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ἐπαιτέω

epaitéō

G1871 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To ask or request, specifically to beg or solicit alms from someone. In Hellenistic Greek and the New Testament, the term commonly refers to explicitly seeking material help, primarily in the form of begging from people in a public setting. While the general root means 'to ask,' this compound emphasizes urgency or need, often with the nuance of poverty or dependency.

Semantic Range

to beg for (alms or material help), to ask urgently, to solicit (as a beggar)

Root / Etymology

From the preposition ἐπί (upon, at, toward) and the verb αἰτέω (to ask, request). The prefix ἐπί serves to intensify or specify the action, resulting in the meaning 'to ask earnestly,' particularly in the sense of begging.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ἐπαιτέω appears relatively infrequently in both literary and documentary Koine Greek. In secular and documentary papyri, it most often refers to the actions of beggars or those in dire need, typically describing the overt or public solicitation for aid. In the New Testament (e.g., Luke 16:3), it denotes literal begging, with a focus on economic dependency. While the root verb αἰτέω can refer to any act of asking or requesting (from God or humans), ἐπαιτέω is more specialized, reserved for the act of materially begging—distinguishing it from related terms such as παρακαλέω ('to urge, to beseech'), which has a broader emotional or rhetorical sense. Standard English translations typically render ἐπαιτέω as 'beg,' which accurately reflects its NT usage but can underrepresent its specificity in contrast with other Greek verbs meaning 'to ask.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐπί and αἰτέω; to ask for:--beg.

Root Family

ἐπαιτέω (epaitéō) — to ask, to beg, to solicit urgently

Root αἰτ- to ask, to beg

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1871-01 ἐπαιτεῖν epaitein V PRS ACT INF to beg to be begging for alms to beg 1
G1871-02 ἐπαιτῶν epaiton V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG begging one begging begging 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1871-01 Luke 16:3 ἐπαιτεῖν epaitein V PRS ACT INF to beg to be begging for alms to beg
G1871-02 Luke 18:35 ἐπαιτῶν epaiton V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG begging one begging begging
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