Search
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [1]
an earlier form, "to search, examine," is used (a) of God, as "searching" the heart, Romans 8:27; (b) of Christ, similarly, Revelation 2:23; (c) of the Holy Spirit, as "searching" all things, 1—Corinthians 2:10 , acting in the spirit of the believer; (d) of the OT prophets, as "searching" their own writings concerning matters foretold of Christ, testified by the Spirit of Christ in them, 1—Peter 1:11 (cp. No. 2); (e) of the Jews, as commanded by the Lord to "search" the Scriptures, John 5:39 , AV, and RV marg., "search," RV text, "ye search," either is possible grammatically; (f) of Nicodemus as commanded similarly by the chief priests and Pharisees, John 7:52 .
a strengthened form of No. 1 (ek, or ex, "out"), "to search out," is used in 1—Peter 1:10 , "searched diligently;" cp. No. 1 (d).
"to examine closely, inquire carefully" (from etazo, "to examine"), occurs in Matthew 2:8 , RV, "search out;" so Matthew 10:11 , RV: see Inquire , No. 4.
Acts 17:11Examine.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): ( v. t.) The act of seeking or looking for something; quest; inquiry; pursuit for finding something; examination.
(2): ( v. t.) To examine; to try; to put to the test.
(3): ( v. t.) To look over or through, for the purpose of finding something; to examine; to explore; as, to search the city.
(4): ( v. t.) To examine or explore by feeling with an instrument; to probe; as, to search a wound.
(5): ( v. i.) To seek; to look for something; to make inquiry, exploration, or examination; to hunt.
(6): ( v. t.) To inquire after; to look for; to seek.
King James Dictionary [3]
Search 5t. serch
1. To look over or through for the purpose of finding something to explore to examine by inspection as, to search the house for a book to search the wood for a thief.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [4]
sûrch : Some peculiar senses are: (1) In the books of Moses, especially in Nu, "searching out the land" means to spy out ( רגּל , raggēl ), to investigate carefully, to examine with a view to giving a full and accurate report on. (2) When applied to the Scriptures, as in Ezra 4:15 , Ezra 4:19 ( בּקר , baḳḳēr ); John 5:39; 1 Peter 1:11 ( ἐραυνάω , eraunáō ), it means to examine, to study out the meaning. In Acts 17:11 , the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "examining" for the "searched" of the King James Version. See Searchings . (3) "Search out" often means to study critically, to investigate carefully, e.g. Job 8:8; Job 29:16; Ecclesiastes 1:13; Lamentations 3:40; Matthew 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:10 . (4) When the word is applied to God's searching the heart or spirit, it means His opening up, laying bare, disclosing what was hidden, e.g. 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 44:21; Psalm 139:1; Proverbs 20:27; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 8:27 .
