Of uncertain affinity; to seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life) -- be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (X will) seek (after, for, means). Compare punthanomai.

see GREEK punthanomai

1. to seek in order to find;

a. universally and absolutely: Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9f (see εὑρίσκω, 1 a); τινα, Mark 1:37; Luke 2:48 (Luke 2:45 R L marginal reading), (Luke 4:42 Rec.); John 6:24; John 18:4, 7; Acts 10:19, and often; followed by ἐν with the dative of place, Acts 9:11; with the accusative of the thing (μαργαρίτας), of buyers, Matthew 13:45; something lost, Matthew 18:12; Luke 19:10; τί ἐν τίνι, as fruit on a tree, Luke 13:6f; ἀνάπαυσιν, a place of rest, Matthew 12:43; Luke 11:24; after the Hebrew (פּ אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בִּקֵּשׁ ... (cf. Winer's Grammar, 33 (32); 18)) ψυχήν τίνος, to seek, plot against, the life of one, Matthew 2:20; Romans 11:3, (Exodus 4:19, etc.); universally, τί ζητεῖς; what dost thou seek? what dost thou wish? John 1:38 (39); (John 4:27).

b. to seek (i. e. in order to find out) by thinking, meditating, reasoning; to inquire into: περί τίνος ζητεῖτε μετ' ἀλλήλων; John 16:19; followed by indirect discourse, πῶς, τί, τινα: Mark 11:18; Mark 14:1, 11; Luke 12:29; Luke 22:2; 1 Peter 5:8; τόν Θεόν, to follow up the traces of divine majesty and power, Acts 17:27 (universally, to seek the knowledge of God, Wis. 1:1 Wis. 13:6; (Philo, monarch. i. § 5)).

c. to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after: εὐκαιρίαν, Matthew 26:16; Luke 22:6; ψευδομαρτυρίαν, Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:55; τόν θάνατον, an opportunity to die, Revelation 9:6; λύσιν, 1 Corinthians 7:27; τήν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31; τά ἄνω, Colossians 3:1; εἰρήνην, 1 Peter 3:11; ἀφθαρσίαν etc. Romans 2:7; δόξαν ἐκ τίνος, 1 Thessalonians 2:6; τήν δόξαν τήν παρά τίνος, John 5:44; τά τίνος, the property of one, 2 Corinthians 12:14; τήν δόξαν Θεοῦ, to seek to promote the glory of God, John 7:18; John 8:50; τό θέλημα τίνος, to attempt to establish, John 5:30; τό σύμφορον τίνος, to seek to further the profit or advantage of one, 1 Corinthians 10:33, equivalent to ζητεῖν τά τίνος, 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:21; ὑμᾶς, to seek to win your souls, 2 Corinthians 12:14; τόν Θεόν, to seek the favor of God (see ἐκζητέω, a.), Romans 10:20; (Romans 3:11 Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading). followed by an infinitive (Buttmann, 258 (222); Winers Grammar, § 44, 3) to seek i. e. desire, endeavor: Matthew 12:46 ( (WH in marginal reading only)); ; Mark 4:19 (L Tr marginal reading); Mark 12:12; Luke 5:18; Luke 6:19; Luke 9:9; John 5:18; John 7:4 (Buttmann, § 142, 4); John 5:19; Acts 13:8; Acts 16:10; Romans 10:3; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 2:17; followed by ἵνα (Buttmann, 237 (205)), 1 Corinthians 14:12.

2. to seek i. e. require, demand: (σημεῖον, Mark 8:12 L T Tr WH; Luke 11:29 T Tr WH); σοφίαν, 1 Corinthians 1:22; δοκιμήν, 2 Corinthians 13:3; τί παρά τίνος, to crave, demand something from someone, Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Luke 12:48; ἐν τίνι, the dative of person, to seek in one, i. e. to require of him, followed by ἵνα, 1 Corinthians 4:2. (Compare: ἀναζητέω, ἐκζητέω, ἐπιζητέω, συζητέω.)