ἀναζητέω
anazētéō
G327 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To search for thoroughly, to investigate with earnestness and intensity; denotes an active, deliberate seeking, often with strong intent to find, recover, or obtain what is sought. In certain contexts, may express an intensified desire or urgency to find a person, object, or information.
Semantic Range
to seek earnestly, to search again, to search out, to try to find through careful investigation, to recover something lost; to request or demand with insistence
Root / Etymology
Formed from ἀνά (up, again, back) as a prefixed preposition, and ζητέω (to seek, to search for). The prefix ἀνά here intensifies the sense of the base verb, indicating a repeated or vigorous search. No direct cognates outside of Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, ἀναζητέω appears with the sense of earnest or close searching, frequently used in connection with finding missing persons (e.g., Lk 2:44–45, the parents of Jesus searching for him). The compound intensifies the base sense of ζητέω, suggesting not just the act of seeking but doing so repeatedly or with significant effort. Compared to the simple ζητέω, which may refer to seeking in a more general sense, ἀναζητέω often carries connotations of recovery or retrieving what has been lost. Its use is rare in the Septuagint and New Testament relative to ζητέω, and is often reserved for contexts of deliberate or anxious search, distinguishing it from more casual inquiry. English translations typically render it as "search for" or "seek out," but may not always capture the urgency or intensity implied.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀνά and ζητέω; to search out:--seek.
Root Family
ζητ- (ekzētéō) — to seek, to inquire, to search
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1567 | ἐκζητέω | having thoroughly sought out |
| G1934 | ἐπιζητέω | sought out intently |
| G2212 | ζητέω | was seeking |
| G2213 | ζήτημα | matters of inquiry |
| G2214 | ζήτησις | inquiries |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G327-01 |
ἀναζητῆσαι | anazetesai | V AOR ACT INF |
to look for | to search out earnestly | to search out earnestly | 1 |
G327-02 |
ἀναζητοῦντες | anazetountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
searching for | earnestly searching | searching for | 1 |
G327-03 |
ἀνεζήτουν | anezetoun | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they sought | they were searching out | they were searching out | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G327-03 |
Luke 2:44 | ἀνεζήτουν | anezetoun | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
they sought | they were searching out | they were searching out |
G327-02 |
Luke 2:45 | ἀναζητοῦντες | anazetountes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
searching for | earnestly searching | searching for |
G327-01 |
Acts 11:25 | ἀναζητῆσαι | anazetesai | V AOR ACT INF |
to look for | to search out earnestly | to search out earnestly |