Word study
Look
20 Hebrew and 16 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: look, looked, looking, looks. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “look” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- רָאָה rââhseetranslated this way 92 times of its 1,266 uses · Strong’s H7200Verb · Translated: see 354, saw 285, seen 124, look 45Full study and all 1,181 verses →
Genesis 1:31 And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day.
Exodus 3:4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.
- הִנֵּה hinnêhlo! behold!translated this way 83 times of its 689 uses · Strong’s H2009Interjection · Translated: Behold 175, Look 83, saw 47, indeed 36Full study and all 662 verses →
Genesis 12:11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
Exodus 1:9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
- נָבַט nâbaṭlooktranslated this way 39 times of its 68 uses · Strong’s H5027Verb · Translated: look 24, looked 8, see 7, consider 6Full study and all 66 verses →
Genesis 15:5 And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Exodus 3:6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- נָשָׂא nâsâlift, take, carrytranslated this way 22 times of its 642 uses · Strong’s H5375Verb · Translated: bear 49, lift 45, lifted 41, carried 38Full study and all 601 verses →
Genesis 13:10 And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
- שָׁקַף shâqaphoverhang, look out and downtranslated this way 17 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H8259Verb · Translated: looked 12, looks 4, overlooks 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Genesis 18:16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
Exodus 14:24 At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.
- הֵן hênlo! beholdtranslated this way 13 times of its 249 uses · Strong’s H2005Interjection · Translated: Behold 108, indeed 23, if 16, Surely 15Full study and all 241 verses →
Genesis 19:34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last night. Let us get him drunk with wine again tonight so you can go in and sleep with him and we can preserve our father’s line.”
Exodus 5:5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”
- בָּקַשׁ bâqashseektranslated this way 10 times of its 222 uses · Strong’s H1245Verb · Translated: seek 78, sought 21, seeking 13, search 13Full study and all 212 verses →
Genesis 37:15 a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
Judges 18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
- עַיִן ayineyetranslated this way 10 times of its 764 uses · Strong’s H5869Noun · Translated: eyes 383, sight 186, eye 38, presence 13Full study and all 731 verses →
Deuteronomy 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
Deuteronomy 15:9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
- שָׁעָה shââhgazetranslated this way 8 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s H8159Verb · Translated: look 3, regard 2, look away 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Genesis 4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
2 Samuel 22:42 They looked, but there was no one to save them — to the LORD, but He did not answer.
- פָּנָה pânâhturntranslated this way 8 times of its 128 uses · Strong’s H6437Verb · Translated: turned 27, turn 21, facing 11, turn back 4Full study and all 122 verses →
Exodus 2:12 After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.
Judges 20:40 But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
- מַרְאֶה marehsight, appearance, visiontranslated this way 5 times of its 76 uses · Strong’s H4758Noun · Translated: appearance 16, vision 8, appear 6, sight 5Full study and all 63 verses →
Ezekiel 1:16 The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.
Ezekiel 1:27 From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
- קָוָה qâvâhwait fortranslated this way 4 times of its 48 uses · Strong’s H6960Verb · Translated: wait 20, hope 6, waited 4, hoped 3Full study and all 45 verses →
Job 17:13 If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness,
Psalm 69:20 Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.
- חָזָה châzâhsee, beholdtranslated this way 4 times of its 54 uses · Strong’s H2372Verb · Translated: see 18, seen 6, saw 5, sees 3Full study and all 50 verses →
Job 8:17 His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.
Song of Solomon 6:13 Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?
- אֵל êlmotion totranslated this way 3 times of its 4,199 uses · Strong’s H413Preposition · Translated: to 1,941, to me 285, to you 149, to him 137Full study and all 3,455 verses →
Genesis 43:33 They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
- חוּס chûspity, look upon with compassiontranslated this way 3 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H2347Verb · Translated: pity 7, spare 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Isaiah 13:18 Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.
Ezekiel 7:9 I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who strikes the blow.
- יָחַל yâchalwaittranslated this way 2 times of its 40 uses · Strong’s H3176Verb · Translated: hope 8, wait 8, Put your hope 5, put my hope 3Full study and all 40 verses →
Job 30:26 But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.
Psalm 69:3 I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
- דְּמוּת demûthlikeness, similitudetranslated this way 2 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H1823Noun · Translated: likeness 9, form 4, like 2, figure 2Full study and all 21 verses →
Ezekiel 10:21 Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
Ezekiel 10:22 Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.
- בָּקַר bâqarinquire, seektranslated this way 2 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s H1239Verb · Translated: look 2, seek 2, inspect 1, seek guidance 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Leviticus 13:36 the priest is to examine him, and if the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.
Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
- בִּין bîndiscerntranslated this way 2 times of its 166 uses · Strong’s H995Verb · Translated: understand 27, discerning 16, understanding 12, consider 10Full study and all 160 verses →
Job 30:20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.
Psalm 37:10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
- שָׂבַר sâbarinspect, examinetranslated this way 2 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H7663Verb · Translated: wait 2, inspected 2, look 2, hoped 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Psalm 104:27 All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
Psalm 145:15 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
Greek words (New Testament)
- ἰδού idoúSee! Lo! Behold! Look!translated this way 50 times of its 163 uses · Strong’s G2400Verb · Translated: Look 50, Behold 31, See 23, here 10Full study and all 160 verses →
Matthew 11:8 Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
Mark 2:24 So the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
- ζητέω zētéōI seek, search for, desiretranslated this way 25 times of its 117 uses · Strong’s G2212Verb · Translated: seek 17, seeking 14, looking 11, trying 9Full study and all 114 verses →
Matthew 26:16 So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Mark 1:37 and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”
- ὁράω horáōI see, look upon, experiencetranslated this way 17 times of its 445 uses · Strong’s G3708Verb · Translated: saw 183, see 121, seen 60, appeared 18Full study and all 424 verses →
Mark 8:24 The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
Luke 21:29 Then Jesus told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
- βλέπω blépōI look, seetranslated this way 11 times of its 128 uses · Strong’s G991Verb · Translated: see 53, seeing 10, saw 8, sees 6Full study and all 117 verses →
Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Luke 6:41 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?
- ἀτενίζω atenízōI direct my gaze, look steadilytranslated this way 9 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s G816Verb · Translated: looked intently 4, looked directly 3Full study and all 14 verses →
Luke 22:56 A servant girl saw him seated in the firelight and looked intently at him. “This man also was with Him,” she said.
Acts 1:10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
- ἐμβλέπω emblépōI look into, look upontranslated this way 8 times of its 11 uses · Strong’s G1689Verb · Translated: looked 6, Look 1, see 1, looked directly 1Full study and all 11 verses →
Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- ἀναβλέπω anablépōI look up, recover my sighttranslated this way 8 times of its 24 uses · Strong’s G308Verb · Translated: looking 4, looked 4, see 4, received his sight 4Full study and all 23 verses →
Matthew 14:19 And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Mark 6:41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all.
- περιβλέπω periblépōI look around on, surveytranslated this way 7 times of its 7 uses · Strong’s G4017Verb · Translated: looked around 4, Looking 1, kept looking around 1, looking around 1Full study and all 7 verses →
Mark 3:5 Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.
Luke 6:10 And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.
- ἐπαίρω epaírōI raise, lift uptranslated this way 4 times of its 19 uses · Strong’s G1869Verb · Translated: lifted 6, looked 3, lift 3Full study and all 19 verses →
Matthew 17:8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
Luke 6:20 Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
- προσδοκάω prosdokáōI expect, awaittranslated this way 4 times of its 16 uses · Strong’s G4328Verb · Translated: look 3, waiting 3, expecting 3, expect 2Full study and all 15 verses →
Matthew 11:3 to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
Luke 7:19 So John called two of his disciples and sent them to ask the Lord, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
- κατανοέω katanoéōI understand, perceive, considertranslated this way 3 times of its 14 uses · Strong’s G2657Verb · Translated: Consider 3, notice 2, saw 2, look 2Full study and all 14 verses →
Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him:
James 1:23 For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
- ἐπιζητέω epizētéōI seek after, desire, search fortranslated this way 3 times of its 13 uses · Strong’s G1934Verb · Translated: seeking 4, looking 3, strive 2, demands 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Luke 4:42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving.
Philippians 4:17 Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.
- ἐπισκέπτομαι episképtomaiI look upon, visit, look out, selecttranslated this way 2 times of its 11 uses · Strong’s G1980Verb · Translated: visited 3, visit 3, care 2, looked 1Full study and all 11 verses →
Matthew 25:36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
- ἐπιβλέπω epiblépōI look with favor ontranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G1914Verb · Translated: looked with favor 1, look 1, lavish attention 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Luke 1:48 For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
Luke 9:38 Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.
- ἀναζητέω anazētéōI seek out, search fortranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G327Verb · Translated: began to look 1, search 1, look 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Luke 2:44 Assuming He was in their company, they traveled on for a day before they began to look for Him among their relatives and friends.
Acts 11:25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
- παρακύπτω parakýptōI stoop, peer in, look downtranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s G3879Verb · Translated: bent 2, bending 1, looks intently 1, look 1Full study and all 5 verses →
James 1:25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so — not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer — he will be blessed in what he does.
1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.