Greek word · G155

αἴτημα

aitēma

request

A request, the thing asked for. The -ma ending marks the content or result of asking (aiteō).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

αἴτημα, -ατος, τό

(αἰτέω), [in LXX chiefly for שְׁאֵלָה ;]

that which has been asked for, a petition, request: Luke 23:24, Philippians 4:6, John 5:15.†

SYN.: see: δέησις. (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Philippians 4:6

Range of meaning

A request, the thing asked for. The -ma ending marks the content or result of asking (aiteō).

Against the English

'Requests' is accurate in all major versions.

Used elsewhere in the period

Rare in the New Testament: Luke 23:24 (the crowd's demand to Pilate) and 1 John 5:15 ('we have the requests we asked of him'). It is common in the Greek Old Testament and papyri for formal petitions.

From the study of 1 John 5:15

Range of meaning

A request or petition, especially its content, the thing asked for. Used of formal requests to authorities.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'petitions' (from the Latin petitiones), ESV/NASB 'requests', NIV/BSB 'what we asked'. All are accurate. 'Petitions' keeps the formal, court-like flavour.

Used elsewhere in the period

Only three times in the NT: Luke 23:24 (Pilate grants the crowd's demand, 'their aitēma'), Phil 4:6 ('let your requests be made known to God'), and here. The Septuagint uses it of requests to God and to kings (e.g. 1 Sam 1:17, 27 of Hannah's request; Ps 37:4 [36:4 LXX], 'he will give you the requests of your heart'). The papyri use it for formal petitions.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 23:24 αἴτημα demand

    So Pilate sentenced that their demand be met.

Philippians · 1

  1. Philippians 4:6 αἰτήματα requests

    Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

    Here: The specific items asked for, in the plural. The concerns are to be named one by one, not held back as a vague cloud.

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 5:15 αἰτήματα requests

    And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

    Here: The things asked for, the content of the petitions. It shares a root with 'ask' (aiteō), so the Greek repeats itself on purpose: 'we have the askings we have asked'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.