δέ-ησις G1162
Earnest prayer, supplication, or entreaty; also a specific petition or request directed to God or to others.
A noun of intense, personal appeal — deesis always implies need pressing outward into words. Distinguished from the broader proseuche (prayer in general), deesis emphasizes the supplicant's urgency and specificity. Anna 'served God with fastings and supplications' (Luke 2:37); Paul pours out his 'heart's desire and prayer to God' for Israel (Rom 10:1). Spanish captures the range beautifully: 'oración' (prayer) for the devotional sense, 'súplica' and 'ruego' (plea, entreaty) for the petitionary force. In Philippians, Paul uses both senses within a single chapter — general prayerful supplication (1:4) alongside pointed requests 'made known to God' (4:6). The word reminds readers that biblical prayer is not vague aspiration but concrete, heartfelt asking.
2. petition, specific request — A particular petition, plea, or entreaty for a specific need. While sense 1 emphasizes the devotional posture, this sense foregrounds the content — a definite request. In Eph 6:18, believers are to pray 'with all prayer and petition (deesis),' and each deesis targets a concrete need. Phil 4:6 instructs, 'let your requests (deeseis) be made known to God.' Spanish 'petición' and 'ruego' (formal request, plea) distinguish this from general prayer. The word can also extend to petitions addressed to human authorities, though the NT usage is overwhelmingly God-directed. The specificity is the key: not prayer as atmosphere but prayer as arrow, aimed at a named need. 7×
AR["الطِّلْبَةِ","تَضَرُّعِهِم","طَلِبَةٍ","طَلِبَةَ","طِلبَةٍ"]·ben["নিবেদনে","প্রার্থনা","প্রার্থনায়","প্রার্থনার","মিনতি-এ","মিনতি-এর"]·DE["Bitten"]·EN["petition","prayer"]·FR["prière"]·heb["תְּחִנָּתָם","תְּפִלָּה","תְּפִלָּה,","תַחֲנוּן,","תַחֲנוּנִים,"]·HI["प्रअरथन","प्रअरथन,","प्रार्थना","विनति","विन्ति,"]·ID["doa","permohonan","permohonan,"]·IT["supplica"]·jav["pandonga","panyuwunan","panyuwunan,"]·KO["간구","간구,","간구-로","간구-를","간구를"]·PT["oração","súplica","súplica,"]·RU["моление","молению","молитве","молитву","прошение,","прошением","прошении,"]·ES["petición","ruego","súplica"]·SW["dua","maombi"]·TR["dualinizi","yakarisi","yakarisimda","yakarisla","yalvarisinin","yalvarisla","yalvarışlarına"]·urd["التجا","دعا","دُعا-میں","دُعا-کو","دُعا-کے","منت"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. prayer, supplication to God — Earnest prayer or supplication directed to God, emphasizing heartfelt entreaty in a devotional or worship context. Anna worships 'with fastings and deeseis' (Luke 2:37); Paul makes 'supplication' for his readers (Phil 1:4 in its broader sense); the early church offers 'prayers and supplications' (1 Tim 2:1). Spanish 'oración' and 'súplica,' French 'prière,' and German 'Bitten' all convey the prayerful urgency. This sense highlights the relational posture — a creature in need turning toward God with persistent, earnest speech. Zechariah receives the angel's answer to long-standing deesis (Luke 1:13). 11×
AR["الدُّعاءِ","الطِّلْباتِ","بِدُعائِهِمْ","صَلاةُ","صَلَواتٍ","طَلَبَاتٍ","طَلِبَةُ","طَلِبَتُكَ","طِلْباتي","طِلْباتٌ","طِلْبَاتٍ"]·ben["প্রার্থনা","প্রার্থনা,","প্রার্থনাগুলিতে","প্রার্থনায়","প্রার্থনায়,"]·DE["Bitten","δέησίς","δεήσεις","δεήσεσιν"]·EN["by-prayer","prayer","prayers","supplications"]·FR["prière"]·heb["בִּתְפִלָּה","תְּחִנֵּי","תְּחִנֵּים","תְּחִנָּה","תְּפִלָּה","תְּפִלּוֹת","תַּחֲנוּנִים"]·HI["प्रअरथनओन","प्रार्थना","प्रार्थना-में","प्रार्थनाएं","प्रार्थनाओं-से","विनतियन","विनतियोन"]·ID["doa","doa-doa","doaku","permohonan","permohonan-permohonan","permohonanmu"]·IT["deeseis","deesesin","deesis","preghiera","supplica"]·jav["pandonga","pandonga,","panyuwun","panyuwun,"]·KO["간구-가","간구는","간구들","간구들,","간구들과","간구들에,","기도","기도들-로","기도들을","기도에"]·PT["orações","súplica","súplicas"]·RU["-них","моление","моления","молитва","молитвами","молитвах","молитвой","молитвы","прошения","прошениях"]·ES["oración","súplica","súplicas"]·SW["kwa-maombi","maombi","maombi,","ombi","sala"]·TR["dilekler","dileklerde","dileklerimde","dualar","dualarla","duanı","duası","duasıyla","o-","yalvarışı"]·urd["اور","دعا","دعا-میں","دعاؤں-سے","دعائیں","دُعا-میں","منتوں","منتیں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δέ-ησις, εως, ἡ, entreaty, NT+5th c.BC+ __2 written petition, Refs 1st c.AD+ __II want, need, Refs 5th c.BC+; κατὰ τὰς δεήσεις according to their needs, Refs 4th c.BC+