ἐπιθῡμ-έω G1937
To desire intensely—either longing for something good or coveting what is forbidden.
A verb of intense inner desire whose moral coloring depends entirely on its object. When Jesus says 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you' (Luke 22:15), the word glows with holy longing. When prophets and kings 'desired to see' what the disciples see (Matt 13:17), it speaks of sacred anticipation. But in the Decalogue tradition—'you shall not covet' (Rom 7:7; 13:9)—and in warnings about fleshly desire (Matt 5:28; 1 Cor 10:6; Gal 5:17), it carries the weight of sinful craving. Spanish captures this moral split strikingly: 'anhelar/desear' for righteous longing versus 'codiciar' for covetousness, tracking the Greek's full range.
Senses
1. desire, long for — To desire, long for, or yearn after something—with neutral or positive connotation. Jesus earnestly desires to share the Passover with his disciples (Luke 22:15), prophets and righteous people longed to see and hear what the disciples experience (Matt 13:17; 1 Pet 1:12), and the prodigal son longs to fill his stomach even with pig food (Luke 15:16; cf. Luke 16:21; 17:22). French 'désirer' and Spanish 'anhelar/deseaba' treat the longing as straightforward and morally unmarked. 9×
AR["اشتَهَوا", "اشْتَقْتُ", "تَشتَهونَ", "كَانَ-يَشْتَهِي", "نَشْتَهي", "يَرْغَبُ", "يَشتاقُ", "يَشْتَهُونَ"]·ben["আকাঙ্ক্ষা-করলাম", "আকাঙ্ক্ষা-করেন", "কামনা-করছিল", "কামনা-করি", "চাইত", "চাইবে", "চেয়েছিল", "তারা-কামনা-করবে", "সে-ইচ্ছা-করে।"]·DE["begehren", "begehrt"]·EN["I-desired", "desire", "he-desires", "he-was-longing", "longed", "longing", "we-desire", "will-desire", "you-will-desire"]·FR["désirer"]·heb["הִתְאַוֵּיתִי", "הִתְאַוָּה", "הִתְאַוּוּ", "יִתְאַוּוּ", "מִשְׁתַּוְקִים", "מִשְׁתּוֹקְקִים", "מִתְאַוֶּה", "תִתְאַוְּוּ"]·HI["इचछ-करत-है", "चअहअ", "चाहता-था", "चाहते-हैं", "चाहेंगे", "चाहोगे", "लालसा-की", "लालसा-रखते-हैं"]·ID["Aku-merindukan", "Kami-menghendaki", "dia-menginginkan", "ia-menginginkan", "ingin", "kamu-akan-rindu", "menginginkan", "mereka-akan-menginginkan", "mereka-ingin"]·IT["desiderare"]·jav["Kula-kepengin", "kepengin", "kepéngin", "kepéngin.", "kita-kepengin", "piyambakipun-sedaya-ngersakaken"]·KO["갈망하는", "갈망할-것이니", "소원했다", "원하니", "원하며", "원한다.", "원할-것이다", "원했다"]·PT["Desejamos", "deseja", "desejam", "desejando", "desejaram", "desejareis", "desejarão", "desejava"]·RU["возжелаете", "возжелал", "возжелают", "жаждет", "желаем", "желал", "желали", "желают", "желающий"]·ES["anhela", "deseaba", "deseamos", "desean", "deseando", "desearon", "desearán", "desearéis", "deseé"]·SW["akitamani", "alitamani", "anataka", "mtakapotamani", "nimetamani", "tunatamani", "walitamani", "wanatamani", "watatamani"]·TR["arzuladılar", "arzuladım", "arzular", "arzulayacaklar", "arzulayacaksınız", "arzulayan", "arzuluyoruz", "can-atıyordu"]·urd["چاہا", "چاہتا-تھا", "چاہتا-ہے۔", "چاہتے-ہوئے", "چاہتے-ہیں", "چاہو-گے", "چاہیں-گے"]
2. covet, lust after — To covet, lust after, or crave sinfully—desire directed at a forbidden object. Jesus intensifies the commandment: looking at a woman 'to desire her' is already adultery of the heart (Matt 5:28). Paul identifies this verb with the Tenth Commandment: 'I would not have known coveting if the law had not said, You shall not covet' (Rom 7:7; Rom 13:9). The Israelites in the wilderness 'craved evil things' (1 Cor 10:6), and the flesh 'desires against the Spirit' (Gal 5:17). Spanish shifts decisively to 'codiciar/codiciarás,' a vocabulary reserved for wrongful appropriation. 7×
AR["اشتَهَوا", "تَشتَهونَ", "تَشْتَهِ", "لَمْ-أَشْتَهِ", "يَشتَهي", "يَشْتَهِيَهَا"]·ben["আমি-লোভ-করিনি", "কামনা-করতে", "কামনা-করে,", "কামনা-করেছিল।", "লালসা-করবে", "লালসা-করো", "লোভ-করবে,"]·DE["begehren", "begehrt"]·EN["I-coveted", "desired", "desires", "to-desire", "you-desire", "you-shall-covet"]·FR["désirer"]·heb["הִתְאַוּוּ", "חָמַדְתִּי", "לִחְמֹד", "מִתְאַוִּים", "מִתְאַוֶּה", "תִּחְמֹד", "תִּתְאַוֶּה"]·HI["इचछ-रखत-है,", "ललचाने", "ललचाया-नहीं", "लालच-करेगा", "लालचा-की", "लालचायेगा", "लालसा-करते-हो"]·ID["Kamu-menginginkan,", "aku-inginkan", "mengingini,", "mengingini.", "menginginkan"]·IT["desiderare"]·jav["kepéngin,", "kula-pepengin.", "melik.", "ngersakaken", "ngersakaken,", "ngersakaken.", "punapa"]·KO["나는-탐하지-않았다", "욕심하노라,", "탐내고,", "탐내도록", "탐내지", "탐내지-말라", "탐하였던것처럼"]·PT["cobia", "cobicei.", "cobiçais", "cobiçar", "cobiçaram.", "cobiçareis,", "cobiçarás."]·RU["вожделением", "желает", "желаете,", "и-", "пожелали.", "я-не-желал."]·ES["codiciar", "codiciarás", "codiciáis", "codicié", "desea", "desearon"]·SW["hutamani", "kumtamani", "mnatamani", "sikutamani", "tamani,", "usitamani", "walivyotamani."]·TR["arzu-edeceksin", "arzu-etmedim", "arzuladılar", "arzulama", "arzulamak", "arzular", "arzularsınız"]·urd["خواہش-کی", "لالچ-کرو-گے۔", "لالچ-کرے-گا", "للچانے", "چاہا", "چاہتا-ہے", "چاہتے-ہو٬"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπιθῡμ-έω, set one's heart upon a thing, long for, covet, desire, with genitive of things, Refs 5th c.BC+; of political attachments, τῶν ἡμετέρων πολεμίων 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 4.28; ὀλιγαρχίας 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 20.3: with infinitive, desire to do, πλῶσαι 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.24; ἀπικνέεσθαιRefs 5th c.BC+: absolutely, desire, covet, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ ἐπιθυμοῦν τοῦ…