The meaning of Search in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

surch: Some peculiar senses are: (1) In the books of Moses, especially in Nu, "searching out the land" means to spy out (raggel), to investigate carefully, to examine with a view to giving a full and accurate report on. (2) When applied to the Scriptures, as in Ezra 4:15, Ezra 4:19 (baqqer); John 5:39; I Peter 1:11 (eraunao), it means to examine, to study out the meaning. In Acts 17:11, the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "examining" for the "searched" of the King James Version. See SEARCHINGS. (3) "Search out" often means to study critically, to investigate carefully, e.g. Job 8:8; Job 29:16; Ecclesiastes 1:13; Lamentations 3:40; Matthew 2:8; I Corinthians 2:10; I Peter 1:10. (4) When the word is applied to God's searching the heart or spirit, it means His opening up, laying bare, disclosing what was hidden, e.g. I Chronicles 28:9; Psalms 44:21; Psalms 139:1; Proverbs 20:27; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 8:27.

G. H. Gerberding

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