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προσαιτέω

prosaitéō

G4319 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To ask or solicit persistently, often with urgency; to beg or appeal repeatedly, especially for alms or favor. The term emphasizes repeated or insistent asking, often in contexts of need or poverty. In extended usage, can refer to any context where persistent request or begging is made.

Semantic Range

to beg persistently, to solicit alms, to importune, to appeal repeatedly, to urgently request

Root / Etymology

From πρός (toward, in the direction of) and αἰτέω (to ask, request, petition). The compound form suggests direction or intensification of the act of asking.

Historical & Contextual Notes

προσαιτέω is a rare term in Greek, known primarily from Koine period usage, and is almost entirely absent in earlier classical texts. The meaning of the base verb αἰτέω is simply 'to ask'; πρός compounds often add the nuance of direction, relationship, or intensification—here the latter, with the sense of persistent pleading. In surviving sources (e.g., Luke 16:3–4), the term is applied to actions of those seeking charity or alms, usually from someone in a more powerful or affluent position. It thus acquires a social nuance: the beggar or supplicant addressing someone able to assist. The use in the New Testament may be influenced by LXX and broader Second Temple-era social realities, where structured begging in urban settings was common. English translations often render this as 'beg,' but the underlying Greek connotes an element of persistent or importunate solicitation that 'beg' alone does not always fully capture. Unlike simple αἰτέω, προσαιτέω almost always involves repeated, urgent asking, not merely a polite request. There is minimal, if any, semantic overlap with other Greek terms for 'beg' or 'request' beyond αἰτέω and its compounds.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πρός and αἰτέω; to ask repeatedly (importune), i.e. solicit:--beg.

Root Family

αἰτ- (aitéō) — to ask, to request, to demand

Root αἰτ- to ask, to request, to petition
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G154 αἰτέω to ask for
G155 αἴτημα a requested thing
G156 αἰτία cause
G157 αἰτίαμα formal accusations
G158 αἴτιον

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4319-01 προσαιτῶν prosaiton V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG begged persistently begging begging 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4319-01 John 9:8 προσαιτῶν prosaiton V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG begged persistently begging begging
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