πυνθάνομαι (punthanomai)
punthanomai
to inquire
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb punthanomai means to seek information through asking or investigating. It appears twelve times in the New Testament, with a significant concentration in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. The word captures the active process of finding out facts, whether by posing a direct question or by learning details from others.
Its usage ranges from simple inquiries to more formal investigations. For instance, King Herod asks about the location of the newborn king (Matthew 2:4), while Paul’s nephew reports a plot against him to the Roman commander (Acts 23:20). In John 4:52, the royal official asks Jesus when his son will recover, showing how the term applies to seeking specific knowledge from a trusted source.
This word highlights the human desire for clarity. It is often used in contexts where accurate information is crucial for decision-making or understanding a situation. The sources note its connection to the Hebrew darash, which also implies seeking or inquiring, linking the New Testament usage to Old Testament practices of seeking divine or legal knowledge.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels uncertain, our natural instinct is to seek answers. This Greek word captures that active desire for clarity. It describes the simple act of asking questions to understand a situation better. Whether it is a king seeking the location of a newborn or a servant learning what happened in a house, the human heart longs for truth.
In your own walk, this reminds you that asking is not a sign of weakness. Jesus welcomed those who came to Him with honest questions. The royal official in John 4 did not hesitate to ask when his son would heal. He sought specific knowledge from a trusted source. Your doubts and inquiries are valid parts of growing in faith.
God invites you to bring your questions to Him. You do not need to have all the answers right now. Seeking understanding is a step toward trust. As you look for guidance, remember that God values your sincere search for truth more than perfect certainty.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he was inquiring3×
- to inquire1×
- to ask1×
- they were inquiring;1×
- they were asking1×
- he was inquiring:1×
- he was asking1×
- having learned1×
- I inquire1×
- He inquired1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπυνθάνετο4×
- ἐπύθετο1×
- ἐπυνθάνοντο·1×
- ἐπυνθάνοντο1×
- ἐπυνθάνετο·1×
- πυνθάνομαι1×
- πυνθάνεσθαι1×
- πυθόμενος1×
- πυθέσθαι1×
Key Verses
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John 4:52
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.”
This verse shows the word used by a father seeking specific timing for his son's healing, highlighting trust in Jesus' power.
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Acts 4:7
When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
Here religious leaders demand to know the source of Peter and John's authority, showing the word used in a confrontational context.
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Matthew 2:4
Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.
Herod uses this term to investigate the birthplace of the Messiah, demonstrating its use for serious political inquiry.
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Luke 15:26
He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.
The prodigal’s brother asks a servant about the celebration, illustrating the word in everyday domestic conversation.