Word Study for G1189 (δέομαι)

déomai /deh'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaningmiddle voice of δέω; to beg (as binding oneself), i.e. petition

KJV usagebeseech, pray (to), make request. Compare πυνθάνομαι.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of déomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word déomai, represented by G1189, signifies a deep and personal petition. It is defined as to beg, beseech, or make request, as if binding oneself to the appeal. It appears 22 times across 22 unique verses in the Bible, consistently conveying a sense of urgent and earnest supplication.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G1189 is used to express petitions directed toward both God and man. It describes the prayer of the disciples to the "Lord of the harvest" to send more laborers Luke 10:2. It characterizes the personal, desperate pleas for mercy and healing made to Jesus, as when a man full of leprosy besought him to be made clean Luke 5:12 or when a demon-possessed man beseech him not to be tormented Luke 8:28. The word also depicts fervent appeals between people, such as Paul beseeching a Roman official for permission to speak Acts 21:39 or the believers praying the apostles to accept a gift 2 Corinthians 8:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illustrate the posture and nature of petition:

G3870 parakaléō (to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation)): This term, also translated as "beseech," is used for earnest appeals and exhortations, such as Paul's plea to the believers in Rome to present their bodies as a living sacrifice Romans 12:1.
G3874 paráklēsis (imploration, hortation, solace): Often used alongside G1189, this word denotes the "intreaty" or the appeal itself, as seen when the Corinthians urged the apostles with much intreaty to receive their gift 2 Corinthians 8:4.
G4363 prospíptō (to fall towards, i.e. (gently) prostrate oneself (in supplication or homage)): This describes the physical act of falling down before someone, a posture that often accompanies an urgent request made with G1189, as when the man with demons fell down before Jesus and besought Him Luke 8:28.
G5399 phobéō (to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere): The act of prayer is directed at a revered authority. Cornelius, a man who prayed to God always, is also described as one that feared God Acts 10:2.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1189 is demonstrated in its application to core spiritual disciplines and truths.

Urgent Supplication in Need: G1189 is frequently used in moments of desperation, highlighting a complete dependence on divine power for what one cannot do themselves. This is seen when a father besought Jesus for his only son after the disciples failed to help Luke 9:40.
Intercessory Prayer: The term underscores the importance of praying for others. Jesus himself prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail Luke 22:32, and Paul speaks of "night and day praying exceedingly" for the believers in Thessalonica 1 Thessalonians 3:10.
Foundation for Kingdom Work: This specific kind of prayer is presented as a prerequisite for advancing God's mission. Both Matthew and Luke record the command to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers Matthew 9:38. It is also linked with repentance as a required response to wickedness Acts 8:22.

Summary

In summary, G1189 is not a word for casual requests. It captures the essence of a heartfelt and often desperate petition. From the cry for deliverance to the strategic prayer for the advancement of the church, déomai illustrates a posture of humble dependence. It shows individuals and communities turning to a higher authority—whether God, Christ, or a human leader—to beg for intervention, mercy, and provision that is beyond their own capacity to achieve.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 22 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Singular 7×
Aorist Passive Deponent Imperative 2nd Plural 3×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 3×
Aorist Passive Indicative 1st Singular 2×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Passive Deponent Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Imperfect Middle Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 1st Plural 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 22 verses across 7 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (8 verses); never once in the other 20.

Matthew

Luke

Acts

Romans

2 Corinthians

Galatians

1 Thessalonians

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.