Here. Ejjoy,"speak"
λαλέω impf. ἐλάλουν; fut. λαλήσω; 1 aor. ἐλάλησα; pf. λελάληκα. Pass.: 1 fut. λαληθήσομαι; 1 aor. ἐλαλήθην; pf. λελάλημαι (Soph.+). In older Gk. usu. of informal communication ranging from engagement in small talk to chattering and babbling, hence opp. of λέγω; in later Gk the trend, expressed esp. in the pseudepigr. and our lit., is toward equation with λέγω and broadening of the earlier usage.
① to make a sound, sound, give forth sounds/tones (Aesop fab. 248b H.//146 H-H.//202 Ch.//v.l. 141 P.) that form a kind of speech, esp. of inanimate things (e.g. of the echo, Cass. Dio 74, 21, 14; of streams of water Achilles Tat. 2, 14, 8; OdeSol 11:6 τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ λαλοῦν), of thunder ἐλάλησαν αἱ βρονταί Rv 10:4ab. ἐλάλησαν αἱ βρονταὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν φωνάς vs. 3. Of a trumpet 4:1 (cp. Aristot., De Aud. p. 801a, 29 διὰ τούτων=flutes, etc.; Achilles Tat. 2, 14, 8 of the κιθάρα). Of the blood of Christ, that speaks more effectively than that of Abel (
Gen 4:10) Hb 12:24; s. 11:4 (Goodsp., Probs. 188). Cp. J 12:29.
② to utter words, talk, speak, of pers.
ⓐ of the act of speaking, intr.
α. (be able to) speak; to have and use the faculty of speech, in contrast to one who is incapable of speaking (cp.
Ps 113:13; 134:16;
3 Macc 4:16; TestSol 10:3 C λ. ἀνθρωπίνως) Mt 9:33; 12:22; 15:31;
Mk 7:37;
Lk 1:20, 64; 11:14. ἐλάλει ὀρθῶς he could speak plainly (in contrast to the unintelligible utterances of a deaf-mute)
Mk 7:35.
β. speak, express oneself (Aesop, Fab. 146 H-H. et al.) οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες it is not you who (will) speak Mt 10:20 (cp. TestAbr A 6 p. 83, 5 [Stone p. 14] ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐστὶν ὁ λαλῶν; AscIs 1, 7, τὸ πνεῦμα … τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ἐμοί). προφῆται δύο ἢ τρεῖς λαλείτωσαν two or three prophets are to express themselves
1 Cor 14:29. ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος while he was still speaking Mt 17:5; 26:47;
Mk 5:35; 14:43;
Lk 8:49; 22:47, 60. μηκέτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος AcPl Ha 5, 14 of a lion (?); μηκέτι λαλήσας 10, 25=MartPl Aa I 115, 16.—
Lk 5:4;
1 Cor 14:11ab, al.—In contrast to listening (Plut., Mor. 502c λαλοῦντι μὲν πρὸς τ. ἀκούοντας μὴ ἀκούοντι δὲ τ. λαλούντων) Js 1:19; cp.
1 Cor 14:35.—In contrast to keeping silent (Lucian, Vit. Auct. 3) οὐκ ἤφιεν λαλεῖν τ. δαιμόνια
Mk 1:34;
Lk 4:41 (λέγειν v.l.). λάλει καὶ μὴ σιωπήσῃς Ac 18:9. οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτρέπεται λαλείν (women) are not permitted to express themselves
1 Cor 14:34f (cp. Plut., Mor. 142d: a woman ought to take care of her home and be quiet; for she should either converse with her husband or through him). This pass. refers to expression in a congregational assembly, which would engage not only in worship but in discussion of congregational affairs; the latter appears to be implied here, for it was contrary to custom for Hellenic women, in contrast to their privileges in certain cultic rites (cp.
1 Cor 11:5), to participate in public deliberations (s. Danker, Benefactor 164, w. ref. to IG II, 1369, 107–9; for other views s. comm.).—In contrast to acting Js 2:12.
γ. The pers. to whom or with whom one is speaking is mentioned in various ways: in the dat. λ. τινί speak to or with someone (Aristoph., Equ. 348; Philemon Com. 11 Kock; Menander, Periciromene 220 σοί; Aelian, Ep. 14 p. 181, 1; Diog. L. 9, 64; pseudepigr.; Just., A I, 63, 14. λ. ἑαυτῷ=with oneself;
Lev 1:1f; Ezk 33:30b) Mt 12:46ab, 47; 13:10;
Mk 16:19;
Lk 1:22; 24:6, 32; J 4:26 (cp. CB I/2, 566f no. 467–69 Ἀθάνατος Ἐπιτύνχανος says of himself: ἐγὼ εἶμαι ὁ λαλῶν πάντα); 9:29; 12:29; 15:22; Ac 9:27; Ro 7:1;
1 Cor 3:1;
1 Th 2:16; Hb 1:1f; by πρός and the acc. (Plut. Mor. 502c [s. β above]; Ps.-Lucian, Asin. 44;
Gen 27:6;
Ex 30:11, 17, 22; JosAs 14:7 al.; Par
Jer 3:5; ApcMos 28; SibOr 3, 669; Just., D. 27, 3)
Lk 1:19, 55; Ac 4:1; 8:26; 11:20; 26:31 (cp. Lat. ire in consilium; Taubenschlag, OpMin. II 725 [the pap ref. is unsatisfactory]); by μετά and the gen. (
Gen 35:13)
Mk 6:50; J 4:27; 9:37; 14:30; Rv 1:12; 10:8; 17:1; 21:9, 15. μὴ διαλίπῃς λαλῶν εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν ἁγίων Hv 4, 3, 6.—The pers. or thing spoken about is expressed by περί w. the gen. (PSI 361, 5 [251 B.C.] λαλήσας περί μου; PFay 126, 4 [c. 200 A.D.];
Gen 19:21; Ezk 33:30a; TestAbr B 8 p. 112 14 [Stone p. 72]; Test
Job 46:7; JosAs 6:2 al.; Philo, Fuga 33, 30a) J 8:26; 12:41; Ac 2:31; Hb 2:5; 4:8.—τινὶ περί τινος (PPetr II, 13 (6), 9 [III B.C.])
Lk 2:38; 9:11; pass. Ac 22:10.
δ. The speaking or uttering can be more closely defined: κακῶς, καλῶς J 18:23. ὡς νήπιος
1 Cor 13:11. ὡς δράκων (hissed?) Rv 13:11. στόμα πρὸς στόμα face to face (cp.
Num 12:8; ApcEsdr 6:6 p. 31, 10 Tdf.) 2J 12; 3J 14. εἰς ἀέρα
1 Cor 14:9. κατὰ κύριον
2 Cor 11:17. ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τ. καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ Mt 12:34;
Lk 6:45. ἐκ τῆς γῆς J 3:31 (cp.
Lev 1:1 λ. ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς). ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων J 8:44. παρρησίᾳ 7:13, 26. ἐν παρρησίᾳ 16:29. ἐν παραβολαῖς Mt 13:10, 13. χωρὶς παραβολῆς
Mk 4:34. λ. (ἐν) ψαλμοῖς speak in psalms
Eph 5:19. Of prophets λ. ἐν πνεύματι D 11:7 (Just., D. 7, 1). Of God λ. διὰ στόματος τ. προφητῶν
Lk 1:70; cp. Ac 28:25.
ε. as subst. ptc. τὰ λαλούμενα (Paradox. Vat. 2 Keller; Jos., Ant. 16, 321; Just., D. 7, 2) ὑπό τινος Ac 13:45; 16:14. τὰ λελαλημένα (EpArist 299; cp. TestSol 20:21 τὰ … λαληθέντα μοι) αὐτῇ παρὰ κυρίου
Lk 1:45.—For λαλεῖν γλώσσῃ and λ. γλώσσαις s. γλῶσσα 3.
ⓑ of speech with ref. to what is expressed (the ability to λ. can generate λόγοι Aesop, Vi. G 7f P.), trans. speak and thereby assert, proclaim, say τὶ someth. (X., Cyr. 1, 4, 1 πολλά; Demosth. 45, 77 μέγα; Paradox. Vat. 2 τὰ ὀνόματα) τὰ ῥήματα τ. θεοῦ J 3:34. ῥῆμα Mt 12:36; cp. J 8:20 (JosAs 14:14 al.; Par
Jer 3:4.). τὸν λόγον
Mk 8:32; J 12:48; Ac 4:29, 31 (λαλ. τι μετὰ παρρησίας as Jos., Ant. 16, 113); 8:25; 14:25; 16:6, 32. τὰ μεγαλεῖα τ. θεοῦ Ac 2:11 (Test
Job 38:1). βλασφημίας
Lk 5:21; cp. Ac 6:11 (JosAs 13:9; Just., D. 32, 3). σοφίαν
1 Cor 2:6f. μυστήρια 14:2; cp.
Col 4:3. τὰ μὴ δέοντα 1 Ti 5:13. τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ ὑπέρογκα
Jd 16; μεγάλα Rv 13:5. τί Mt 10:19;
Mk 13:11; J 12:49. ὸ̔ λαλεῖ
Mk 11:23; cp. J 10:6; 12:50. ταῦτα
Lk 24:36; J 8:28, 30; 12:36; 17:1; AcPl Ha 10, 11. ἐλάλησέν τι περὶ σοῦ πονηρόν Ac 28:21 (cp. 3 Km 22:8, 13b; JosAs 12:5). ἐσύρετο μηδὲν λαλῶν (Paul) let himself be dragged in without saying a word AcPl Ha 4, 11.—Pass. λαλεῖταί τι someth. is said, proclaimed, reported (cp. the ins for mother and brother [APF 5, 1913, 169 no. 24, 8] ὧν καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη κατὰ τ. κόσμον λελάληται, also
Ps 86:3) Mt 26:13;
Mk 14:9; cp. Hb 2:3; 9:19 ἡ λαλουμένη διδαχή Ac 17:19. ὁ λαληθεὶς λόγος Hb 2:2. ἐλαλήθη ὅτι 11:18 (B-D-F §397, 3).—Oft., in addition, the pers. spoken to is mentioned, in the dat. ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Mt 13:33. ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον he proclaimed the word to them
Mk 2:2; 4:33; J 15:3; Ac 11:19. ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς Mt 13:3; cp. vs. 34. τὸ ῥῆμα … αὐτοῖς
Lk 2:50; cp. J 6:63.—8:40 (ἀλήθειαν λ. as
Eph 4:25 below); 14:25; 15:11; 16:1, 4, 6. ἀνθρώποις λαλεῖ οἰκοδομήν
1 Cor 14:3; w. πρός and acc. (
Gen 18:19;
Zech 8:16) λόγους … ἐλάλησα πρὸς ὑμᾶς
Lk 24:44 (cp. Dt 10:4).—Ac 3:22; 11:14;
1 Th 2:2; w. ἐν and the dat. σοφίαν λαλοῦμεν ἐν τ. τελείοις we discourse of wisdom among those who are mature p 583
1 Cor 2:6; w. μετά and the gen. λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ
Eph 4:25 (cp.
Zech 8:16). ὅσα ἂν λαλήσω μετὰ σοῦ Hs 5, 3, 2; cp. Hs ins.—W. the speaking definitely characterized ταῦτα ἐν παροιμίαις λελάληκα ὑμῖν J 16:25a. κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ταῦτα λαλῶ
1 Cor 9:8. ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοΐ μου λαλῆσαι 14:19. πάντα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἐλαλήσαμεν ὑμῖν
2 Cor 7:14. ἀφόβως τὸν λόγον τ. θεοῦ λαλεῖν Phil 1:14. λ. τι εἰς τὰ ὦτά τινος communicate someth. to someone personally (cp. Dt 5:1) Hv 3, 8, 11 (for 4, 3, 6 s. 2aγ above). λ. τι πρὸς τὸ οὖς whisper someth. in someone’s ear (so that no one else hears it; cp. Jos., Ant. 6, 165)
Lk 12:3.
③ In a number of passages the content of the speaking is introduced by λέγων (s. λέγω 1bθא), just as in the OT (
Gen 34:8; 41:9; 42:22;
Ex 31:12;
Lev 20:1; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 28 [Stone p. 80]; Test
Job 7:1 al.; Par
Jer 1:1; 1:6 al.; ApcMos 16) Mt 13:3; 14:27; 23:1; 28:18; J 8:12; Ac 8:26; Rv 4:1; 17:1 al. Optional: εἶπον, q.v., end.—B. 1254. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.) (582–583). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
3281 λαλέω (laleō): vb.; ≡ DBLHebr 1819; Str 2980—1. LN 33.70 speak, talk; in some contexts with the semantic focus on the telling (i.e., the utterance or breaking of sound waves instead of the content) (Mt 9:33; 13:3; 23:1;
Mk 16:17, 19 v.r.); 2. LN 33.91 πρὸς τὸ οὖς λαλέω (pros to ous laleō), whisper, formally, talk in the ear (
Lk 12:3+)
Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
33.70 λαλέω: to speak or talk, with the possible implication of more informal usage (though this cannot be clearly and consistently shown from NT contexts)—‘to speak, to say, to talk, to tell.’ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς ‘he used parables to tell them many things’ or ‘he spoke to them about many things using parables’ Mt 13:3; τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν τοῖς ὄχλοις καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ‘then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples’ Mt 23:1.
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (396). New York: United Bible societies.
λαλέω speak, talk, say; preach, proclaim; tell; be able to speak; address, converse (with); promise (of God); sound (of thunder)
Newman, B. M. (1993). A Concise Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament. (106). Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies.
Threaded Mode
