ἐπιθῡμ-ία G1939
Desire, craving, or longing — usually sinful lust but occasionally earnest positive yearning
A noun from ἐπιθυμέω ('to set the heart upon'), spanning the full spectrum from illicit craving to holy longing. In the overwhelming majority of its 38 New Testament occurrences, it denotes sinful desire — the lusts of the flesh, the deceitfulness of worldly craving, and the covetousness that Paul identifies with idolatry. Yet two remarkable passages reclaim the word for positive yearning: Jesus' 'With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you' (Luke 22:15) and Paul's intense longing to see the Thessalonians (1 Thess 2:17). Spanish captures the negative pole with 'concupiscencia' and the neutral with 'deseo.'
2. earnest longing or yearning — Earnest, positive longing or deep yearning without negative moral connotation. Jesus uses the cognate accusative construction ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα ('with desire I have desired') at the Last Supper (Luke 22:15), expressing his sacred eagerness. Paul employs the same word for his intense longing to see the Thessalonians face to face (1 Thess 2:17). Spanish 'con deseo' and German 'begehrt' reflect this warmer, morally neutral sense, showing the word's original breadth before its predominantly negative Christian usage. 2×
AR["الشَّوْقِ","بِشَوْقٍ"]·ben["আকাঙ্ক্ষায়"]·DE["Begierde","begehrt"]·EN["With-desire","desire"]·FR["désir"]·heb["בְּ-תַאֲוָה","תְּשׁוּקָה"]·HI["इछ","लालसा-से"]·ID["Dengan-kerinduan","kerinduan"]·IT["desiderio","epithumia"]·jav["Kanthi-kapengin-sanget","kepéngin."]·KO["소원으로","열망으로."]·PT["desejo"]·RU["Желанием","желании"]·ES["Con-deseo","deseo"]·SW["Kwa-shauku","kubwa"]·TR["arzuyla","Şiddetle"]·urd["خواہش","خواہش-سے"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. sinful desire or lust — Sinful desire, lust, or craving for what is forbidden or contrary to God's will. Covers fleshly lusts (Rom 1:24; Gal 5:16), worldly desires that choke the word (Mark 4:19), the covetousness exposed by the law (Rom 7:7), and the desires of the devil (John 8:44). Spanish 'concupiscencia' and German 'Begierde' both carry the strongly negative connotation that dominates 36 of 38 occurrences. Paul and Peter frequently pair it with 'flesh' (σάρξ) to mark it as opposed to the Spirit. 36×
AR["الجَسَديَّةِ","الخاصَّةِ","الشَّهوَةُ","الشَّهوَةِ","بِشَهَواتٍ","شَهوَةَ","شَهوَةُ","شَهوَةِ","شَهوَتُهُ","شَهَواتٍ","شَهَواتِ","شَهَواتِكُم","شَهَواتِهِ","شَهَواتِهِم","شَهْوَةَ"]·ben["অভিলাষগুলি-থেকে","অভিলাষগুলিতে","ইচ্ছা","কামনা","কামনাকে","কামনায়","কামনার","কামনাসমূহ-র","কামনাসমূহে","কামনাসমূহের"]·DE["Begierde"]·EN["by-desires","desire","desires","lusts"]·FR["désir"]·heb["הָעַצְמִית","תַּאֲוַת","תַּאֲוָה","תַּאֲוֹת","תַּאֲווֹת"]·HI["अभिलाषा","अभिलाषा-की","अभिलाषा-के","अभिलाषाएँ","अभिलाषाओं","अभिलाषाओं-के","अभिलाषाओं-के-लिए","अभिलाषाओं-से","इचछ","इचछअओन","इचछओन","इच्छाओं"]·ID["keinginan","keinginan,","keinginan-keinginan","nafsu","nafsu,","nafsu-nafsu"]·IT["desiderio"]·jav["hawa-nepsu","kasengseman","kepénginan","pepenginan","pepenginan,","pepenginan;","pepenginaning","pepénginan","pepénginan,"]·KO["욕망","욕망들","욕망들에","욕망들을","욕망을","욕심","욕심-에,","욕심-이","정욕","정욕-의,","정욕들","정욕들에","정욕들을"]·PT["concupiscência","concupiscências","concupiscências,","concupiscências;","desejo","desejos","nas-concupiscências,"]·RU["желание","похотей,","похоти","похоти,","похоть","похотям","похотям,","похотям;","похотях","похотях,"]·ES["concupiscencia","concupiscencias","deseo","deseos","en-concupiscencias"]·SW["shauku","tamaa"]·TR["arzu","arzulara","arzularda","arzulardan","arzularinda","arzularla","arzularına","arzularıyla","arzusu","arzusunu","arzuyla","arzuyu"]·urd["خواہش","خواہش-سے","خواہش-سے،","خواہش-کو","خواہشات","خواہشوں","خواہشوں-سے","خواہشوں-کے؛","خواہشوں،","خواہش٬"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπιθῡμ-ία, Ionic dialect -ιη, ἡ, desire, yearning, ἐ. ἐκτελέσαι 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.32; ἐπιθυμίᾳ by passion, opposed to προνοίᾳ, Refs: generally, appetite, Refs; αἱ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἐ. Refs; especially sexual desire, lust, Refs; αἱ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας ἐ. Refs __2. with genitive, longing after a thing, desire of or for it, ὕδατος, τοῦ πιεῖν, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν ἐ. τινὸς εἶναι Refs; εἰς ἐ.…