What does ζητέω · περιποιέομαι · ψυχή mean in the Bible?
ζητέω · περιποιέομαι · ψυχή is a Greek phrase meaning "seeks to preserve/acquire his life".
Greek · G2212, G4046, G5590
ζητήσῃ ... περιποιήσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ
To seek · to gain · soul
Reading a lexicon entry
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
ζητέωG2212to seek
Pronunciationzētéō
To seek actively and intentionally, often implying desire, striving, or demanding rather than passive searching.
Open lexicon entry →περιποιέομαιG4046to gain
Pronunciationperipoiéomai
To preserve or gain something by deliberate action, emphasizing possession acquired for oneself.
Open lexicon entry →ψυχήG5590soul
Pronunciationpsychḗ
The animating life-principle that encompasses will, desires, and affections as the seat of personal identity
Open lexicon entry →What does ζητήσῃ ... περιποιήσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ (zētēsē ... peripoiēsasthai tēn psychēn autou) mean in the Bible?
ζητέω · περιποιέομαι · ψυχή is a Greek phrase meaning "seeks to preserve/acquire his life".
Full entry for ζητήσῃ ... περιποιήσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ (G2212, G4046, G5590) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for G2212, G4046, G5590?
G2212, G4046, G5590 is connected to 117 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Greek phrase. seeks to preserve/acquire his life
Source Gloss
seeks to preserve/acquire his life
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups5Aligned forms117TensesImperfect, Present, Future, AoristVoicesActive, Passive
Tenses
Voices
Indicativestates a fact or reality75×
Present ActiveMatt 28:5 · Mark 16:6 · Luke 24:5 · John 1:38 · John 5:44 · John 6:26 · John 7:19 · John 8:37 · John 8:40 · John 16:19 · John 18:4 · John 18:7 · John 18:8 · Acts 10:21 · 2 Cor 13:3 · Matt 18:1236×
Imperfect ActiveMatt 26:59 · Mark 11:18 · Mark 12:12 · Mark 14:1 · Mark 14:55 · Luke 5:18 · Luke 6:19 · Luke 11:16 · Luke 19:47 · Luke 22:2 · John 5:18 · John 7:1 · John 7:11 · John 7:30 · John 10:39 · John 11:827×
Future ActiveJohn 7:34 · John 7:36 · John 8:21 · John 13:33 · Luke 13:24 · Rev 9:66×
Aorist ActiveLuke 20:19 · Acts 16:10 · 2 Tim 1:173×
Future PassiveLuke 12:481×
Present Passive1 Cor 4:21×
Imperfect PassiveHeb 8:71×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality26×
Present ActiveMatt 2:20 · Matt 12:46 · Matt 12:47 · Matt 21:46 · Mark 8:11 · John 6:24 · Acts 10:19 · Rom 10:3 · Gal 2:17 · 1 Thess 2:6 · Matt 7:8 · Luke 11:10 · Luke 13:6 · Luke 13:7 · John 7:18 · John 8:5026×
Imperativecommand or strong request12×
Present ActiveMatt 6:33 · Matt 7:7 · Luke 11:9 · Luke 12:29 · Luke 12:31 · 1 Cor 14:12 · Col 3:1 · 1 Cor 7:27 · 1 Cor 10:2410×
Aorist ActiveActs 9:11 · 1 Pet 3:112×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract3×
Present ActiveMatt 2:13 · Acts 17:272×
Aorist ActiveLuke 19:101×
Subjunctivepossibility, probability, or purpose1×
Aorist ActiveLuke 17:331×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 116 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present75imperfect28future7aorist6
Voice
active113passive3
Mood
indicative75participle26imperative12infinitive2subjunctive1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 2:13ζητεῖνpresent active infinitiveinfinitiveMatthew 2:20ζητοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 6:33ζητεῖτεpresent active imperativeimperativeMatthew 7:7ζητεῖτεpresent active imperativeimperativeMatthew 7:8ζητῶνpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 12:43ζητοῦνpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 12:46ζητοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 12:47ζητοῦντέςpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 13:45ζητοῦντιpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 18:12ζητεῖpresent active indicativeongoingMatthew 21:46ζητοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleMatthew 26:16ἐζήτειimperfect active indicativebackgroundMatthew 26:59ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundMatthew 28:5ζητεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoingMark 1:37ζητοῦσίνpresent active indicativeongoingMark 3:32ζητοῦσίνpresent active indicativeongoingMark 8:11ζητοῦντεςpresent active participleparticipleMark 8:12ζητεῖpresent active indicativeongoingMark 11:18ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundMark 12:12ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundMark 14:1ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundMark 14:11ἐζήτειimperfect active indicativebackgroundMark 14:55ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundMark 16:6ζητεῖτεpresent active indicativeongoingLuke 2:48ἐζητοῦμένimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 2:49ἐζητεῖτέimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 5:18ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 6:19ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 9:9ἐζήτειimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 11:10ζητῶνpresent active participleparticipleLuke 11:16ἐζήτουνimperfect active indicativebackgroundLuke 11:24ζητοῦνpresent active participleparticipleLuke 11:29ζητεῖpresent active indicativeongoingLuke 11:9ζητεῖτεpresent active imperativeimperativeLuke 12:29ζητεῖτεpresent active imperativeimperativeLuke 12:31ζητεῖτεpresent active imperativeimperativeLuke 12:48ζητηθήσεταιfuture passive indicativeprospectiveLuke 13:24ζητήσουσινfuture active indicativeprospectiveLuke 13:6ζητῶνpresent active participleparticipleLuke 13:7ζητῶνpresent active participleparticiple+76 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)
Word Origins
ζητήσῃ ... περιποιήσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Cross-Language Connections
Hebrew roots and equivalents that share conceptual or etymological ground with this Greek word.
נֶפֶשׁnafshoH5315RelatedHebrew
properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
רוּחַrûaḥH7307RelatedHebrew
wind ; by resemblance breath , i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation ; figuratively, life , anger , unsubstantiality ; by extension, a region of the sky ; by resemblance spirit , but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
חַיḥayH2416RelatedHebrew
alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively