ἐζήτει
zētéō
sought
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.
John 19:12 · Word #5
Lexicon G2212
| Lemma | ζητέω |
| Transliteration | zētéō |
| Strong's | G2212 |
| Definition | 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. |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG
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 | SG — Singular — One |
Common Translation
| Phrase | sought |
| Literal | was-seeking |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | ζητέω |
| Strong's | G2212 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G2212-01
was seeking
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, third person singular, expresses an ongoing or repeated action in past time. "Was seeking" preserves the root idea of deliberate pursuit while reflecting the continuous past aspect. |
View full lexicon entry for G2212 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
he was seeking
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | Standardized from "was seeking". |