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בָּקַשׁ

𐤁𐤒𐤔

bâqash

H1245 verb

SILEX Entry

Root בקש to seek, search for, strive after, desire, request

Definition

To seek intentionally, with persistence or effort, often involving inquiry, pursuit, or desire. In the Hebrew Bible, בָּקַשׁ typically denotes actively seeking to find or obtain something (e.g., information, objects, persons, or favor), to make a formal request or petition, or to pursue a goal or outcome. Contexts of use range from searching for someone, seeking God's guidance or presence, inquiring after information, or making specific requests. The nuance may shift from a physical act of searching, to a more abstract sense of desire or striving.

Semantic Range

to search for (physically), to inquire or investigate, to strive after, to request or ask (formally), to desire, to seek God or divine will, to attempt to obtain; to beg, petition, or demand

Root / Etymology

Root: בקש. Derived from the root בקש, which fundamentally conveys the notion of seeking or searching out, with an extension to the pursuit of goals or desires, and formal requests or petitions. The form is commonly found in the stem (piʻel), imparting an intensifying or causative nuance to the search or request involved.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In different biblical periods, בָּקַשׁ is used for both secular searching (e.g., searching for lost animals, 1 Samuel 9:3) and religious or formal petition (e.g., seeking YHWH's guidance, 2 Chronicles 15:4; 2 Chronicles 7:14). In many contexts, it differs from שָׁאַל (shaʼal, ‘to ask’ more generally or to borrow) in the intensity and persistence implied: בָּקַשׁ typically suggests an active, sometimes urgent, pursuit, not just a verbal request. Over time, its use in the sense of 'making inquiry' or 'petitioning' became more common, especially in post-exilic writings and Second Temple texts. Standard English translations often render the verb simply as 'seek' or 'ask,' which can obscure the underlying forcefulness or persistence of the Hebrew term. The word is prominent not only in narratives but also in psalms and prophetic literature, often in the context of seeking God’s face or favor, which later contributed to religious language traditions in Judaism and Christianity, though the ancient nuance is broader.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after; ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בקש (b-q-sh) — seeking, searching, striving, requesting

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1246 בַּקָּשָׁה your request

Word Forms

65 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1245-15 לְ/בַקֵּ֔שׁ levaqesh HR/Vpc to seek to earnestly seek 24
H1245-19 מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seeks the one persistently seeking 22
H1245-21 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of 19
H1245-49 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֖שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought 12
H1245-63 יְבַקֵּֽשׁ yevaqesh HVpi3ms seeks he persistently seeks 11
H1245-01 אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ avaqesh HVpi1cs I will seek I earnestly seek 10
H1245-51 וַ/יְבַקְשׁ֧וּ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they sought and they sought earnestly 9
H1245-24 מְבַקְשִׁ֑ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa seek the ones seeking earnestly 9
H1245-64 יְבַקְשׁ֕וּ yevaqeshu HVpi3mp let them seek they will earnestly seek 8
H1245-05 בַּקְּשׁוּ baqeshu HVpv2mp Seek Seek earnestly 7

Occurrences in Scripture

225 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1245-28 Genesis 31:39 תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑/נָּה tevaqeshenah HVpi2ms/Sp3fs you required it you will seek her
H1245-26 Genesis 37:15 תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ tevaqesh HVpi2ms are you seeking you seek earnestly
H1245-19 Genesis 37:16 מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa am seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-29 Genesis 43:9 תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑/נּוּ tevaqeshenu HVpi2ms/Sp3ms you shall require him you will diligently seek him
H1245-49 Genesis 43:30 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֖שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-49 Exodus 2:15 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֖שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and he sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-14 Exodus 4:19 הַֽ/מְבַקְשִׁ֖ים hamevaqeshim HTd/Vprmpa who were seeking the ones seeking
H1245-49 Exodus 4:24 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֖שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-24 Exodus 10:11 מְבַקְשִׁ֑ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa are seeking the ones seeking earnestly
H1245-19 Exodus 33:7 מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seeking the one persistently seeking
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