δέησις

δέησις, -εως, ἡ

(δέομαι), [in LXX for תְּחִנָּה, רִנָּה, תְּפִלָּה, etc. ;]

1. a wanting, need (so Sl 22,25).

2. an asking, entreaty, supplica­tion; in NT always addressed to God: Luk 1,13, 2 Kor 1,11, Fil 1,19, 2 Tim 1,3, Jak 5,16, 1 Pet 3,12" (LXX) ; with νηστεῖαι, Luk 2,37 προσυνχή, -αί, Ef 6,18, Fil 4,6, 1 Tim 2,1; 5,5; ἱκετηρίαι, Hebr 5,7 προσκαρτέρησις, Ef 6,18 ἐντεύξεις, 1 Tim 2,1 δ. ποιεῖσθαι (Deiss., BS, 250), Luk 5,33, Fil 1,4 (pl.), 1 Tim 2,1 before ὑπέρ, 2 Kor 9,14, Fil 1,4; περί, Ef 6,18 πρός, Rom 10,1,†

SYN.: προσευχή, used of prayer in general, while δ. gives prominence to the sense of need; on the other hand, δ. is used as well of requests from man to man, while π. is limited to prayer to God. ἔντευξις, in the π., is the regular word for petition to a superior (Deiss., BS, 250; cf. the Pauline ἐντυγχάνειν, to entreat). Cf. also εὐχή. (Jak 5,15), αἴτημα, ἱκετηρία (Tr., Syn., § li; Cremer, 73, 174, 684).