2 Chronicles 14–20; 26; 30
Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2
Introduction
The Lord commanded us, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:62–63). What does it mean to seek?
I recently found something interesting during a word search focused on the word “seek.” I discovered that the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles contain the highest frequency of the word “seek” when referring to God. This implies that pursuing God is a significant theme in Chronicles. Interestingly, despite the historical connections between Chronicles and the books of Samuel and Kings, the author of Samuel and Kings omits the word “seek” as an act of pursuing God.
The English word “seek” often feels like a simple search for something lost, but in the Hebrew Bible, seeking is an active, intentional pursuit that engages the mind and heart. To truly grasp the biblical meaning of this call, one must explore the two primary Hebrew verbs translated as seek: darash (דרש) and baqash (בקש).
Word Origin
Darash: The Hebrew verb darash (דרש) is fundamentally connected to the concept of “studying it out in the mind” through its core meanings of diligent investigation, inquiry, and cognitive exploration. Darash seeks to achieve a deep understanding of truth, not just superficial knowledge. It is not a casual search,it is to pursue with intention, lean in with questions, and stay long enough for meaning to emerge. It literally means, “to tread a path, frequent, or investigate”.
Several aspects highlight the link between darash and studying it out in the mind:
- Diligence and Deep Thought: Darash is the verb used for seeking with great care, particularly for things that can only be uncovered through deep thought and a diligent search for knowledge. It involves using the mental faculties to investigate God’s word.
- Scriptural and Torah Study: Historically, the word became synonymous with searching the Scriptures for divine truth. By the Talmudic period, its primary meaning was the study of the Torah. The term Midrash—a careful commentary or traditional interpretation of the Torah—is derived directly from this root.
- Active Inquiry: The word implies a process of questioning, interrogating, and fathoming to reach a deeper understanding of God’s will, purpose, and statutes.
- Engagement of the Mind: Seeking the Lord through darash requires a “willing mind” and is an act of setting one’s mind to the task.
Baqash: While the Hebrew word darash focuses on cognitive exploration and investigation of the mind, baqash (בקש) relates to “studying it out in the heart” through intentionality, moral desire, and the active pursuit of God’s presence. It is relational. Baqash represents the “heart thing” behind the search—the deep-seated motivation that moves a person from passive observation to wholehearted action. It literally means, “to find and take hold of something”.
- Having Proper Spirit: Unlike a mere cognitive exercise, baqash is described as an intentional act that focuses on a specific object—God and His truth. It requires a seeker to have the proper spirit and heart to conduct a successful search. It is the intense desire of the heart to do the will of God regardless of the cost.
- Seeking the “Face” and Presence: In the Hebrew Bible, baqash is specifically used when a person is commanded to “seek His face” (Psalm 105:4, 27:8). This is interpreted as a heart response to God’s invitation; when God says, “Seek My face,” the heart responds, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek”. This represents an earnest pursuit to “take hold of” and secure a relationship with God.
- Tied to the Temple: The Hebrew verb baqash was anciently used to describe asking for or seeking a divine revelation, particularly within a temple sanctuary. The physical Temple was known in Hebrew as Beit HaMikdash—the “House of Holiness/Sanctuary” (from the root kadosh). The verbal root of bakash is not the name of the Temple, but the Temple was the central location where bakash (petitionary prayer) and offerings were brought to God.
In a specific revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants (Section 8:2 and 9:8). The Lord instructs Oliver Cowdery that He will tell him in his “mind” and in his “heart” by the Holy Ghost, if he will “study it out in [his] mind (darash)” before asking for a spiritual confirmation in his heart (baqash).
In summary, if darash is the “brain” used to investigate the path, baqash is the “heart” that desires the destination, ensuring the search is fueled by sincere intent and moral commitment rather than just intellectual curiosity.
Seeking implies so much more than merely looking. Seek means energy, direction, passion, purpose. To seek requires all our “heart, might, mind and strength”.
Sister Elaine L. Jack
Darash and Baqash in the Same Verse
In English, this appears to be a parallel construction, but in Hebrew, it’s quite distinct. Darash (דרש) and baqash (בקש) are frequently used together in the same verse to describe a complete, wholehearted pursuit of God that involves both diligent investigation and earnest desire.
Here are the primary examples of these words appearing in the same verse:
Psalm 105:4 (and 1 Chronicles 16:11)
These parallel verses are the most commonly cited examples of the two words used in conjunction.
- “Seek [darash] the LORD and His strength; seek [baqash] His face continually”.
- In this context, darash (to inquire or search carefully) is seeking God’s strength, while baqash (to request or desire) is seeking His presence or “face”.
- This is also found in Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked (bakash) of the LORD, that I will seek (darash); that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life”.
Deuteronomy 4:29
This verse establishes a foundational covenant promise regarding the restoration of Israel.
- “But from there you will seek [baqash] YHWH your God, and you will find Him if you search for [darash] Him with all your heart and all your soul”.
- Here, baqash represents the act of turning back toward God, while darash emphasizes the diligence and intensity of the search.
Jeremiah 29:13
This verse highlights the necessity of purposeful, rather than passive, action.
- “You will seek [baqash] Me and find Me when you search for [darash] Me with all your heart”.
- Jeremiah uses both words to show that finding God requires more than just doing something (baqash); it requires doing it for a specific, heartfelt purpose (darash).
Psalm 24:6
This verse describes the generation of those who are worthy to “ascend the hill of the LORD”.
- “This is the generation of those who seek [darash] Him, who seek [baqash] Your face—even Jacob”.
- When these verbs are used together like this, they can communicate seeking and then finding.
Ezekiel 34:6
In this passage, God rebukes the shepherds of Israel for failing to care for His people.
- “…My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search [darash] or seek [baqash] for them”.
- Using both terms emphasize the total neglect of the leaders, who performed neither a mental investigation into the whereabouts of the sheep nor a physical effort to secure them.
Isaiah 65:1
This verse shows God’s initiative in seeking His children, even when they are not responsive.
- “I permitted Myself to be sought [darash—investigated] by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek [baqash] Me”
Conclusion
The principle to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” is found in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118. True seeking involves a “two-pronged approach,” using both study (learning from the “best books”) and faith (seeking direct revelation). It could be that study and faith are the modern equivalents of the ancient Hebrew darash and baqash. See post “Faith’s Journey”.
In the Hebrew Bible, the act of “seeking” God is not a passive wait but an active, wholehearted pursuit defined by two distinct yet complementary verbs: darash and baqash. Once the nuanced meanings of these words are grasped, “seeking” evolves beyond a simple pursuit into a profound involvement of both heart and mind.
