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בָּקַשׁ

𐤁𐤒𐤔

bâqash

H1245 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "seek" 38 occurrences

"Seek" best captures the dominant and most flexible sense in H1245: active searching, pursuing, striving, and also petitioning or requesting. It is the most frequent natural English rendering in the P2 data and comfortably covers both physical and abstract uses (seek God, seek information, seek favor). Other options like "ask" or "search" are narrower; "seek" preserves consistency and naturalness across all forms.

Alternatives (12 occurrences):
"earnest seekers of" (9x) "required" (1x) "seekers of" (1x) "seeker of" (1x)

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

בקש (bâqash) — to seek, search for, strive after, desire, request

Root בקש to seek, search for, strive after, desire, request
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1246 בַּקָּשָׁה your request

Word Forms

65 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1245-15 לְ/בַקֵּ֥שׁ levaqesh HR/Vpc to seek to earnestly seek to earnestly seek 24
H1245-19 מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seeks the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking 22
H1245-21 מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of earnest seekers of 19
H1245-49 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought 12
H1245-63 יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ yevaqesh HVpi3ms seeks he persistently seeks he persistently seeks 11
H1245-01 אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ avaqesh HVpi1cs I will seek I earnestly seek I earnestly seek 10
H1245-24 מְבַקְשִׁ֖ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa seek the ones seeking earnestly the ones seeking earnestly 9
H1245-51 וַ/יְבַקְשׁוּ֙ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they sought and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly 9
H1245-64 יְבַקְשׁ֞וּ yevaqeshu HVpi3mp let them seek they will earnestly seek they will earnestly seek 8
H1245-05 בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ baqeshu HVpv2mp Seek Seek earnestly Seek earnestly 7

Occurrences in Scripture

225 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1245-15 2 Samuel 5:17 לְ/בַקֵּ֣שׁ levaqesh HR/Vpc to seek to earnestly seek to earnestly seek
H1245-49 2 Samuel 12:16 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-19 2 Samuel 16:11 מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seeks the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-19 2 Samuel 17:3 מְבַקֵּ֔שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seek the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-51 2 Samuel 17:20 וַ/יְבַקְשׁוּ֙ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they searched and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly
H1245-19 2 Samuel 20:19 מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa are seeking the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-49 2 Samuel 21:1 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and David sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-49 2 Samuel 21:2 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֤שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and he sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-64 1 Kings 1:2 יְבַקְשׁ֞וּ yevaqeshu HVpi3mp let them seek they will earnestly seek let them seek
H1245-51 1 Kings 1:3 וַ/יְבַקְשׁוּ֙ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp so they sought and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly
H1245-15 1 Kings 2:40 לְ/בַקֵּ֖שׁ levaqesh HR/Vpc to seek to earnestly seek to earnestly seek
H1245-24 1 Kings 10:24 מְבַקְשִׁ֖ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa were seeking the ones seeking earnestly the ones seeking earnestly
H1245-19 1 Kings 11:22 מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa seeking the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-49 1 Kings 11:40 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-16 1 Kings 18:10 לְ/בַקֶּשְׁ/ךָ֔ levaqeshekha HR/Vpc/Sp2ms to seek you to intensely seek you to seek you
H1245-51 1 Kings 19:10 וַ/יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they seek and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly
H1245-51 1 Kings 19:14 וַ/יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they have sought and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly
H1245-19 1 Kings 20:7 מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa is seeking the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-62 2 Kings 2:16 וִ/יבַקְשׁ֣וּ vivaqeshu HC/Vpj3mp and seek and let them earnestly seek and let them earnestly seek
H1245-51 2 Kings 2:17 וַ/יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ vayevaqeshu HC/Vpw3mp and they sought and they sought earnestly and they sought earnestly
H1245-32 2 Kings 6:19 תְּבַקֵּשׁ֑וּ/ן tevaqeshun HVpi2mp/Sn you seek you will seek earnestly you seek
H1245-57 Isaiah 1:12 בִקֵּ֥שׁ viqesh HVpp3ms has required he earnestly sought has required
H1245-63 Isaiah 40:20 יְבַקֶּשׁ yevaqesh HVpi3ms he seeks he persistently seeks he persistently seeks
H1245-27 Isaiah 41:12 תְּבַקְשֵׁ/ם֙ tevaqeshem HVpi2ms/Sp3mp you will seek them you will earnestly seek them you will earnestly seek them
H1245-24 Isaiah 41:17 מְבַקְשִׁ֥ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa are seeking the ones seeking earnestly the ones seeking earnestly
H1245-48 Isaiah 45:19 בַקְּשׁ֑וּ/נִי vaqeshuni HVpv2mp/Sp1cs seek me earnestly seek me earnestly seek me
H1245-21 Isaiah 51:1 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc you who seek earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-61 Isaiah 65:1 בִקְשֻׁ֑/נִי viqeshuni HVpp3cp/Sp1cs seek me they sought me out seeking me
H1245-22 Jeremiah 2:24 מְבַקְשֶׁ֨י/הָ֙ mevaqesheyha HVprmpc/Sp3fs who seek her her persistent seekers who seek her
H1245-15 Jeremiah 2:33 לְ/בַקֵּ֣שׁ levaqesh HR/Vpc to seek to earnestly seek to earnestly seek
H1245-64 Jeremiah 4:30 יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ yevaqeshu HVpi3mp they-seek they will earnestly seek they will earnestly seek
H1245-39 Jeremiah 5:1 וּ/בַקְשׁ֣וּ uvaqeshu HC/Vpv2mp and seek and earnestly seek and earnestly seek
H1245-19 Jeremiah 5:1 מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ mevaqesh HVprmsa who seeks the one persistently seeking the one persistently seeking
H1245-14 Jeremiah 11:21 הַֽ/מְבַקְשִׁ֥ים hamevaqeshim HTd/Vprmpa who seek the ones seeking the ones seeking
H1245-21 Jeremiah 19:7 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-35 Jeremiah 19:9 וּ/מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י umevaqeshey HC/Vprmpc and-seekers and seekers of and seekers of
H1245-21 Jeremiah 21:7 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-21 Jeremiah 22:25 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc those seeking earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-49 Jeremiah 26:21 וַ/יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ vayevaqesh HC/Vpw3ms and sought and he earnestly sought and he earnestly sought
H1245-40 Jeremiah 29:13 וּ/בִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם uviqashetem HC/Vpq2mp and-you-will-seek and you sought earnestly and you will earnestly seek
H1245-21 Jeremiah 34:20 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc of those seeking earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-21 Jeremiah 34:21 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-24 Jeremiah 38:16 מְבַקְשִׁ֖ים mevaqeshim HVprmpa seek the ones seeking earnestly the ones seeking earnestly
H1245-21 Jeremiah 44:30 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-34 Jeremiah 44:30 וּ/מְבַקֵּ֥שׁ umevaqesh HC/Vprmsa and-seeking and the persistent seeker and the seeker of
H1245-26 Jeremiah 45:5 תְּבַקֶּשׁ tevaqesh HVpi2ms seek you seek earnestly you will seek earnestly
H1245-26 Jeremiah 45:5 תְּבַקֵּ֑שׁ tevaqesh-2 HVpj2ms seek you seek earnestly you will seek earnestly
H1245-21 Jeremiah 46:26 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc seekers-of earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-21 Jeremiah 49:37 מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י mevaqeshey HVprmpc those-who-seek earnest seekers of earnest seekers of
H1245-64 Jeremiah 50:4 יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ yevaqeshu HVpi3mp they shall seek they will earnestly seek they will earnestly seek
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