Lexical Definition

‎בָּקַשׁ‎ bâqash (baw-kash') to seek ^H:V
a primitive root

ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).

• to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer)
• by implication, to strive after

1) to seek, require, desire, exact, request
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to seek to find
1a2) to seek to secure
1a3) to seek the face
1a4) to desire, demand
1a5) to require, exact
1a6) to ask, request
1b) (Pual) to be sought

See Greek: ἀθετέω · ἀναζητέω · ἀνετάζω · ἀξιόω · βουλεύω · ἐκζητέω · ἐπερωτάω · ἐπιβλέπω · ἐπιζητέω · ἐπισκέπτομαι · ἐρευνάω · εὑρίσκω · ζητέω · θεραπεύω · παραιτέομαι · προσκολλάω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[‎בָּקַשׁ‎]₂₂₄ verb seek (Phoenician ‎בקש‎) —

Pi`el Perfect ‎בִּקֵּשׁ‎ Deut 13:11* + 15 t.; ‎בִּקְשָׁה‎ Eccl 7:28; Esth 2:15 suffix ‎בִּקְשָׁתַם‎ Hos 2:9* ‎בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו‎ Song 3:1; Song 3:2 compare Song 5:6 ‎בִּקְשׁוּ‎ Ezra 2:62 + 12 t.; suffix ‎בִּקְשֻׁנִי‎ Isa 65:1 + 2 t.; Imperfect ‎יְבַקֵשׁ‎ Josh 22:23 + 37 t.; ‎יְבַקֶּשֿׁ‎ Prov 15:14 + 2 t.; ‎אֲבַקְשָׁה‎ Ps 122:9 + 3 t.; suffix ‎יְבַקְשֵׁהוּ‎ 1Sam 23:14 + 7 t.; ‎יְבַקְשׁוּ‎ 1Sam 16:16 + 23 t.; Imperative ‎בַקֵּשׁ‎ 1Sam 9:3 + 3 t.; ‎בַּקְּשׁוּ‎ 1Sam 28:7 + 8 t.; Infinitive ‎לְבַקֵּשׁ‎ 1Sam 10:2 + 29 t.; Participle ‎מְבַקֵּשׁ‎ Gen 37:16 + 23 t.; plural ‎מְבַקְשִׁים‎ Exod 10:11 + 38 t.; —

1. seek to find:
a. absolute Judg 6:29; 2Kgs 2:17; Jer 5:1; Ezek 34:6; Eccl 3:6; Eccl 8:17 (yet see Ew).
b. accusative Gen 37:15; Gen 37:16; Josh 2:22 (J) Judg 4:22; Judg 14:4; 1Sam 9:3; 1Sam 10:2; 1Sam 10:14; 1Sam 10:21; 1Sam 16:16; 1Sam 23:14; 1Sam 23:25; 1Sam 24:3*; 1Sam 26:2; 1Sam 27:1; 1Sam 27:4 + 1Sam 26:20 object a flea, but read ‎נַפְשִׁי‎ ᵐ5 Th We Kirkp Klo Dr; 2Sam 17:3; 2Sam 17:20; 1Kgs 1:3; 1Kgs 2:40; 1Kgs 18:10; 2Kgs 2:16; 2Kgs 6:19; 1Chr 4:39; 2Chr 22:9; Ezra 2:62 (= Neh 7:64) Neh 12:27; Ps 37:25; Ps 37:36; Ps 119:176; Prov 2:4; Prov 21:6; Prov 23:35; Prov 7:28; Song 3:1 (twice in verse); Song 3:2 (twice in verse); Song 5:6; Song 6:1; Isa 41:12; Isa 41:17; Jer 2:24; Jer 2:33; Lam 1:11; Ezek 7:25; Ezek 22:30; Ezek 34:4; Ezek 34:16; Hos 2:9*; Nah 3:11; Zech 11:16; Mal 2:15.
c. with ‎לְ‎ Job 10:6.
d. accusative of thing ‎לְ‎ person Judg 18:1; 1Sam 13:14; 1Sam 28:7; 1Kgs 1:2; Ruth 3:1; Esth 2:2; Ps 122:9; Isa 40:20; Lam 1:19; Nah 3:7.

2. seek to secure:
a. accusative the priesthood Num 16:10 (P); David for king 2Sam 3:17 in battle 2Sam 5:17 (= 1Chr 14:8); Ps 27:4; Jer 45:5 (compare vJer 45:5); ‎בקשׁ נפשׁ‎ seek to take one's life Exod 4:19 (J) 1Sam 20:1; 1Sam 22:23 (twice in verse); 1Sam 23:15; 1Sam 25:29; 2Sam 4:8; 2Sam 16:11; 1Kgs 19:10; 1Kgs 19:14; Ps 35:4; Ps 38:13*; Ps 40:15*; Ps 54:5*; Ps 63:10*; Ps 70:3*; Ps 86:14; Prov 29:10; Jer 4:30; Jer 11:21; Jer 19:7; Jer 19:9; Jer 21:7; Jer 22:25; Jer 34:20; Jer 34:21; Jer 38:16; Jer 44:30 (twice in verse); Jer 46:26; Jer 49:37.
b. aim at, practise: ‎בקשׁ רעה‎ seek hurt of Num 35:23 (P) 1Sam 24:10*; 1Sam 25:26 (‎אֶל‎) 1Kgs 20:7; Ps 71:13; Ps 71:24; Esth 9:2 ‎כזב‎ ‎׳‎‎ב‎ Ps 4:3* compare Prov 17:11, ‎שׁבר‎ Prov 17:19, ‎רצון‎ Prov 11:27, ‎טובה‎ Neh 2:10, ‎אמונה‎ Jer 5:1, ‎צדק‎, ‎ענוה‎ Zeph 2:3 (twice in verse) ‎שׁלום‎ Ps 34:15*, ‎חכמה‎ Prov 14:6; Eccl 7:25, ‎בינה‎ Dan 8:15, ‎דעת‎ Prov 15:14; Prov 18:15, ‎תורה‎ Mal 2:7, ‎אהבה‎ Prov 17:9, ‎תאוה‎ Prov 18:1 (‎ל‎ of direct object), ‎חשׁבנות‎ Eccl 7:29.
c. Infinitive Exod 4:24 (J) Jer 26:21.
d. ‎לְ‎ & Infinitive Gen 43:30; Exod 2:15; Exod 10:11 (JE) Deut 13:11*; 1Sam 14:4; 1Sam 19:2; 1Sam 19:10; 1Sam 23:10; 2Sam 20:19; 2Sam 21:2; 1Kgs 11:22; 1Kgs 11:40; Esth 2:21; Esth 3:6; Esth 6:2; Ps 37:22; Eccl 12:10; Zech 6:7; Zech 12:9.

3. seek the face
a. of rulers 1Kgs 10:24 (= 2Chr 9:23) Prov 29:26.
b. of God (from resorting to sacred places) Hos 5:15; 1Chr 16:11 (= Ps 105:4) 2Chr 7:14; 2Sam 21:1; Ps 24:6; Ps 27:8 (twice in verse); without ‎פְּנֵי‎
c. ‎יהוה‎ Deut 4:29; Zeph 1:6; Zeph 2:3; Hos 3:5; Hos 3:5; Hos 5:6; Exod 33:7 (J) 1Chr 16:10 (= Ps 105:3) 2Chr 11:16; 2Chr 20:4; Isa 51:1; Prov 28:5; Zech 8:21; Zech 8:22; Jer 50:4 ‎אלהים‎ 2Sam 12:16, compare Ezek 8:22; Isa 45:19; Isa 65:1; 2Chr 15:4; 2Chr 15:15; Hos 7:10; Jer 29:13; Mal 3:1; Ps 40:17*; Ps 70:5*; Ps 69:7*; Dan 9:3 ‎׳‎‎דבר י‎ Amos 8:12 ‎שׁמך‎ Ps 83:17*.
d. followed by Infinitive with ‎לְ‎, of resort to wizards, but object not expressed Lev 19:34 (H).

4. desire, demand:
a. accusative 1Chr 21:3.
b. accusative of thing ‎מִן‎ person Ezek 7:26; Dan 1:20.

5. a. require, exact, accusative of thing ‎מִיַּד‎ person Isa 1:12 ‎מִן‎ person Neh 5:12, accusative of thing vNeh 5:18.
b. exact equivalent or penalty for, accusative of thing, ‎מִיַּד‎ person Gen 31:39; Gen 43:9 (JE) 1Sam 20:16; 2Sam 4:11; Ezek 3:18; Ezek 3:20; Ezek 33:8, compare ‎דרשׁ‎; no object expressed Josh 22:23 (P).

6. (late) ask, request, accusative of thing Esth 2:15 ‎עַל‎ of thing Neh 2:4 ‎עַל‎ of thing ‎מִן‎ person Esth 7:7; Ezra 8:23 ‎עַל‎ of thing ‎מִלִּפְנֵי‎ person Esth 4:8 accusative of thing ‎מִן‎ person Dan 1:8 (object clause with ‎אשׁר‎), Ps 104:21 ‎מִן‎ person 2Chr 20:4. Pu`al Imperfect ‎יְבֻקַּשׁ‎ Jer 50:20, ‎׳‎‎וַיְב‎ Esth 2:23 ‎תֲּבֻקְשִׁי‎ Ezek 26:21 be sought.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References