ἐπιπόθησις
epipóthēsis
G1972 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Strong yearning or earnest desire for something or someone, especially a deep longing or craving directed towards an object, person, or state. May express emotionally intense or heartfelt aspiration, either positive (e.g., affectionate longing, spiritual yearning) or, in some contexts, an ardent and even painful desire.
Semantic Range
deep longing, earnest desire, heartfelt yearning, affectionate craving, ardent aspiration, passionate desire
Root / Etymology
From ἐπιποθέω ('to long for, to yearn after, to desire earnestly'), itself formed from the preposition ἐπί ('upon, towards') and ποθέω ('to long for, to desire').
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἐπιπόθησις is a rare noun in Koine Greek, attested primarily in Christian and later Hellenistic Jewish literature, including the New Testament (e.g., 2 Corinthians 7:7,11; 8:7; Philippians 1:8; 2:26). In these contexts, it conveys intense, often affectionate, longing for another person or for reunion (relational yearning), but can also be used for deep longing after a condition or state. The term is less common in earlier Greek, where its verbal root ποθέω and its compounds are more widely attested. In classical Greek the sense of 'longing' often has undertones of absence and emotional pain, while in Koine usage, especially in epistolary contexts, it frequently signals emotional intensity, affection, or spiritual aspiration. English translations often render the term as 'longing,' 'earnest desire,' or 'deep yearning,' but these may not fully capture the emotional and relational nuance of the original. Distinct from more neutral terms for desire (e.g., ἐπιθυμία, which can have both neutral and negative senses, especially desire for what is forbidden), ἐπιπόθησις emphasizes intensity, legitimacy, and sometimes even virtue of the longing.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐπιποθέω; a longing for:--earnest (vehement) desire.
Root Family
ἐπιπόθησις (epipothēsis) — deep longing, earnest desire, heartfelt yearning, ardent aspiration
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1972-01 |
ἐπιπόθησιν | epipothesin | N ACC F SG |
earnest desire | deep longing | deep longing | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1972-01 |
2 Corinthians 7:7 | ἐπιπόθησιν | epipothesin | N ACC F SG |
earnest desire | deep longing | deep longing |
G1972-01 |
2 Corinthians 7:11 | ἐπιπόθησιν | epipothesin | N ACC F SG |
longing | deep longing | longing |