בָּקַשׁ bâqash

Meaning

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

In the King James Version: ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).

Derivation: a primitive root;

Where it is used

• 1 Kings 2:40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves, and he brought them back from Gath.
• 1 Kings 10:24 The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
• 1 Kings 11:22 But Pharaoh asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?” “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go.”
• 1 Kings 11:40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon.
• 1 Kings 18:10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
• 1 Kings 19:10 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
• 1 Kings 19:14 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”
• 1 Kings 20:7 Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
• 2 Kings 2:16 “Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
• 2 Kings 2:17 But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.
• 2 Kings 6:19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.
• 1 Chronicles 4:39 and they journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, in search of pasture for their flocks.
• 1 Chronicles 14:8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they all went in search of him; but David learned of this and went out to face them.
• 1 Chronicles 16:10 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
• 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.
• 1 Chronicles 21:3 But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
• 2 Chronicles 7:14 and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
• 2 Chronicles 9:23 All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
• 2 Chronicles 11:16 Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
• 2 Chronicles 15:4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
• 2 Chronicles 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.
• 2 Chronicles 20:4 So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.
• 2 Chronicles 22:9 Then Jehu looked for Ahaziah, and Jehu’s soldiers captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. So Ahaziah was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So no one was left from the house of Ahaziah with the strength to rule the kingdom.
• Ezra 2:62 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
• Ezra 8:21 And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
• Ezra 8:22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”
• Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.
• Nehemiah 2:4 “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
• Nehemiah 2:10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
• Nehemiah 5:12 “We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
• Nehemiah 5:18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
• Nehemiah 7:64 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
• Nehemiah 12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
• Esther 2:2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
• Esther 2:15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
• Esther 2:21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
• Esther 2:23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
• Esther 3:6 And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
• Esther 4:8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people.
• Esther 6:2 And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
• Esther 7:7 In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him.
• Esther 9:2 In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples.
• Job 10:6 that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—
• Psalms 4:2 How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah
• Psalms 24:6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah
• Psalms 27:4 One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
• Psalms 27:8 My heart said, “Seek His face.” Your face, O LORD, I will seek.
• Psalms 34:14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
• Psalms 35:4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
• Psalms 37:25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
• Psalms 37:32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
• Psalms 37:36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.
• Psalms 38:12 Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.
• Psalms 40:14 May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
• Psalms 40:16 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “The LORD be magnified!”
• Psalms 54:3 For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah
• Psalms 63:9 But those who seek my life to destroy it will go into the depths of the earth.
• Psalms 69:6 May those who hope in You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of Hosts; may those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel.
• Psalms 70:2 May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.
• Psalms 70:4 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “Let God be magnified!”