What does ἐπιθυμία · ἐπιθυμέω mean in the Bible?
ἐπιθυμία · ἐπιθυμέω is a Greek phrase meaning "desire, craving, or strong inclination; to desire or set one's longing upon".
Greek · G1939, G1937
ἐπιθυμίαν / ἐπιθυμεῖ
A longing (especially for what is forbidden) · to long for
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
ἐπιθυμία G1939 a longing (especially for what is forbidden)
Pronunciation epithymía
Intense craving, especially for what is forbidden or worldly; often contrasted with rational choice or obedience to God.
Open lexicon entry →
ἐπιθυμέω G1937 to long for
Pronunciation epithyméō
Intense desire directed toward an object, often with moral disapproval in NT ethical contexts.
Open lexicon entry →
What does ἐπιθυμίαν / ἐπιθυμεῖ (epithymian / epithymei) mean in the Bible?
ἐπιθυμία · ἐπιθυμέω is a Greek phrase meaning "desire, craving, or strong inclination; to desire or set one's longing upon".
Full entry for ἐπιθυμίαν / ἐπιθυμεῖ (G1939, G1937) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for G1939, G1937?
G1939, G1937 is connected to 38 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Greek phrase. desire, craving, or strong inclination; to desire or set one's longing upon
Source Gloss
desire, craving, or strong inclination; to desire or set one's longing upon
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 8 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 8 Aligned forms 38 Case pattern Accusative (15) Number pattern Plural (22)
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Jas 1:15 · 1 John 2:16 · 1 John 2:17 4×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Mark 4:19 1×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine 1 Thess 4:5 · Jas 1:14 · Rev 18:14 3×
Genitive · Plural · Feminine 1 Pet 2:11 1×
Dative · Plural · Feminine Rom 1:24 · Rom 6:12 · Gal 5:24 · Eph 2:3 · 2 Tim 3:6 · Titus 3:3 · 1 Pet 1:14 · 1 Pet 4:2 · 1 Pet 4:3 · 2 Pet 2:18 10×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Luke 22:15 · 1 Thess 2:17 · 2 Pet 1:4 · 2 Pet 2:10 4×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine John 8:44 · Rom 13:14 · Eph 4:22 · 1 Tim 6:9 · 2 Tim 2:22 · 2 Tim 4:3 · Titus 2:12 · 2 Pet 3:3 · Jude 1:16 · Jude 1:18 10×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Rom 7:7 · Rom 7:8 · Gal 5:16 · Phil 1:23 · Col 3:5 5×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 16 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 6 aorist 5 future 4 imperfect 1
Voice
active 16
Mood
indicative 14 participle 1 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:28 ἐπιθυμῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:17 ἐπεθύμησαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 15:16 ἐπεθύμει imperfect active indicative background Luke 16:21 ἐπιθυμῶν present active participle participle Luke 17:22 ἐπιθυμήσετε future active indicative prospective Luke 22:15 ἐπεθύμησα aorist active indicative completed Acts 20:33 ἐπεθύμησα aorist active indicative completed Romans 7:7 ἐπιθυμήσεις future active indicative prospective Romans 13:9 ἐπιθυμήσεις future active indicative prospective 1 Corinthians 10:6 ἐπεθύμησαν aorist active indicative completed Galatians 5:17 ἐπιθυμεῖ present active indicative ongoing 1 Timothy 3:1 ἐπιθυμεῖ present active indicative ongoing Hebrews 6:11 ἐπιθυμοῦμεν present active indicative ongoing James 4:2 ἐπιθυμεῖτε present active indicative ongoing 1 Peter 1:12 ἐπιθυμοῦσιν present active indicative ongoing Revelation 9:6 ἐπιθυμήσουσιν future active indicative prospective
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
ἐπιθυμίαν / ἐπιθυμεῖ is built from this root:
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