ἐρωτ-άω G2065
To ask; either making a request or entreaty, or posing a question to gain information — two senses often blending in context.
A common Greek verb whose two senses — requesting and questioning — often shade into one another. When it means "request" or "beseech," it carries the weight of personal appeal, as when a Syrophoenician woman begs Jesus to cast out a demon (Mark 7:26) or disciples urge him to send a crowd away (Matt 15:23). The Spanish captures this with "rogar" and "pedir" (to plead, to ask for). When it means "inquire" or "question," it appears in scenes of genuine investigation: Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is (Matt 16:13), or no one dares question him further (John 16:23). Here Spanish shifts to "preguntar" (to ask a question), a distinction English lacks but that the multilingual evidence makes plain.
Senses
1. request, beseech, entreat — To make a request, plea, or earnest appeal — asking someone to do something rather than asking for information. Prominent in passages where Jesus is entreated for healing or help (Mark 7:26; Luke 4:38; Luke 5:3). Spanish distinguishes this clearly with "rogar" (to beseech) and "pedir" (to request), as opposed to "preguntar" (to inquire). French uses "demander" for both, but German "bitten" (to request) can separate it from "fragen" (to question). 38×
AR["أَسأَلُكِ", "أَسْأَلُ", "أَسْأَلُكَ", "سَأَلوهُ", "سَأَلَهُ", "طَلَبُوا", "كانوا-يَسأَلونَ", "كَانُوا-يَطْلُبُونَ", "نَسْأَلُ"]·ben["অনুরোধ-করছিলেন", "অনুরোধ-করল", "অনুরোধ-করলেন", "অনুরোধ-করি", "অনুরোধ-করি,", "অনুরোধ-করি।", "আমরা-অনুরোধ-করি", "আমি-অনুরোধ-করছি", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করছিল"]·DE["fragen", "fragt"]·EN["I-ask", "ask", "asked", "they-asked", "they-were-asking", "we-ask", "were-asking"]·FR["demander", "interroger"]·heb["בִּקְּשׁוּ", "מְבַקְּשִׁים", "מְבַקֵּשׁ", "שָׁאֲלוּ", "שׁוֹאֵל"]·HI["उसे", "निवेदन-करते-हैन", "पूछते-थे", "प्रार्थना-करता-हूँ", "बिनती-करता-हूं", "बिनती-की", "मैं-प्रार्थना-करता-हूँ", "मैं-विनती-करता-हूँ", "मैन-पुउचत-हुन", "विनती-कर-रहे-थे", "विनती-करते-थे", "विनती-की"]·ID["Aku-memohon", "Kami-minta", "aku minta", "aku-memohon", "aku-minta", "bertanya", "kami-minta", "meminta", "memohon", "mereka-meminta"]·IT["chiedere"]·jav["Kawula-nyuwun", "Kawula-nyuwun,", "Kita-nyuwun", "Kula-nyuwun", "kawula-nyuwun", "kita-nyuwun", "kula-nyuwun", "nyuwun", "nyuwun.", "sami-nyuwun", "taklèn", "takon"]·KO["구하고-있었다", "구한다", "구했다", "내-가-말한다", "묻고-있었다", "묻노라", "물었다", "우리가-부탁한다", "질문했다", "청한다", "청했다"]·PT["Rogamos", "Rogo-te", "pediam", "pediu", "perguntavam", "peço", "peço-te,", "rogamos", "rogo"]·RU["Просим", "Прошу", "попросила", "попросили", "просили", "просим", "прошу", "прошу,", "прошу.", "спрашивали"]·ES["Rogamos", "Te-ruego", "le-pidieron", "le-rogó", "os-rogamos", "preguntaban", "rogaban", "rogamos", "ruego", "te-ruego"]·SW["Nakuomba", "Tunawaomba", "nakuomba", "ninakuomba", "ninaomba", "tunawaomba", "wakamwomba", "walikuwa-wakimwomba", "walimuuliza", "walimwomba"]·TR["Rica-ediyorum", "Rica-ediyoruz", "istediler", "rica-ederim", "rica-ediyorum", "rica-ediyoruz", "rica-ettiler", "ricada-bulundu", "soruyorlardı", "yalvarıyorlardı"]·urd["اُس-سے", "درخواست کرتا ہوں", "درخواست-کرتا-ہوں", "درخواست-کرتے-ہیں", "درخواست-کی", "میں-کہتا-ہوں", "پوچھتے-تھے", "کہا", "ہم-درخواست-کرتے-ہیں"]
Matt 15:23, Mark 4:10, Mark 7:26, Luke 4:38, Luke 5:3, Luke 7:3, Luke 7:36, Luke 8:37, Luke 11:37, Luke 14:18, Luke 14:19, Luke 14:32 (+26 more)
2. ask, inquire, question — To pose a question, inquire, or interrogate someone seeking information or clarification. Appears in dialogue scenes where the goal is understanding rather than persuasion — Jesus questions his disciples (Matt 16:13), tests with a counter-question (Matt 21:24), or disciples are afraid to ask (Luke 9:45). Spanish consistently uses "preguntar" here, and the pattern of informational rather than petitionary context is consistent across all 25 occurrences. 25×
AR["أَسأَلُ", "أَنْ-يَسْأَلوهُ", "اِسْأَلْ", "تَسْأَلُ", "تَسْأَلُنِي", "سَأَسأَلُكُم", "سَأَلوا", "سَأَلَ", "سَأَلَهُ", "سَأَلَهُمْ", "سَأَلُوا", "سَأَلُوهُ", "سَأَلْتُ", "يَسأَلْ", "يَسْأَلُ", "يَسْأَلُوا"]·ben["জিজ্ঞাসা-করছ", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করতে", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করব", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করলেন", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করিলেন", "জিজ্ঞাসা-করে", "জিজ্ঞেস-কর", "জিজ্ঞেস-করছ?", "জিজ্ঞেস-করছে", "জিজ্ঞেস-করতে,", "জিজ্ঞেস-করতেন", "জিজ্ঞেস-করব", "জিজ্ঞেস-করল", "জিজ্ঞেস-করলেন", "তারা-জিজ্ঞাসা-করল", "প্রশ্ন-করি"]·DE["fragen", "fragt"]·EN["I-ask", "I-will-ask", "ask", "asked", "asks", "do-you-ask", "he-was-asking", "questioned", "they-asked", "to-ask", "was-asking", "were-asking", "you-ask"]·FR["demander", "interroger"]·heb["אֶשְׁאַל", "לִשְׁאֹל", "שְׁאַל", "שָׁאֲלוּ", "שָׁאַל", "שׁוֹאֵל"]·HI["उस-से", "तू-पूछता-है", "पुछ", "पुछत-है", "पूछ", "पूछता-है", "पूछना", "पूछने", "पूछा", "पूछूँगा", "पूछूं", "पूछूंगा", "पूछे"]·ID["Aku-akan-bertanya", "Aku-bertanya", "Dia-bertanya", "Mereka-bertanya", "Tanyakanlah", "bertanya", "kamu-tanya", "mereka-bertanya", "untuk-bertanya"]·IT["chiedere"]·jav["Kula-badhé-nyuwun-pirsa", "Kula-badhé-taken", "Kula-nyuwun-pirsa,", "Takena", "ndangu", "nyuwun-pirsa", "nyuwun-pirsa,", "pados-nyuwun-pirsa", "pados-pirsa", "panjenengan-taken?", "pitaken", "taken", "taken,", "taklèn"]·KO["묻겠다", "묻기-를", "묻기를", "묻느냐", "묻는다", "물어보라", "물었다", "물으면", "물으셨다", "물을-것이다"]·PT["Perguntarei", "pergunta", "perguntar", "perguntaram", "perguntas", "perguntava", "perguntavam", "perguntou"]·RU["Спроси", "Спросили", "Спрошу", "они-спрашивали", "спрашивает", "спрашиваешь", "спрашиваешь?", "спрашивал", "спросил", "спросили", "спросить", "спросить,", "спрошу"]·ES["Pregunta", "Preguntaré", "pregunta", "preguntaba", "preguntaban", "preguntar", "preguntara", "preguntaron", "preguntas", "preguntó"]·SW["Nitawauliza", "akamwuliza", "akauliza", "akawauliza", "akiwauliza", "aliwauliza", "anayeniuliza", "kuhusu", "kumuuliza", "nikiuliza", "ninyi", "unaniuliza", "wakamuuliza", "wakawauliza", "walimuuliza", "waulize"]·TR["Sor", "Soracağım", "ona", "soracağım", "sorarsa", "sordu", "sordular", "sormak", "sormaktan", "sorsam", "soruyor", "soruyordu", "soruyorsun"]·urd["پوچھا", "پوچھتا", "پوچھتا-تھا", "پوچھتا-ہے", "پوچھتے ہو", "پوچھنا", "پوچھنے", "پوچھو", "پوچھوں", "پوچھوں-گا", "پوچھے"]
Matt 16:13, Matt 19:17, Matt 21:24, Mark 8:5, Luke 9:45, Luke 19:31, Luke 20:3, Luke 22:68, Luke 23:3, John 1:19, John 1:21, John 1:25 (+13 more)
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐρωτ-άω, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰρωτάω, contraction in Refs 8th c.BC+ and best codices of Refs 5th c.BC+: imperfect ἠρώτων Refs 8th c.BC+; Ionic dialect εἰρώτευν Refs 5th c.BC+participle -τεῦντας variant in Refs: future -ήσωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist I ἠρώτησα Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἠρώτηκα Refs 5th c.BC+ —used in _Attic dialect_ to supply the defective tenses of ἔρομαι:—ask, τινά τι…