deomai (to pray) · Rightly

Meaning

Usually translated “implore”, “do pray earnestly” and “imploring”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated

i implore 6
do pray earnestly 3
imploring 3
begged 2
praying 2
do beseech 1
was begging 1
i begged 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most

Luke 8
Acts 7
2 Corinthians 3
Matthew 1
Romans 1
Galatians 1

7 books in all.

Related words

Explore in Scripture

Luke 5:12And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
Luke 8:38Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
Luke 9:38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Luke 9:40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
Luke 10:2Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

All 22 verses, by book

Matthew 1: 9:38
Luke 8: 5:12 8:28 8:38 9:38 9:40 10:2 21:36 22:32
Acts 7: 4:31 8:22 8:24 8:34 10:2 21:39 26:3
Romans 1: 1:10
2 Corinthians 3: 5:20 8:4 10:2
Galatians 1: 4:12
1 Thessalonians 1: 3:10

Greek dictionary

δέομαι deomai · to pray

δέομαι (mid. of δέω, II, which see, as depon.) [in LXX for חנן, etc. ;] to want for oneself; 1. to want, need: (a) absol.; (b) with genitive 2. to beg, request, beseech, pray; (i) in general: absol., Act.26:3, WH; with genitive of person(s), Luk.5:12; 8:28; 38 (ἐδεῖτο; T, ἐδέετο, cf. Veitch, see word δέω) 9:38, Act.8:34; 21:39, 2Co.5:20, Gal.4:12; before ἵνα, Luk.9:40; before τό, with inf., 2Co.10:2; with genitive of person(s) and of thing(s), 2Co.8:4; …

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “pray” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

PRAY, verb intransitive

[Latin precor; proco; this word belongs to the same family as preach and reproach; Heb. to bless, to reproach; rendered in, to curse; properly, to reproach, to rail at or upbraid. In Latin the word precor signifies to supplicate good or evil, and precis signifies a prayer and a curse. See Imprecate.]

To ask with earnestness or zeal, as for a favor, or for something desirable; to entreat; to supplicate.“PRAY for them who despitefully use you and persecute you” Matthew 5:44
To petition; to ask, as for a favor; as in application to a legislative body.
In worship, to address the Supreme Being with solemnity and reverence, with adoration, confession of sins, supplication for mercy, and thanksgiving for blessings received.“When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” Matthew 6:6
I pray that is, I pray you tell me, or let me know, is a common mode of introducing a question.

All definitions and other forms of “pray”

PRAY, verb transitive

To supplicate; to entreat; to urge.

“We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God” 2 Corinthians 5:20
In worship, to supplicate; to implore; to ask with reverence and humility.“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee” Acts 8:22
To petition.
To ask or intreat in ceremony or form.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.