verb
punthanemō
Greekπυνθάνομαι (punthanomai)
Strong’sG4441
I ask, inquire
stem punthan-12 times in the New Testamentin 4 of 27 books7 forms occur
Translated as
What it means
πυνθάνομαι,
[in LXX for דּרשׁ;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4441 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidpoon-than'-om-ahee
to question, i.e. ascertain by inquiry (as a matter of information merely; and thus differing from G2065, which properly means a request as a favor; and from G154, which is strictly a demand for something due; as well as from G2212, which implies a search for something hidden; and from G1189, which involves the idea of urgent need); by implication, to learn (by casual intelligence)
Frommiddle voice prolonged from a primary πύθω (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses);
King Jamesask, demand, enquire, understand.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Forms in the New Testament
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| punthanemōπυνθάνομαι | happening now · Ipresent middle indicative 1st person singular | ask | 1× |
| punthaneteἐπυνθάνετο | was happening · he/she/itimperfect middle indicative 3rd person singular | asked | 5× |
| punthaneleἐπυνθάνοντο | was happening · theyimperfect middle indicative 3rd person plural | asking | 2× |
| punthanetaἐπύθετο | happened · he/she/itaorist middle indicative 3rd person singular | inquired | 1× |
| punthanerōπυνθάνεσθαι | happening now · the “to …” formpresent middle infinitive | inquire | 1× |
| punthaneraπυθέσθαι | happened · the “to …” formaorist middle infinitive | ask | 1× |
| punthaneratosπυθόμενος | happened · subjectaorist middle participle nominative singular masculine | learned | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 9 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | punthanemō1×πυνθάνομαι | punthaneme | punthanemi | punthanema | punthanemē | punthanemelē |
| you 2nd person singular | punthanesō | punthanese | punthanesi | punthanesa | punthanesē | punthaneselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | punthanetō | punthanete5×ἐπυνθάνετο | punthaneti | punthaneta1×ἐπύθετο | punthanetē | punthanetelē |
| we 1st person plural | punthanenō | punthanene | punthaneni | punthanena | punthanenē | punthanenelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | punthanevō | punthaneve | punthanevi | punthaneva | punthanevē | punthanevelē |
| they 3rd person plural | punthanelō | punthanele2×ἐπυνθάνοντο | punthaneli | punthanela | punthanelē | punthanelelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, no occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | punthanemeiō | punthanemeia | punthanemeiē |
| you 2nd person singular | punthaneseiō | punthaneseia | punthaneseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | punthaneteiō | punthaneteia | punthaneteiē |
| we 1st person plural | punthaneneiō | punthaneneia | punthaneneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | punthaneveiō | punthaneveia | punthaneveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | punthaneleiō | punthaneleia | punthaneleiē |
Commands — imperative mood, no occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | punthanesōr | punthanesar | punthanesēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | punthanetōr | punthanetar | punthanetēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | punthanevōr | punthanevar | punthanevēr |
| they 3rd person plural | punthanelōr | punthanelar | punthanelēr |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | punthanemoiō | punthanemoia |
| you 2nd person singular | punthanesoiō | punthanesoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | punthanetoiō | punthanetoia |
| we 1st person plural | punthanenoiō | punthanenoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | punthanevoiō | punthanevoia |
| they 3rd person plural | punthaneloiō | punthaneloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 2 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acts on or for itself middle voice | punthanerō1×πυνθάνεσθαι | punthaneri | punthanera1×πυθέσθαι | punthanerē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 1 occurrence
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| acts on or for itself middle voice | punthanerōtos | punthaneritos | punthaneratos1×πυθόμενος | punthanerētos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
punthan is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
12 occurrences, every one of them listed
punthanemō“ask”happening now · Ipresent middle indicative 1st person singular1×
Acts 10:29“ask”dio kai anantirrētōs erchama metapempiratos punthanemō oun tino logo metapempeva min.So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”
punthanete“asked”was happening · he/she/itimperfect middle indicative 3rd person singular5×
Matthew 2:4“inquired”kai sunagaratos pantoin toin archierevoin kai grammatevoin tou laou punthanete para autoiu pou tos christos gennitō.And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
Luke 15:26“asked”kai proskaleratos henon toiu paidoiu punthanete tinem an atoiō houteim;So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
Luke 18:36“asked”akouaratos de ochlou diaporeuerōtou punthanete tinem atoiō houtem;When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
Acts 21:33“asked”tote engizaratos tos chiliarchos epilambeta autou kai keleuata dira halusiai duo, kai punthanete tinos atoiō kai tinem atō poiarētos.The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
Acts 23:19“asked”epilamberatos de tau cheirau autou tos chiliarchos kai anachōraratos kata idian punthanete; Tinem atō hem echasō apangellara mi?The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”
punthanele“asking”was happening · theyimperfect middle indicative 3rd person plural2×
Acts 4:7“inquired”kai histanaratois autoin en te mese punthanele; En poia dunamia ē en poie onome poiava houtem vis?They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Acts 10:18“asking”kai fōnaratois punthanele ei Simōnos tos epikalirōtos Petros enthade xenizitō.They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
punthaneta“inquired”happened · he/she/itaorist middle indicative 3rd person singular1×
John 4:52“inquired”punthaneta oun tan hōran para autoiu en ha kompsoterem echata; legala oun auto hoti Echthes hōran hebdoman afiēkata auton tos puretos.So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.”
punthanerō“inquire”happening now · the “to …” formpresent middle infinitive1×
Acts 23:20“inquire”legata de hoti Tois Ioudaiois suntithela teu erōtara sin hopōs aurion ton Paulon katagaseia eis tem sunedriem hōs mellarōtem tinem akribesteron punthanerō peri autou;He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
punthanera“ask”happened · the “to …” formaorist middle infinitive1×
John 13:24“ask”neuatō oun houto Simōnos Petros punthanera tinos an atoiō peri hou legatō.So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus which one He was talking about.
punthaneratos“learned”happened · subjectaorist middle participle nominative singular masculine1×
Acts 23:34“learned”anaginōskaratos de kai eperōtaratos ek poiau eparcheiau atō kai punthaneratos hoti apo Kilikiau,The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,