CategoryArchaic Word
Modern Equivalentplead; beg; urgently ask.
KJV Word TypeVerb
DefinitionTo plead, beg, request earnestly, or ask urgently.
Key Verses"And the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them." (Luke 8:37)
KJV Usage NoteOften marks an urgent appeal, whether in prayer, pleading, or request.
Common Misunderstanding“Besought” may look unrelated to “beseech,” but it is the past tense form.
EtymologyFrom Old English besēcan, “to seek after, ask for.”