Greek verb · G1937
ἐπιθυμέω
epithymeoep-ee-thoo-meh'-o
to long for
16 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: epithyméō
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G1937is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 11 of 27New Testament books
- 12spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G1937
to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise)
The King James renders it: covet, desire, would fain, lust (after).
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
epithymeo is rendered "to long for". It stands 16 times in the Greek text, across eleven books.
- Four of the uses stand in Luke, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
- The Greek text spells it twelve different ways.
The first use
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:28ἐπιθυμῆσαι
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Four of the word's sixteen uses are in Luke.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- you will covet2
- desire1
- desired1
- desires1
- desiring1
- he is desirous1
- he was longing1
- I coveted1
- I have desired1
- longed1
- they will long1
- to lust after1
and 3 more, 16 uses in all
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
| Word | Written | Meaning | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐπιθυμία | epithymia | desire | Uses38 |
| ἐπίθεσις | epithesis | laying on | Uses4 |
| ἐπιθυμητής | epithymetes | one who desires | Uses1 |
| ἐπιθανάτιος | epithanatios | condemned to death | Uses1 |
All 16, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
12 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- ἐπεθύμησα2
- ἐπεθύμησαν2
- ἐπιθυμεῖ2
- ἐπιθυμήσεις2
- ἐπεθύμει1
- ἐπιθυμεῖτε1
- ἐπιθυμῆσαι1
- ἐπιθυμήσετε1
- ἐπιθυμήσουσιν1
- ἐπιθυμοῦμεν1
- ἐπιθυμοῦσιν1
- ἐπιθυμῶν1
The grammar of each form
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singular2V-AAI-1S
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person plural2V-AAI-3P
- verb · future active, indicative · 2nd person singular2V-FAI-2S
- verb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singular2V-PAI-3S
- verb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)1V-AAN
- verb · future active, indicative · 2nd person plural1V-FAI-2P
- verb · future active, indicative · 3rd person plural1V-FAI-3P
- verb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singular1V-IAI-3S
- verb · present active, indicative · 1st person plural1V-PAI-1P
- verb · present active, indicative · 2nd person plural1V-PAI-2P
- verb · present active, indicative · 3rd person plural1V-PAI-3P
- verb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular1V-PAP-NSM
Matthew
two uses
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
- ἐπιθυμῆσαιepithumesaiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to lust after
For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
- ἐπεθύμησανepethumesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: longed
Luke
four uses
He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.
- ἐπεθύμειepethumeiverb · imperfect active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he was longing
and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
- ἐπιθυμῶνepithumonverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: desiring
Then He said to the disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
- ἐπιθυμήσετεepithumeseteverb · future active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: you will desire
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.
- ἐπεθύμησαepethumesaverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singulartagged: I have desired
Acts
one use
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
- ἐπεθύμησαepethumesaverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singulartagged: I coveted
Romans
two uses
What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
- ἐπιθυμήσειςepithumeseisverb · future active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you will covet
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- ἐπιθυμήσειςepithumeseisverb · future active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you will covet
1 Corinthians
one use
These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did.
- ἐπεθύμησανepethumesanverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: desired
Galatians
one use
For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
- ἐπιθυμεῖepithumeiverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: desires
1 Timothy
one use
This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.
- ἐπιθυμεῖepithumeiverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: he is desirous
Hebrews
one use
We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
- ἐπιθυμοῦμενepithumoumenverb · present active, indicative · 1st person pluraltagged: We desire
James
one use
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
- ἐπιθυμεῖτεepithumeiteverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person pluraltagged: You desire
1 Peter
one use
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
- ἐπιθυμοῦσινepithumousinverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: desire
Revelation
one use
In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
- ἐπιθυμήσουσινepithumesousinverb · future active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they will long
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.