ἐζήτουν

zētéō

they were seeking

To seek, search for, or try to obtain; to attempt to find something or someone by deliberate effort. In extended senses: to strive after, aim for (a goal or desired state); to inquire or investigate. Frequently used for the pursuit of understanding, the seeking of God or God's will, or the search for solutions. Can also convey active plotting or desiring, depending on context.

G2212

John 10:39 · Word #1

Lexicon G2212

Lemmaζητέω
Transliterationzētéō
Strong'sG2212
DefinitionTo seek, search for, or try to obtain; to attempt to find something or someone by deliberate effort. In extended senses: to strive after, aim for (a goal or desired state); to inquire or investigate. Frequently used for the pursuit of understanding, the seeking of God or God's will, or the search for solutions. Can also convey active plotting or desiring, depending on context.

Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number PL — Plural — More than one

Common Translation

Phrasethey were seeking
Literalthey-were-seeking

Lexical Info

Lemmaζητέω
Strong'sG2212

SIBI-P1 Translation G2212-07

they were seeking

Morphological NotesVerb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural.
Rendering RationaleThe imperfect active indicative, third person plural, conveys continuous or repeated action in past time; "they were seeking" preserves the ongoing, active pursuit inherent in the root ζητ-.

View full lexicon entry for G2212 →

SILEX v2

SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)

they were seeking

Same as P1Yes
RationaleP1 rendering is accurate for the imperfect plural verb in this context and aligns with the lexical definition.
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