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Greek · G2065 · unreviewed

ἐρωτάω

To interrogate; by implication, to request

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ἐρωτάω G2065
Pronunciation erōtáō

What does ἐρωτάω (erōtáō) mean in the Bible?

ἐρωτάω (erōtáō) is a Greek word meaning "to interrogate; by implication, to request". ἐρωτάω, -ῶ [in LXX chiefly for שָׁאַל ;] __1.

Full entry for ἐρωτάω (G2065) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to interrogate; by implication, to request
Extended definition

To question or interrogate; in later Greek also means to request or petition, overlapping with αἰτέω.

1to ask, question (cl.): absol., Luk.19:31 22:68, Jhn.8:7 with accusative of person(s), Jhn.9:21 16:19, 30 8:21; before λέγων, Mat.16:13, Luk.23:3, Jhn.1:19, 21 5:12 9:19 16:5; with dupl. accusative (WM, § 32, 4a), Mat.21:24, Mrk.4:10, Luk.20:3, Jhn.16:23 (M, Pr., 66„); with accusative of person(s), before περί, Luk.9:45, Jhn.18:19.
2In late Gk. (Milligan, NTD, 51; not, as Cremer, 716, Thayer, see word, a "Hebraism"), = αἰτέω (which see), to ask, request: with accusative of person(s), Jhn.14:16; before imperat., Luk.14:18-19 Php.4:3; λέγων, Mat.15:23, Jhn.12:21; before ἵνα (M, Pr., 208), Mrk.7:26, Luk.7:36 16:27, Jhn.4:47 17:15 19:31, 38, 1Th.4:1, 2Jn.5; ὅπως, Luk.7:3 11:37, Act.23:20; with inf., Luk.5:3 8:37, Jhn.4:40, Act.3:3 10:48 23:18, 1Th.5:12; with accusative of person(s), before περί, Luk.4:38 Jhn.17:9, 20, 1Jn.5:16; ὑπέρ, 2Th.2:1-2; τὰ (WH, txt., om. τὰ) πρὸς εἰρήνην, Luk.14:32 (cf. δι-, ἐπ-ερωτάω)
Synonymssee: αἰτέω
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Imperfect Aorist Future
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality 50×
Present Active Luke 14:18 · Luke 14:19 · Luke 16:27 · John 17:9 · John 17:15 · John 17:20 · Phil 4:3 · 2 John 1:5 · Luke 11:37 · Luke 14:32 · John 16:5 · 1 Thess 4:1 · 1 Thess 5:12 · 2 Thess 2:1 · Matt 19:17 · John 18:21 17×
Imperfect Active Matt 15:23 · Mark 4:10 · John 4:31 · John 4:40 · John 9:15 · John 12:21 · Acts 1:6 · Acts 16:39 · Matt 16:13 · Mark 7:26 · Mark 8:5 · Luke 7:36 · John 4:47 · Acts 3:3 14×
Aorist Active Luke 4:38 · John 1:21 · John 1:25 · John 5:12 · John 9:2 · John 9:19 · John 19:31 · Acts 10:48 · Luke 5:3 · Luke 8:37 · Luke 23:3 · John 18:19 · John 19:38 · Acts 23:18 14×
Future Active Matt 21:24 · Luke 20:3 · John 14:16 · John 16:26 · John 16:23 5×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Aorist Active Luke 9:45 · Acts 23:20 2×
Present Active John 16:19 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 5×
Aorist Active Luke 22:68 · John 1:19 · 1 John 5:16 3×
Present Active Luke 19:31 · John 16:30 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Present Active Luke 7:3 · Acts 18:20 2×
Imperative command or strong request 2×
Aorist Active John 9:21 · John 18:21 2×
62 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 62 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 14 ongoing 16 prospective 5 imperative 2 background 14 subjunctive 5 infinitive 3 participle 3
Tense
present 22 aorist 21 imperfect 14 future 5
Voice
active 62
Mood
indicative 49 subjunctive 5 participle 3 infinitive 3 imperative 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 15:23 ἠρώτουν imperfect active indicative background Matthew 16:13 ἠρώτα imperfect active indicative background Matthew 19:17 ἐρωτᾷς present active indicative ongoing Matthew 21:24 Ἐρωτήσω future active indicative prospective Mark 4:10 ἠρώτων imperfect active indicative background Mark 7:26 ἠρώτα imperfect active indicative background Mark 8:5 ἠρώτα imperfect active indicative background Luke 4:38 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed Luke 5:3 ἠρώτησεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 7:3 ἐρωτῶν present active participle participle Luke 7:36 Ἠρώτα imperfect active indicative background Luke 8:37 ἠρώτησεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 9:45 ἐρωτῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Luke 11:37 ἐρωτᾷ present active indicative ongoing Luke 14:18 ἐρωτῶ present active indicative ongoing Luke 14:19 ἐρωτῶ present active indicative ongoing Luke 14:32 ἐρωτᾷ present active indicative ongoing Luke 16:27 Ἐρωτῶ present active indicative ongoing Luke 19:31 ἐρωτᾷ present active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 20:3 Ἐρωτήσω future active indicative prospective Luke 22:68 ἐρωτήσω aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 23:3 ἠρώτησεν aorist active indicative completed John 1:19 ἐρωτήσωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive John 1:21 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed John 1:25 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed John 4:31 ἠρώτων imperfect active indicative background John 4:40 ἠρώτων imperfect active indicative background John 4:47 ἠρώτα imperfect active indicative background John 5:12 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed John 8:7 ἐρωτῶντες present active participle participle John 9:15 ἠρώτων imperfect active indicative background John 9:19 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed John 9:2 ἠρώτησαν aorist active indicative completed John 9:21 ἐρωτήσατε aorist active imperative imperative John 12:21 ἠρώτων imperfect active indicative background John 14:16 ἐρωτήσω future active indicative prospective John 16:19 ἐρωτᾶν present active infinitive infinitive John 16:23 ἐρωτήσετε future active indicative prospective John 16:26 ἐρωτήσω future active indicative prospective John 16:30 ἐρωτᾷ present active subjunctive subjunctive +22 more occurrences

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)

Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

ἐρωτάω · ἀκούω G2065, G191
ask those who have heard
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

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

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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