G2147 εὑρίσκω (heurískō)

To be found (2147) (heurisko) means to find after searching and so to discover (Mt 7:7), to find accidentally or without seeking (Mt 12:44), to experience for oneself and to to obtain or procure (He 9:12). Figuratively, heurisko speaks of a spiritual or intellectual discovery gained through observation = reflection, perception, investigation (Ro 7:21). Because heurisko is such a common verb and has various meanings, always examine the context to help you discern the most appropriate definition. BDAG (summarized) - 1. to come upon something either through purposeful search or accidentally, find a. after seeking, find, discover, come upon, Mt 7:7-8, Lk 11:9-10 b. accidentally, without seeking find, come upon Ge 4:14-15, Mt 18:28 2. to discover intellectually through reflection, observation, examination, or investigation, find, discover, Da 1:20, Ro 7:21 3. to attain a state or condition, find (for oneself), obtain. Heurisko means... learn location of something, either by intentional searching or by unexpected discovery learn whereabouts of something, find, discover, come upon, happen to find Mt 13:44 learn something previously not known, frequently involving an element of surprise, learn, to find out, to discover Acts 17:27; 19:19 attain a state, with supplementary implication of discovery to attain to, to discover Mt 10:39 ;8 Heb 12:17 . be in a state which has not been anticipated to be found to be, to discover to be, to turn out to be. Acts 5:39; Ro 7:10 find a thing sought, find after search discover, come upon Mt 7:7 find accidentally or without seeking come across, come on without previous search, to find by chance, Mt 12:44 find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, find out by practice & experience Metaphor, to find out by inquiry, to learn, discover Lk 19:48; Jn 18:38; 19:4, 6; Ac 4:21; 13:28; Ro 7:10 Gal 2:17; 1Pe 1:7; Rev 5:4). Renn (Expository Dictionary) - Heurisko is a common verb found nearly 180 times meaning “find,” in a variety of contexts with a number of different nuances. The meaning “find” in the general sense of “discover” is indicated in Mt 2: 8 ff.; Mk 1:37; Lk 2:12; 11:9; Jn 1:41 ff.; Acts 4:21; Ro 7:21; 2Co. 2:13; 2Ti. 1:17; Rev. 2: 2; 9:6. The passive sense of “be found” is indicated in relation to Mary’s supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit when it is recorded that she “was found” to be pregnant (cf. Mt 1:18). Other passive uses include 1Co. 15:15; 2Co. 5: 3; Gal. 2:17; Php. 2: 8; 1Pe. 2:22; Rev. 5: 4; 16:20; 20:11 ff. There is a significant metaphorical usage of “find” in Mt 10:39; 16:25, with the underlying sense of “take full possession of” in relation to people “finding” true life if they are prepared to deny themselves for the sake of the gospel. Heurisko means “find” in the sense of “receive” in Lk 1:30, which speaks of Mary “finding favor” with God. Other references to people “finding” such divine favor include those in Acts 7:46; 2Ti. 1:18; Heb. 4:16. See also Heb. 9:12; 11:5. The meaning “find” with the sense of “consider,” or “make an assessment” of someone, is indicated in Acts 24: 5 with reference to Paul’s enemies having “found” him to be a troublemaker. See also 1Co. 4: 2. Rev. 3: 2 mentions divine assessment of people. “Find” has the sense of “measure” in Acts 27:28, in relation to taking soundings in deep water. Vine's Summary Find, Found - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words - Heurisko denotes (a) "to find," either with previous search, e.g., Matthew 7:7,8 , or without, e.g., Matthew 27:32 ; in the Passive Voice, of Enoch's disappearance, Hebrews 11:5 ; of mountains, Revelation 16:20 ; of Babylon and its occupants, Revelation 18:21,22 ; (b) metaphorically, "to find out by enquiry," or "to learn, discover," e.g., Luke 19:48 ; John 18:38 ; 19:4,6 ; Acts 4:21 ; 13:28 ; Romans 7:10 ; Galatians 2:17 , which indicates "the surprise of the Jew" who learned for the first time that before God he had no moral superiority over the Gentiles whom he superciliously dubbed "sinners," while he esteemed himself to be "righteous;" 1 Peter 1:7 ; Revelation 5:4 ; (c) in the Middle Voice, "to find for oneself, gain, procure, obtain," e.g. Matthew 10:39 ; 11:29 , "ye shall find (rest);" Luke 1:30 ; Acts 7:46 ; 2 Timothy 1:18 . See GET , OBTAIN. Heurisko denotes "to find;" in the Middle Voice, "to find for oneself, to procure, get, obtain," with the suggestion of accomplishing the end which had been in view; so in Hebrews 9:12 , "having obtained (eternal redemption)." Notes: (1) In 1 Corinthians 9:24 , AV, katalambano, a strengthened form of No. 6 (kata, used intensively), is translated "obtain" (RV, "attain"). (2) In Hebrews 11:2,4,39 , AV, martureo, "to bear witness," and in the Passive Voice, "to have witness borne to one," is translated "to obtain" a good report, or "to obtain" witness (RV, "had witness borne"). See WITNESS. (3) For the AV of Hebrews 1:4 , "He hath by inheritance obtained" (RV, "He hath inherited"), and of Ephesians 1:11 , see INHERIT. (4) For the phrase "to obtain mercy," the Passive Voice of eleeo in Matthew 5:7 ; Romans 11:30,31 ; 1 Corinthians 7:25 ; 2 Corinthians 4:1 (RV); 1 Timothy 1:13,16 ; 1 Peter 2:10 (twice), see MERCY. TDNT - Heurisko means "to find": a. "to find after search," b. "to find accidentally" (passive "to be struck by"), c. "to fetch or get" (of goods), d. "to procure," e. (figuratively) "to gain perception or insight, to discover," and f. "to show or prove oneself," "to be found as." All these nuances but c. occur in the NT, sometimes with reference to ordinary facts, but mostly with reference to things relating to God's work and kingdom, e.g., surprising events (Mt. 1:18; Lk. 9:36; Acts 5:10), or miracles (Mt. 17:27; Mk. 7:30; Jn. 21:6), or supernatural gifts (Mt. 7:7-8), or the gift of God's kingdom (Mt. 13:44), or encounter with Jesus (Mk. 1:37), or experience of God (Lk. 4:17; Rom. 10:20), or gifts of salvation such as pasture in Jn. 10:9, grace in Acts 7:46, mercy in Rom. 4:1, and redemption in Heb. 9:12, or God's call and salvation (Mt. 18:13; 24:46; Lk. 15:5-6), but also with a suggestion of responsibility (Lk. 13:6-7; 17:18) and of the seriousness of divine judgment (Mt. 24:46; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 12:8; 16:20; 18:14; 20:15). [H. PREISKER, II, 769-70] NAS Usage: find(48), finding(9), finds(10), found(104), get(1), obtained(1), proved(1), regarded(1). Heurisko - 176x in 166v in NT - Matt. 1:18; 2:8; 7:7f, 14; 8:10; 10:39; 11:29; 12:43f; 13:44, 46; 16:25; 17:27; 18:13, 28; 20:6; 21:2, 19; 22:9f; 24:46; 26:40, 43, 60; 27:32; Mk. 1:37; 7:30; 11:2, 4, 13; 13:36; 14:16, 37, 40, 55; Lk. 1:30; 2:12, 45f; 4:17; 5:19; 6:7; 7:9f; 8:35; 9:12, 36; 11:9f, 24f; 12:37f, 43; 13:6f; 15:4ff, 8f, 24, 32; 17:18; 18:8; 19:30, 32, 48; 22:13, 45; 23:2, 4, 14, 22; 24:2f, 23f, 33; Jn. 1:41, 43, 45; 2:14; 5:14; 6:25; 7:34ff; 9:35; 10:9; 11:17; 12:14; 18:38; 19:4, 6; 21:6; Acts 4:21; 5:10, 22f, 39; 7:11, 46; 8:40; 9:2, 33; 10:27; 11:26; 12:19; 13:6, 22, 28; 17:6, 23, 27; 18:2; 19:1, 19; 21:2; 23:9, 29; 24:5, 12, 18, 20; 27:6, 28; 28:14; Rom. 4:1; 7:10, 21; 10:20; 1 Co. 4:2; 15:15; 2 Co. 2:13; 5:3; 9:4; 11:12; 12:20; Gal. 2:17; Phil. 2:8; 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:17f; Heb. 4:16; 9:12; 11:5; 12:17; 1 Pet. 1:7; 2:22; 2 Pet. 3:14; 2 Jn. 1:4; Rev. 2:2; 3:2; 5:4; 9:6; 12:8; 14:5; 16:20; 18:14, 21f, 24; 20:11, 15 Heurisko - over 400x in Septuagint - Gen 2:20; 4:14f; 5:24; 6:8; 8:9; 11:2; 16:7; 18:3, 26, 28ff; 19:19; 26:12, 19, 32; 27:20; 30:14, 27; 31:32f, 35, 37; 32:5, 19; 33:8, 10, 15; 34:11; 36:24; 37:15, 17, 32; 38:20, 22f; 39:4; 41:38; 44:6, 8ff, 12, 16f, 34; 47:14, 25, 29; 50:4; Exod 5:11; 9:19; 12:19; 14:9; 15:22; 16:25, 27; 21:16; 22:2, 4, 6ff; 33:13, 16f; 34:9; 35:23f; Lev 5:11; 6:3f; 12:8; 14:21f, 30, 32; 25:26, 47; Num 6:21; 11:11, 15; 15:32f; 20:14; 31:50; 32:5; 35:27; Deut 4:29f; 17:2; 18:10; 20:11; 21:1, 17; 22:3, 14, 17, 20, 22f, 25, 27f; 24:1; 28:2; 31:17; Josh 2:22; 10:17; Judg 5:30; 6:13, 17; 9:33; 14:12; 15:15; 17:8f; 20:48; 21:12; Ruth 1:9; 2:2, 10, 13; 1 Sam 1:18; 9:4, 8, 11, 13, 20; 10:2f, 7, 16, 21; 12:5; 13:15f, 19, 22; 14:17, 30; 16:22; 20:3, 21, 29, 36; 21:3; 23:17; 24:19; 25:8, 28; 26:18; 27:5; 29:3, 6, 8; 30:11; 31:3, 8; 2 Sam 7:27; 14:22; 15:25; 16:4; 17:12, 20; 20:6; 1 Kgs 1:3, 52; 11:19, 29; 12:24; 13:14, 24, 28; 15:18; 18:5, 10; 19:19; 20:36f; 21:20; 2 Kgs 2:17; 4:29, 39; 7:9; 9:21, 35; 10:13, 15; 12:5, 9f, 18; 14:14; 16:8; 17:4; 18:15; 19:4, 8; 20:13; 22:8f, 13; 23:2, 24; 25:19; 1 Chr 4:40f; 10:3, 8; 17:25; 20:2; 24:4; 26:31; 28:9; 29:8, 17; 2 Chr 2:17; 5:11; 15:2, 4, 15; 19:3; 20:16, 25; 21:17; 22:8; 25:5, 24; 29:16, 29; 30:21, 25; 31:1; 32:4; 34:14f, 17, 21, 30, 32f; 35:7, 17ff; Ezra 2:62; 4:15, 19; 6:2; 7:16; 8:15, 25; 10:18; Neh 5:8; 7:5, 64; 8:14; 9:8, 32; 13:1; Esth 1:5; 2:9, 15, 17; 5:8; 6:2; 7:3; 8:5, 12; Job 11:7; 17:10; 19:28; 20:8; 23:3; 28:12f, 20; 32:13; 33:10; 34:11; 37:13, 23; 39:30; 42:15; Ps 10:15; 17:3; 21:8; 36:2; 37:10, 36; 46:1; 69:20; 73:10; 76:5; 84:3; 89:20; 107:4; 116:3; 119:143, 162; 132:5f; Prov 1:28; 2:5, 20; 3:3, 13; 4:22; 5:4; 7:15; 8:9, 17; 12:2; 14:6; 16:7, 31; 18:22; 19:7f; 20:6; 21:21; 24:14; 25:16; 31:10; Eccl 3:11; 7:14, 24, 26ff; 8:17; 9:10, 15; 11:1; 12:10; Song 3:1ff; 5:6ff; 8:1, 10; Isa 30:14; 34:14; 35:9; 37:36; 41:12; 48:17; 51:3; 53:9; 55:6; 58:3; 59:5; 65:1, 8, 18; Jer 2:5, 24, 34; 5:1, 26; 6:16; 10:18; 11:9; 14:3; 29:13; 31:2; 41:3, 8, 12; 42:16; 45:3; 48:27; 50:7, 20, 24; 52:25; Lam 1:3, 6, 19; 2:16; Ezek 22:30; 27:33; 28:15; Dan 1:19f; 2:25, 35; 5:11, 14, 27; 6:4f, 11, 13, 22f; 8:26; 9:3, 25; 11:19; 12:1; Hos 2:6f; 5:6; 6:3; 9:10; 12:4, 8; 14:8; Amos 2:16; 8:12; Jonah 1:3; Mic 1:13; Zeph 3:13; Zech 12:5; Mal 2:6 When the Lord Jesus comes, you will be found...personally by Him. We need to be reminded of this great sobering truth. There will be nothing hidden or overlooked in that day. Everything will be brought to light when the Lord Jesus comes. And in this verse Peter focuses on the pronoun "by Him". The idea is, “Do your best to be found with respect to Him, in relation to Him,” thus, with respect to His coming and at that time by Him. Hiebert adds that the aorist infinitive...looks forward to the definite judicial finding by Christ, the Judge, when the readers shall stand before Him." Because we do not know the day or the hour of our Lord’s return, we must constantly be ready. The believer who starts to neglect the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13-note) will gradually develop a cold heart, a worldly attitude, and an unfaithful life (Lk 12:36). Jesus encouraged His disciples with a similar motivating exhortation "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes" (Lk 12:43) Paul likewise prayed for the saints at Thessalonica "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Th 5:23-note) And John expresses a similar desire in this exhortation "And now little children abide in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Jn 2:28) In sum, "to be found" is a call for us to be alert, abiding in the Vine, occupied with our Father's work, focused on the things above not on the things of the earth, all the while redeeming every opportunity He graciously gives us to perform Kingdom work. And if we keep in the forefront of our mind the glorious privilege we have of entering the Day of God, we will be stirred in our spirits by His Spirit to be "sincere and blameless until the day of Christ" (Php 1:10-note) (click for discussion of "Three Divine Days")