chronicles 21:3.
b. accusative of thing מִן person Ezekiel 7:26; Daniel 1:20.
5. a. require, exact, accusative of thing מִיַּד person Isaiah 1:12; מִן person Nehemiah 5:12, accusative of thing Nehemiah 5:18.
b. exact equivalent or penalty for, accusative of thing, מִיַּד person Genesis 31:39; Genesis 43:9 (JE) 1 Samuel 20:16; 2 Samuel 4:11; Ezekiel 3:18,20; Ezekiel 33:8, compare דרשׁ; no object expressed Joshua 22:23 (P).
6 (late) ask, request, accusative of thing Esther 2:15; עַל of thing Nehemiah 2:4; עַל of thing מִן person Esther 7:7; Ezra 8:23; עַל of thing מִלִּפְנֵי person Esther 4:8; accusative of thing מִן person Daniel 1:8 (object clause with אשׁר), Psalm 104:21; מִן person 2 Chronicles 20:4.
Pu`al Imperfect יְבֻקַּשׁ Jeremiah 50:20, ׳וַיְב Esther 2:23; תֲּבֻקְשִׁי Ezekiel 26:21 be sought.
בָּקַשׁ a root not used in Kal. In the signification of to search (see Piel) it answers to the Arab. بحث, Ch. בִּחַשׁ to inquire into, to examine, kindred to which is חָפַשׂ. Its primary power appears to be that of touching, feeling, Syriac ܒܚܳܫܐܳ a touching; compare גָּשַׁשׁ to feel; קָשַׁשׁ to search for, as done by touching.
Piel בִּקֵּשׁ
(1) to Seek for. Const. absol. 2 Kings 2:17 with an acc. of pers. and thing, Genesis 37:15, 16 Genesis 37:16; 1 Samuel 10:14 followed by לְ, to search into any thing, Job 10:6 different from this is Genesis 43:30, וַיְבַקֵּשׁ לִבְכּוֹת “he sought for a place of weeping,” he sought where he might weep. There is sometimes added a dative of benefit לוֹ, 1 Samuel 28:7; Lamentations 1:19, with which addition it has also the sense of to choose (fich etwas ausfuchen), to seek for oneself, 1 Samuel 13:14; Isaiah 40:20 comp. Ezekiel 22:30. Specially
(a) to seek the king’s face, i.e. to go to the king, to wish to go to him, 1 Kings 10:24 especially to make a petition, Proverbs 29:26.
(b) to seek the face of God, pr. to go to God, especially with prayers, 2 Samuel 12:16; Psalms 24:6, 27:8 105:3 to inquire at an oracle, 2 Samuel 21:1 to appease him, Hosea 5:15. Id. is
(c) בִּקֵּשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה Exodus 33:7; 2 Chronicles 20:4. Opp. to מָצָא to be heard by God, Deuteronomy 4:29; Isaiah 65:1. מְבַקְשֵׁי יְהֹוָה the worshippers of Jehovah, Psalms 40:17, 69:7 105:3 Isaiah 51:1. Comp. דָּרַשׁ.
(2) to seek, to strive after, to try to get, e.g. the office of priest, Numbers 16:10 lying, Psalms 4:3 love, Proverbs 17:9. Rarely followed by לְ, Proverbs 18:1 בִּקֵּשׁ נֶפֶשׁ פ׳ to lay snares for any one’s life, Exodus 4:19; 1 Samuel 20:1, 22:23 23:15 2 Samuel 4:8, 16:11 once in a good sense, to take pains for preserving any one’s life, Proverbs 29:10 (compare דָּרַשׁ לְנֶפֶשׁ Psalms 142:5). בִּקֵּשׁ רָעַת פ׳ to seek or plan any one’s evil or destruction; 1 Samuel 24:10; Psalms 71:13, 24 Psalms 71:24בִּקֵּשׁ רָעָה אֶל id.; 1 Samuel 25:26. Followed by a gerund, to seek to do any thing, e.g. 1 Samuel 19:2, מְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל אָבִי לַהֲמִיתֶךָ “Saul, my father seeketh to kill thee;” Exodus 2:15, 4:24 with an inf. Jeremiah 26:21.
(3) to require, to demand, Nehemiah 5:18 followed by מִן Psalms 104:21 מִיַּד Genesis 31:39, 43:9 Isaiah 1:12. Specially בִּקֵּשׁ דַּם פ׳ מִיַּד פ׳ to require any one’s blood of any one, i.e. to exact the penalty for bloodshed; 2 Samuel 4:11; Ezekiel 3:18, 20 Ezekiel 3:20, 33:8 and without דָּם 1 Samuel 20:16.
(4) to ask, to seek from any one, followed by מִן of pers., Ezra 8:21; Daniel 1:8, and acc. of thing, Est: 2:15 also followed by עַל to entreat, to supplicate for any one, Esther 4:8, 7:7.
(5) to ask, to inquire of anyone, to interrogate, followed by מִן Daniel 1:20.
Pual, to be sought, Ezekiel 26:21; Jeremiah 50:20; Esther 2:23. Hence