Definition and Biblical Usage of the Verb Beseech
The verb "beseech" is a term used to convey a deep sense of urgency and earnestness in requesting something from someone, often with a connotation of humility and supplication. In biblical contexts, it is frequently employed to express intense prayer or supplication to God [3].
Biblical Usage
In the Bible, "beseech" is used in various contexts to convey a strong request or plea. For instance, in Psalms 118:22, the phrase "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord" is an expression of the people's desire for the king's well-being, and is translated from a Hebrew phrase that conveys a sense of urgency and earnestness [3]. Similarly, in Acts 13:38, the apostle Paul uses the term to emphasize the importance of his message, saying "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" [6].
The term is also associated with the Hebrew concept of "bending the knee," as seen in the name "Berachah," which means "blessing; bending the knee" [1]. This etymological connection highlights the physical and spiritual postures of humility and supplication that often accompany the act of beseeching.
Interpretive Traditions
Different Christian traditions have interpreted the concept of beseeching in various ways. For example, in Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's commentary on Isaiah 45:22, the phrase "Look unto me, and be ye saved" is seen as an invitation to turn to God in faith, with the verb "look" conveying a sense of turning or conversion [4]. Similarly, in John Gill's commentary on Psalms 118:22, the phrase "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord" is understood as an expression of the people's desire for the king's well-being, and is seen as a type of Christ [3].
Theological Significance
The concept of beseeching is theologically significant because it highlights the importance of humility and supplication in prayer. In Isaiah 26:16, the prophet describes the people's prayer as a "whispered prayer" or "secret sighing" to God for help, emphasizing the intimate and personal nature of the act of beseeching [7]. This understanding is echoed in Keil & Delitzsch's commentary on Ecclesiastes 5:18, where the act of "seeing good" in one's labor is seen as a result of God's gift, and is associated with the idea of enjoying one's work as a blessing from God [2].
The act of beseeching is also closely tied to the idea of seeking God's help and intervention in times of need. In Ezekiel 18:14, the prophet describes a son who "seeth... and considereth" his father's sins, and turns away from them, highlighting the importance of attentive observation and discernment in the process of seeking God's guidance [5].
The biblical concept of beseeching remains a vital aspect of Christian prayer and supplication, emphasizing the importance of humility, urgency, and earnestness in seeking God's help and guidance. As seen in the various interpretive traditions, the act of beseeching is closely tied to the ideas of faith, conversion, and the seeking of God's blessing and intervention in one's life [4, 3, 7].
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Berachah — blessing; bending the knee”
- Ecclesiastes (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ecclesiastes 5:18: "Behold then what I have seen as good, what as beautiful (is this): that one eat and drink and see good in all his labour with which he wearieth himself, under the sun, throughout the number of the days of his life which God hath given him; for that is his portion." Toward this seeing, i.e., knowing from his own experience, his effort went forth, according to Ecc 2:3; and what he here, Ecc 5:17, Ecc 5:18, expresses as his resultat, he has already acknowledged at Ecc 2:24 and Ecc 3:12. With "behold" he here returns to it; for he says, that from the observa”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 118:22: Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord,.... Or, "we beseech thee"; for they are the words of the people, wishing all health and happiness to their king; and it is as if they had said, "vivat rex", that is, "let the king live", or, "God save the King": and no doubt these words were used by the people, when all the tribes united and made David king over all Israel, and when he became the head of the corner; which was attended with the shouts and acclamations of the people, expressing themselves after this manner, And certain it is that these words were used by the followers”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 45:22: Look . . . and be ye saved--The second imperative expresses the result which will follow obedience to the first (Gen 42:18); ye shall be saved (Joh 3:14-15). Num 21:9 : "If a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived." What so simple as a look? Not do something, but look to the Saviour (Act 16:30-31). Believers look by faith, the eye of the soul. The look is that of one turning (see Margin) to God, as at once "Just and the Saviour" (Isa 45:21), that is, the look of conversion (Psa 22:27).”
- Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 18:14: The third case: a son who walks not in the steps of an unrighteous father, but in the ways of God; for example, Josiah, the pious son of guilty Amon; Hezekiah, of Ahaz (2Ki. 16:1-20; 18:1-37; 21:1-22:20). seeth . . . and considereth--The same Hebrew stands for both verbs, "seeth . . . yea, seeth." The repetition implies the attentive observation needed, in order that the son may not be led astray by his father's bad example; as sons generally are blind to parents sins, and even imitate them as if they were virtues.”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 13:38: Behold, ye despisers,.... In Hab 1:5 from whence these words are taken: we render it with others, "behold ye among the Heathen"; as if the word was compounded of "in", and "nations" or "Heathens"; and so reads the Chaldee paraphrase, "look among the people"; but the Septuagint version renders it, "behold, ye despisers"; which the apostle is thought to follow; wherefore some have imagined a different reading, and that the Septuagint, instead of reads the singular of which is used in Hab 2:5 and there rendered a "despiser" in the same version: but it should be observed, ”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 26:16: visited--sought. poured out-- (Psa 62:8), as a vessel emptying out all its contents. prayer--literally, "a whispered prayer," Margin, "a secret sighing" to God for help (compare Jer 13:17; Deu 8:16).”