Lexical Summary dipsaó: To thirst, to desire earnestly Original Word: διψάω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be thirsty. From a variation of dipsos; to thirst for (literally or figuratively) -- (be, be a-)thirst(-y). see GREEK dipsos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dipsa (thirst) Definition to thirst NASB Translation am thirsty (1), thirst (5), thirsts (1), thirsty (9). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1372: διψάωδιψάω, διψῶ, subjunctive present 3 person singular δίψα (John 7:37 Romans 12:20; often so from the Maced. age on for the Attic δίψῃ, cf. Winers Grammar, § 13, 3 b.; (Buttmann, 44 (38)); Lob. ad Phryn., p. 61); future διψήσω; 1 aorist ἐδίψησα; (δίψα, thirst); (from Homer down); to thirst; 1. absolutely, to suffer thirst; suffer from thirst: properly, Matthew 25:35, 37, 42, 44; John 4:15; John 19:28; Romans 12:20; 1 Corinthians 4:11; figuratively, those are said to thirst who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened: John 4:13; John 6:35; John 7:37; Revelation 7:16; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:17; (Sir. 24:21 ( 2. with an accusative of the thing desired: τήν δικαιοσύνην, Matthew 5:6, (Psalm 62:2 Life in the Near Eastern climate made thirst a familiar and urgent reality. Wells, cisterns, springs, and seasonal rains determined settlement patterns, travel routes, and military campaigns. Because water was both precious and precarious, thirst readily supplied a vivid image for lack, dependence, and vulnerability. It also created social expectations: offering water to a traveler was basic hospitality (Genesis 24:17; Exodus 2:17). The New Testament assumes this cultural backdrop whenever the verb occurs. Thirst in the earthly ministry of Jesus 1. Engagement with the Samaritan woman: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty” (John 4:13-14). Here physical need becomes a doorway to spiritual revelation and evangelism. Spiritual thirst and the offer of living water John’s Gospel gathers the largest cluster of occurrences and shapes the primary theological trajectory. Thirst becomes a metaphor for the soul’s craving that only Christ satisfies (John 6:35). Believing in Him releases an inward fountain “springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). The Fourth Gospel thus links thirst, faith, and the gift of the Holy Spirit (compare John 7:38-39). Righteous thirst in kingdom ethics “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). In the Sermon on the Mount, bodily craving illustrates an intense moral longing. Disciples are called to pursue righteousness with the same urgency with which a parched wanderer seeks water. Compassionate response to human thirst Matthew 25:35, 37, 42, 44 places the thirsty among “the least of these.” Giving a drink becomes a tangible expression of love for Christ Himself and a criterion in the final judgment. The passage grounds social ministry in eschatology: mercy rendered now will be remembered then. Apostolic experience of deprivation “To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty… we are homeless” (1 Corinthians 4:11). Paul’s catalog of hardships demonstrates the cost of gospel service and models contentment in Christ amid material want. Romans 12:20 instructs believers to overcome enemies by giving food and drink, echoing Proverbs 25:21-22 and reinforcing practical benevolence. Eschatological reversal of thirst “Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst” (Revelation 7:16). In the consummated kingdom, every lack is removed. The promise is intensified in Revelation 21:6: “To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life,” and culminates in Revelation 22:17, where the Spirit and the bride extend a final, universal invitation: “Let the one who is thirsty come.” History moves from desert deprivation to everlasting satisfaction. Old Testament background and continuity The motif reaches back to Israel’s wilderness complainings (Exodus 17), David’s yearning (Psalm 63:1), and Isaiah’s evangelistic call, “Come, all who are thirsty” (Isaiah 55:1). The New Testament occurrences of the verb echo and fulfill these themes, showing a seamless biblical theology. Ministry applications • Evangelism: Present Christ as the only source who quenches the deepest thirst. Theological synthesis Thirst unites anthropology (human need), christology (Jesus the giver and sufferer), and eschatology (future fullness). Every occurrence in the New Testament points beyond physical dehydration to the living water that flows from the crucified and risen Christ, assuring believers that present longing will one day give way to complete, eternal satisfaction in the presence of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:6 V-PPA-NMPGRK: πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην NAS: who hunger and thirst for righteousness, KJV: and thirst after righteousness: INT: hunger and thirst for righteousness Matthew 25:35 V-AIA-1S Matthew 25:37 V-PPA-AMS Matthew 25:42 V-AIA-1S Matthew 25:44 V-PPA-AMS John 4:13 V-FIA-3S John 4:14 V-FIA-3S John 4:15 V-PSA-1S John 6:35 V-FIA-3S John 7:37 V-PSA-3S John 19:28 V-PIA-1S Romans 12:20 V-PSA-3S 1 Corinthians 4:11 V-PSA-1P Revelation 7:16 V-FIA-3P Revelation 21:6 V-PPA-DMS Revelation 22:17 V-PPA-NMS Strong's Greek 1372 |
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