epithymeō · desire, covet

What it means

epithymeō (ἐπιθυμέω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “desire, covet”.

Desire strongly, long for; also covet, lust after.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To have one's heart set on something and want it strongly.
2. To want what is not yours or what God forbids.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• desire ×3
• long ×3
• covet ×2
• desired ×2
• desires ×2
• longing ×2
• I coveted ×1
• longed ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×2
• Luke×4
• Acts×1
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×1
• Galatians×1
• 1 Timothy×1
• Hebrews×1
• James×1
• 1 Peter×1
• Revelation×1

• Matthew 5:28

  But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman in order to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

• Matthew 13:17

  For truly I tell you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

• Luke 15:16

  And he was longing to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

• Luke 16:21

  and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; but even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

• Luke 17:22

  And he said to the disciples, “Days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.

• Luke 22:15

  And he said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

• Acts 20:33

  I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing.

• Romans 7:7

  What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! On the contrary, I did not know sin except through the law; for I would not have known coveting if the law had not said, You shall not covet.

• Romans 13:9

  For: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet; and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

• 1 Corinthians 10:6

  Now these things became examples for us, so that we would not be people who desire evil things, just as they also desired.

• Galatians 5:17

  For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to one another, so that you do not do whatever you want.

• 1 Timothy 3:1

  The word is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.

• Hebrews 6:11

  And we desire each of you to show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope until the end,

• James 4:2

  You desire and do not have; you murder and are jealous and cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.

• 1 Peter 1:12

  To them it was revealed that not for themselves but for you they were serving these things which have now been announced to you through those who proclaimed the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look intently.

• Revelation 9:6

  And in those days people will seek death and will never find it; and they will long to die, and death flees from them.