What does δέησις (déēsis) mean in the Bible?
Δέησις (déēsis) means petition, supplication, or prayer arising from a felt need. Zechariah learns that his long-offered petition has been heard and that Elizabeth will bear John.
Greek · G1162
δέησις
A petition
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δέησις G1162
Pronunciation déēsis
What does δέησις (déēsis) mean in the Bible?
Δέησις (déēsis) means petition, supplication, or prayer arising from a felt need. Zechariah learns that his long-offered petition has been heard and that Elizabeth will bear John.
Reader summary
Full entry for δέησις (G1162) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1162?
The BSB source-word alignment has 18 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include prayer (4), prayers (4), petition (2), petitions (2), pray (2).
Where does δέησις (déēsis) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 1:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Philippians (4), Luke (3), 1 Timothy (2), 2 Corinthians (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Δέησις (déēsis) means petition, supplication, or prayer arising from a felt need. Zechariah learns that his long-offered petition has been heard and that Elizabeth will bear John. Paul prays from his heart for Israel's salvation, so theological disagreement does not extinguish intercession. He asks the Corinthians to help through prayer and expects many people to give thanks when God answers.
Ephesians places every kind of petition within prayer in the Spirit, alertness, perseverance, and concern for all the saints. Philippians shows Paul's recurring petitions filled with joy for gospel partners. The noun is more specific than prayer in general, but it is not a technique for securing desired outcomes. Need is brought to God under His will, through communal participation, with perseverance, thanksgiving, love, and confidence that He hears.
How the Bible Uses It
Δέησις names a need-shaped petition. Its witnesses include a long-heard prayer, intercession for salvation, communal help through prayer, persevering Spirit-led petitions for all saints, and joyful prayer for gospel partners.
- Luke.1.13
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
The angel tells Zechariah that his petition has been heard, answering long disappointment through God's appointed birth and redemptive timing.
- Rom.10.1
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.
Paul's heart desire and petition concern Israel's salvation, showing that his argument about unbelief remains joined to love and intercession.
- 2Cor.1.11
As you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.
The Corinthians help Paul through their petitions, and answered prayer multiplies thanksgiving among many people rather than crediting one heroic intercessor.
- Eph.6.18
Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
Believers pray with every kind of prayer and petition in the Spirit, staying alert and persevering for all the saints within the struggle described by God's armor.
- Phil.1.4
In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy,
Paul makes every petition for the Philippians with joy because their gospel partnership and God's continuing work shape his remembrance.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It prayer 4× Luke 1:13, Romans 10:1, Philippians 1:4, 1 Peter 3:12
prayers 4× 2 Corinthians 9:14, Philippians 1:19, 2 Timothy 1:3, Hebrews 5:7
petition 2× Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6
petitions 2× 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Timothy 5:5
pray 2× Luke 5:33, Philippians 1:4
[The] prayer 1× James 5:16
[your] prayers 1× 2 Corinthians 1:11
in your prayers 1× Ephesians 6:18
praying 1× Luke 2:37
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 1:13 δέησίς to prayer Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Luke 2:37 δεήσεσιν to praying Noun - Dative Feminine Plural Luke 5:33 δεήσεις to pray Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Romans 10:1 δέησις to prayer Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 2 Corinthians 1:11 δεήσει to [your] prayers Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 2 Corinthians 9:14 δεήσει to prayers Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Ephesians 6:18 δεήσεως to petition Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Ephesians 6:18 δεήσει to in your prayers Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Philippians 1:4 δεήσει to prayer Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Philippians 1:4 δέησιν to pray Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 1:13
Aligned rows 18
Books represented 10
Luke 3 Romans 1 2 Corinthians 2 Ephesians 2 Philippians 4 1 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 1 Hebrews 1 James 1 1 Peter 1
Source forms
δεήσει 5x deēsei 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2 Corinthians 9:14, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:4
δεήσεις 3x deēseis Luke 5:33, 1 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 5:7
δεήσεσιν 2x deēsesin Luke 2:37, 1 Timothy 5:5
δεήσεως 2x deēseōs Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:19
δέησιν 2x deēsin Philippians 1:4, 1 Peter 3:12
δέησις 2x deēsis Romans 10:1, James 5:16
δεήσεσίν 1x deēsesin 2 Timothy 1:3
δέησίς 1x deēsis Luke 1:13
Parsing patterns
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 5x 2 Corinthians 1:11, 2 Corinthians 9:14, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:4
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 3x Luke 5:33, 1 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 5:7
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural 3x Luke 2:37, 1 Timothy 5:5, 2 Timothy 1:3
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 3x Luke 1:13, Romans 10:1, James 5:16
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 2x Philippians 1:4, 1 Peter 3:12
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 2x Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 1:19
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not interpret delayed response as proof that God has not heard, or promised hearing as a guarantee that He will follow the petitioner's preferred timing.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Paul's prayer for Israel weakens his truthful diagnosis of unbelief.
- Do not claim that prayer “helps” only psychologically when Paul treats the Corinthians' petitions as real participation in deliverance.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Urgent petition emphasizing the petitioner's need; distinguished from general prayer by its expression of want.
Strong's G1162
Lexical occurrences 18 verses Greek text appearances 19 times 16 shown below Word forms 6 forms 18 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 5:33-39 Source Gloss
a petition
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 19 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 1:13 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
δέησίς dehsiv
supplication, prayer
Read verse Luke 2:37 Noun Dative Plural Feminine
δεήσεσι dehsesin
supplication, prayer
Read verse Luke 5:33 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
δεήσεις dehseiv
supplication, prayer
Read verse Acts 1:14 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει, dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse Romans 10:1 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
δέησις dehsiv
supplication, prayer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 1:11 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει, dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse 2 Corinthians 9:14 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse Ephesians 6:18 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δεήσεως dehsewv
supplication, prayer
Read verse Ephesians 6:18 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse Philippians 1:4 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse Philippians 1:4 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
δέησιν dehsin
supplication, prayer
Read verse Philippians 1:19 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
δεήσεως, dehsewv
supplication, prayer
Read verse Philippians 4:6 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
δεήσει dehsei
supplication, prayer
Read verse 1 Timothy 2:1 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
δεήσεις, dehseiv
supplication, prayer
Read verse 1 Timothy 5:5 Noun Dative Plural Feminine
δεήσεσι dehsesin
supplication, prayer
Read verse 2 Timothy 1:3 Noun Dative Plural Feminine
δεήσεσί dehsesin
supplication, prayer
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 6 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 6 Aligned forms 18 Case pattern Dative (8) Number pattern Singular (12)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Luke 1:13 · Rom 10:1 · Jas 5:16 3×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Eph 6:18 · Phil 1:19 2×
Dative · Singular · Feminine 2 Cor 1:11 · 2 Cor 9:14 · Eph 6:18 · Phil 1:4 · Phil 4:6 5×
Dative · Plural · Feminine Luke 2:37 · 1 Tim 5:5 · 2 Tim 1:3 3×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Luke 5:33 · 1 Tim 2:1 · Heb 5:7 3×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Phil 1:4 · 1 Pet 3:12 2×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Religious petitions and requests made to God through prayer and fasting
Urgent petitions to God combined with prayer, vigilance, and intercession
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 18 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
δέησις is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Petition is the speech of dependent people, not a mechanism for controlling outcomes. Zechariah's prayer is heard within a timing and purpose larger than his household, reminding discouraged worshipers that delay is not proof of divine indifference. Paul petitions for Israel's salvation even while explaining hard truths about unbelief, so theological clarity and grief-filled intercession belong together.
Corinthians become genuine helpers through prayer, and the expected result is widespread thanksgiving to God. Ephesians places petition inside Spirit-enabled vigilance, sustained concern for all saints, and gospel witness. Philippians adds joy, because intercession remembers partnership and trusts God's unfinished work. Churches should ask specifically, pray communally, persevere honestly, and receive answers as occasions for gratitude.
Δέησις teaches neither passivity nor demand, but active dependence on the God who hears and acts wisely.
Anchor passage
Luke.1.13
Doctrinal connections
- Luke 1:5-17, Zechariah's heard petition and God's timing
- Romans 10:1-4, prayer for Israel's salvation
- 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, communal petitions and multiplied thanksgiving
- Ephesians 6:10-20, Spirit-led petition within God's armor
- Philippians 1:3-11, joyful petition for gospel partners
- 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Hannah's specific petition heard by the Lord
Δέησις is a noun for entreaty or petition and often appears alongside broader prayer vocabulary. A genitive or prepositional phrase may identify the person or need for which request is made.
From Old to New Testament
Hannah pours out need before the Lord, psalms plead for help, prophets intercede for a people, and apostles make specific petitions sustained by the Spirit and shared across churches.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain