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αἴτημα

aítēma

G155 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

That which is requested or asked for; a petition, request, or demand. In context, it can signify a specific thing or favor sought from another, especially in the context of prayer or formal speech. The word may refer both to the act of making a request and the object or matter requested.

Semantic Range

petition, request, thing asked, demand, matter requested, prayerful entreaty, formal application

Root / Etymology

From the verb αἰτέω ('to ask, request'), with the nominal suffix -μα, forming a neuter noun denoting the result or product of the action (i.e., 'that which is asked').

Historical & Contextual Notes

αἴτημα is a Koine and later classical form, attested in literary, documentary, and early Christian texts. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it most commonly refers to supplications made to a higher authority, whether divine or human, such as in prayers to God (Philippians 4:6) or requests addressed to rulers or figures of power. The nuance is often of a formal request, sometimes with the implication of sincere or urgent need. English translations regularly use 'petition' or 'request,' but these may not always convey the gravity or ceremonial aspect, especially in prayerful contexts. The distinction from related nouns such as δέησις ('supplication') is that αἴτημα emphasizes the specific request or the thing sought, rather than the general act of pleading or supplication. The verb αἰτέω is active in many Koine contexts, where the noun αἴτημα frequently denotes the concrete aspect of that act. Usage outside biblical and early Christian texts is consistent, found also in petitions to civic authorities or rulers in papyri and inscriptions.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from αἰτέω; a thing asked or (abstractly) an asking:--petition, request, required.

Root Family

αἴτημα (aitēma) — request, petition, demand, thing asked

Root αἰτ- to ask, to request, to demand

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G155-02 αἰτήματα aitemata N ACC N PL petitions requests requests 2
G155-01 αἴτημα aitema N ACC N SG demand a requested thing request 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G155-01 Luke 23:24 αἴτημα aitema N ACC N SG demand a requested thing request
G155-02 Philippians 4:6 αἰτήματα aitemata N ACC N PL requests requests requests
G155-02 1 John 5:15 αἰτήματα aitemata N ACC N PL petitions requests requests
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