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International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Ask:

ask (sha'al "to inquire," "to seek for counsel," "to demand"): It is the word commonly used in the Old Testament and is equivalent to eperotao, "to request," used in the New Testament. It does not imply any inferiority on the part of the person asking (Ps 2:8). It is the Son who is bidden to ask, and therefore the word expresses the request of an equal. It has also the meaning "to inquire": "Wherefore.... ask after my name?" (Ge 32:29) signifying, "Surely you must know who I am." "Ye shall ask me no question" (Joh 16:23), i.e. "about the true meaning of My words, for all will then be clear to you" (Dummelow). aiteo, is the word commonly used with reference to prayer. It means "to ask," "to implore," and presents the petitioner as an inferior asking from a superior (Mt 6:8; 7:7,8; Mr 10:35; Joh 14:13, and in many other places). It is not, however, asking in the sense of the word beg, but rather that of a child making request of its father. The petitioner asks both because of his need and of the assurance that he is welcome. He is assured before he asks that the petition will be granted, if he asks in accordance with God's will (1 Joh 3:22; 5:15). Moreover the Spirit leads us to such asking in that He reveals our need and the goodness of God to us.

Written by Jacob W. Kapp

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

A-1VerbStrong's Number: g154Greek: aiteo

Ask:

"to ask," is to be distinguished from No. 2. Aiteo more frequently suggests the attitude of a suppliant, the petition of one who is lesser in position than he to whom the petition is made; e.g., in the case of men in asking something from God, Mat 7:7; a child from a parent, Mat 7:9, 10; a subject from a king, Act 12:20; priests and people from Pilate, Luk 23:23 (RV, "asking" for AV, "requiring"); a beggar from a passer by, Act 3:2. With reference to petitioning God, this verb is found in Paul's epistles in Eph 3:20; Col 1:9; in James fourtimes, Jam 1:5, 6; 4:2, 3; in 1 John, five times, 1Jo 3:22; 5:14, 15 (twice), 16.
See BEG, CALL FOR, A, No. 7, CRAVE, DESIRE, REQUIRE.

A-2VerbStrong's Number: g2065Greek: erotao

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more frequently suggests that the petitioner is on a footing of equality or familiarity with the person whom he requests. It is used of a king in making request from another king, Luk 14:32; of the Pharisee who "desired" Christ that He would eat with him, an indication of the inferior conception he had of Christ, Luk 7:36; cp. Luk 11:37; Jhn 9:15; 18:19.

In this respect it is significant that the Lord Jesus never used aiteo in the matter of making request to the Father. "The consciousness of His equal dignity, of His potent and prevailing intercession, speaks out in this, that as often as He asks, or declares that He will ask anything of the Father, it is always erotao, an asking, that is, upon equal terms, Jhn 14:16; 16:26; 17:9, 15, 20, never aiteo, that He uses. Martha, on the contrary, plainly reveals her poor unworthy conception of His person, that... she ascribes that aiteo to Him which He never ascribes to Himself, Jhn 11:22" (Trench, Syn. xl).

In passages where both words are used, the distinction should be noticed, even if it cannot be adequately represented in English. In Jhn 16:23, "in that day ye shall ask Me nothing," the verb is erotao, whereas in the latter part of the verse, in the sentence, "If ye shall ask anything of the Father," the verb is aiteo. The distinction is brought out in the RV margin, which renders the former clause "Ye shall ask Me no question," and this meaning is confirmed by the fact that the disciples had been desirous of "asking" Him a question (erotao, Jhn 16:19). If the Holy Spirit had been given, the time for "asking" questions from the Lord would have ceased. In Jhn 14:14, where, not a question, but a request is made by the disciples, aiteo, is used.

Both verbs are found in 1Jo 5:16: in the sentence "he shall ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not unto death," the verb is aiteo, but with regard to the sin unto death, in the sentence "not concerning this do I say that he shall make request," the verb is erotao.

Later, the tendency was for erotao to approximate to aiteo.
See BESEECH, DESIRE, INTREAT, PRAY, REQUEST.

Note: In Mat 19:17, the RV, following the most authentic mss., has "Why askest (erotao) thou Me concerning that which is good?"

A-3VerbStrong's Number: g1905Greek: eperotao

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a strengthened form of No. 2 (epi, "in addition"), is frequently used in the Synoptic Gospels, but only twice in the Gospel of John, 18:7, 21. In Rom 10:20 it is rendered "asked of" (AV, "asked after"). The more intensive character of the "asking" may be observed in Luk 2:46; 3:14; 6:9; 17:20; 20:21, 27, 40; 22:64; 23:3, 6, 9. In Mat 16:1, it virtually signifies to demand (its meaning in later Greek).
See DEMAND, DESIRE, QUESTION.

Note: For the corresponding noun eperotema, see ANSWER.

A-4VerbStrong's Number: g4441Greek: punthanomai

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to ask by way of enquiry, not by way of making a request for something, is found in the Gospels and the Acts, five times in the former, seven in the latter; in Mat 2:4, AV, "demanded," RV, "enquired," so Act 21:33.
See DEMAND, INQUIRE, UNDERSTAND.

A-5VerbStrong's Number: g1833Greek: exetazo

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"to search out" (ek, "out," intensive, etazo, "to examine"), is translated "ask," in Jhn 21:12, AV (RV, "inquire"); in Mat 2:8, AV, "search;" RV, "search out," expressing the intensive force of the verb, so Mat 10:11 (AV, "inquire").
See INQUIRE, SEARCH.

A-6VerbStrong's Number: g3004Greek: lego

Ask:

"to say," occasionally signifies "to ask," as of an inquiry, the reason being that lego is used for every variety of speaking, e.g., Act 25:20, "I asked whether he would come to Jerusalem."
See BID, BOAST, CALL, DESCRIBE, GIVE, NAME, PUT, Note (2), SAY, SPEAK, TELL, UTTER.

A-7VerbStrong's Number: g350Greek: anakrino

Ask:

"to judge," sometimes has the meaning to ask a question; e.g., 1Cr 10:25, 27.
See DISCERN, EXAMINE, JUDGE, SEARCH.

Notes:

(1) For apaiteo, Luk 6:30, see REQUIRE, No. 3

(2) In Luk 22:31, RV, exaiteomai is rendered "hath asked to have."

B-1NounStrong's Number: g155Greek: aitema

Ask:

akin to No. 1, lit., "that which has been asked for," is used in Luk 23:24, RV, "what they asked for" (AV, "required"); Phl 4:6, "requests;" 1Jo 5:15, "petitions."
See PETITION, REQUEST, REQUIRE.