Seek
SEEK, verb transitive, preterit and participle passive sought, pronounced sawt.
1. To go in searh or quest of; to look for; to search for by going from place to place.
The man asked him, saying, what seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethen. Genesis 37:15-16.
2. To inquire for; to ask for; to solicit; to endeavor to find or gain by any means.
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. Psalms 104:21.
He found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Hebrews 12:1
Others tempting him, sought of him a sign. Luke 11:16.
3.Seek is followed sometimes by out or after. To seek out, properly implies to look for a specific thing among a number. But in general, the use of out and after with seek, is unnecessary and inelegant.
To seek God, his name, or his face, in Scripture, to ask for his favor, direction and assistance. Psalms 83:16.
God seeks men, when he fixes his love on them, and by his word and Spirit, and the righteousness of Christ, reclaims and recovers them from their miserable condition as sinners.
Ezekiel 34:6. Psa 119:2. Luke 15:8.
To seek after the life, or soul, to attempt by arts or machinations; or to attempt to destroy or ruin. Psa 35:4.
To seek peace, or judgement, to endeavor to promote it; or to practice it.
To seek an altar, temple, or habitation, to frequent it; to restore to it often.
To seek out God's works, to endeavor to understand them. Psa 111:2.
SEEK, v. i.
1. To make search or inquiry; to endeavor to make discovery.
Seek ye out of the book of the Lord. Isaiah 34:16.
2. To endeavor.
Ask not what pains, nor further seek to know
Their process, or the forms of law below. Dryden.
To seek after, to make pursuit; to attempt to find or take. [See No. 3, supra.]
To seek for, to endeavor to find. Knolles.
To seek to, to apply to; to resort to. 1 Kings 10:1.
To seek, at a loss; without knowledge, measures or experience.
Unpractic'd, unprepar'd and still to seek. Milton. [This phrase, I believe, is wholly obsolete.]