the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #3004 - λέγω
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- to say, to speak
- affirm over, maintain
- to teach
- to exhort, advise, to command, direct
- to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
- to call by name, to call, name
- to speak out, speak of, mention
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
did not use
this Strong's Number
λέγω
(A), lay, pres. erroneously inferred from λέξομαι, ἔλεκτο, etc.; v. cross λέχομαι.
λέγω
(B),
I
1. pick up, etc.: tenses for signf. 1 and 11, fut. λέξω Od. 24.224: aor. ἔλεξα A. Pers. 292: — Med., fut. in pass. sense λέξομαι E. Alc. 322: aor. ἐλεξάμην Il. 21.27 (trans.); ἐλέγμην Od. 9.335; λέκτο 4.451: — Pass., aor. ἐλέχθην Il. 3.188: also post- Hom. in these senses, but only in compos., esp. with ἀπο-, ἐκ-, κατα-, συν -; post- Hom. pf. εἴλοχα (κατ-, συν -), Pass. εἴλεγμαι, in these senses rarely λέλεγμαι (v. the compds.); also fut. λεγήσομαι (συλ -): aor. 2 ἐλέγην (κατ-, συν -): — gather, pick up, ὀστέα.. λέγωμεν Il. 23.239, cf. Od. 24. 72, Pi. P. 8.53; αἱμασιάς τε λέγων picking out stones for building walls, Od. 18.359 (ubi v. Sch., cf. λογάς 2), cf. 24.224: — Med., gather for oneself, ἐπὶ δὲ ξύλα πολλὰ λέγεσθε Il. 8.507; ὀστέα λευκὰ λέγοντο 24.793; φάρμακα λέξασθαι A.R. 3.807.
2. Med., choose for oneself, pick out, λέξαιτο.. ἄνδρας ἀρίστους Od. 24.108; κούρους Il. 21.27: — Pass., to be chosen, εἰ.. λεγοίμεθα πάντες ἄριστοι 13.276.
II
1. count, tell, ἐν δ' ἡμέας λέγε κήτεσιν he counted us among the seals, Od. 4.452; and in aor. Med., Il. 2.125; ἐγὼ πέμπτος μετὰ τοῖσιν ἐλέγμην I reckoned myself.., Od. 9.335; λέκτο δ' ἀριθμόν he told him over the number, 4.451: — Pass., μετὰ τοῖσιν ἐλέχθην I was counted among these, Il. 3.188. so, but not freq., after Hom., λ. ποντιᾶν ψάφων ἀριθμόν Pi. O. 13.46, cf. A. Ag. 570; καθ' ἓν ἕκαστον λ. Isoc. 2.45; also καὶ σὲ δ' ἐν τούτοις λέγω count you among.., A. Pr. 973; λ. τινὰ οὐδαμοῦ count him as naught, S. Ant. 183; κέρδος λ., εἰ.. count it gain, that.., ib. 462: — Med., λέξατο πάντας [ναύτας ] Pi. P. 4.189: — Pass., λέγεσθαι ἐν τοῖς ἱππικωτάτοις X. Oec. 11.20; ἐνὶ πρώτῃσι λέγεσθαι Call. Del. 16: fut. Med. in pass. sense, ἐν τοῖς οὐκέτ' οὖσι λέξομαι E. l.c.
2. recount, tell over, οὔ τι διαπρήξαιμι λέγων ἐμὰ κήδεα Od. 14.197; σὺ δέ μοι λέγε θέσκελα ἔργα 11.374; τὰ ἕκαστα λέγων 12.165; ὅσα τ' αὐτὸς.. ἐμόγησε, πάντ' ἔλεγ ' 23.308: so in Trag., λ. τύχας, πάθη, μόχθους, etc., A. Pr. 633, Pers. 292, Ag. 555, etc.; also Ἀγαμέμνονι.. λέγ' ὀνείδεα repeated reproaches against him, Il. 2.222; so perh. ψεύδεα πολλὰ λ. Hes. Th. 27 (but v. infr. 111): — Med., τί σε χρὴ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι; why need'st thou tell the tale thereof? Il. 13.275; and so, μηκέτι ταῦτα λεγώμεθα νηπύτιοι ὥς ib. 292, cf. Od. 3.240, 13.296; μηκέτι νῦν δήθ' αὖθι λεγώμεθα Il. 2.435.
III say, speak, first in Hes. Th. 27 (v. supr. 11.2): fut. λέξω Emp. 38.1, A. Ag. 859, Hdt. 4.14, Th. 2.48, Antipho 6.33, etc.: aor. ἔλεξα Anacr. 45, Pl. Sph. 217e, Antipho 1.15 (rare in Pl. and the Orators, common in some dialects, as Boeotian, IG 7.504.2 (Tanagra), Thessalian, ib.9(2).461.21, Ionic, v.l. in Hp. Aër. 12): pf. λέλεχα Gal. 16.249, λέλεγα and λέλογας Hsch. (εἴρηκα in correct writers): — Pass., fut. λεχθήσομαι Th. 5.86, Pl. Ti. 67c, etc.: also fut. Med. in pass. sense, S. OC 1186, E. Hec. 906 (lyr.), etc.; and λελέξομαι Th. 3.53 (v.l. λέξεται), Pl. R. 457b: aor. ἐλέχθην (never ἐλέγην in this sense) S. OT 1442, Th. 6.32, etc.: pf. λέλεγμαι Pi. N. 8.20, Hdt. 2.21, S. Ph. 389, etc. (εἴλεγμαι in this sense only in compd. δι -): rare in compds. (only ἀντιλέγω, ἐπιλέγω, καταλέγω, προλέγω), the pres. in most compds. being supplied by ἀγορεύω, the fut. by ἐρῶ, the aor. by εἶπον, the pf. by εἴρηκα:
1 say, speak, never in Hom., first in Hes. l.c., freq. from Hdt. and Trag. downwds.; of all kinds of oral communications, ἐκέλευε λέγειν εἴ τι θέλοι Hdt. 8.58; so λέγοις ἄν speak, say on, Pl. Plt. 268e, etc.; λ. μῦθον A. Pers. 698 (troch.); ψευδῆ λ. Id. Ag. 625; ἀληθῆ λ. Pl. Phlb. 12b (so in Pass., λόγος λέλεκται πᾶς S. Ph. 389); of oracles, say, declare, Hdt. 8.136; ὥσπερ τοὔνομα λέγει indicates, Pl. Prt. 312c: with Preps., λ. ἀμφί τινος A. Th. 1017, E. Hec. 580; περί τινος Xenoph. 34.2, Democr. 165, S. Aj. 151 (anap.), Th. 2.48; ὑπέρ τινος in his defence, S. El. 555, X. HG 1.7.16; κατά τινος against him, Thgn. 1240a, X. HG 1.5.2; λ. ἐπί τισι εὐχὰς ἀγαθάς express good wishes for them, A. Supp. 625 (anap.); λ. τά τινος take his part, D. 8.64; λ. πρός τι in reference or in answer to.., S. Ant. 753, etc.; εἴς τι X. Mem. 1.5.1.
2. c. acc. et inf., say that.., Pi. P. 2.59, etc.: with neg. οὐ, Pl. R. 348c, etc., but μή ib. 346e, X. Smp. 4.5 (Pass.), and usu. in later Gr., LXX Genesis 38:22; λ. μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν Matthew 22:23 : freq. also folld. by ὡς, ὅτι (generally so in the Act. voice) when the subject of the relative clause may become the object of the principal Verb, γυναῖκα λέγουσιν, ὡς κάθηται.. X. Cyr. 7.3.5, etc.: rarely c. part., λ. Οἰδίπουν ὀλωλότα speak of him as dead, S. OC 1580; λέγουσιν ἡμᾶς ὡς ὀλωλότας A. Ag. 672; λέξασ' ἀδελφῷ σ' ἐνθάδ' ὄντα E. Hel. 888: — Pass., λέξεται ἔχων Id. IT 1047, cf. A. Ag. 170 (cj.).
3. λέγειν τινά τι say something of another, esp. κακὰ λ. τινά speak ill of him, revile him, Hdt. 8.61; ἀγαθὰ λ. τινάς Ar. Ec. 435; τὰ ἔσχατα, τὰ ἀπόρρητα λ. ἀλλήλους, X. Mem. 2.2.9, D. 18.123; also εὖ or κακῶς λ. τινά, A. Ag. 445 (lyr.), S. El. 524, cf. 1028; εὖ λ. τὸν εὖ λέγοντα X. Mem. 2.3.8.
4. call by name, ἃς τρέμομεν λ. S. OC 128 (lyr.): c. dupl. acc., call so and so, λέγοιμ' ἂν ἄνδρα τόνδε τῶν σταθμῶν κύνα A. Ag. 896, cf. S. OC 939 codd., Hdt. 1.32, etc.
5. λ. τινὰ ποιεῖν τι tell, command one to do, A. Ch. 553, S. Ph. 101, X. Cyr. 4.1.22, etc.: so with τινι, S. OC 840, D. 19.150 (no obj. expressed in A. Ag. 925, S. OC 856); λέγε τὸν ἐρωτῶντα ἵνα.. εἴπῃ σοι.. Astramps. Orac. p.1 H.; ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει D. 22.20; ὁ λέγων μὴ μοιχεύειν Romans 2:22.
6. λ. τι say something, i.e. speak to the point or purpose, βούλῃ λέγειν τι, καὶ λέγων μηδὲν κλύειν; S. Ant. 757; λέγω τι; am I right ? the answer being λέγεις, Id. OT 1475; κινδυνεύεις τι λέγειν Pl. Cra. 404a; ἴσως ἄν τι λέγοις X. Mem. 2.1.12, cf. Cyr. 1.4.20; opp. οὐδὲν λέγει has no meaning, no authority, οὐδὲν λ. τὸ σωφρόνως τραφῆναι Ar. Eq. 334, cf. V. 75; οὐδὲν λέγεις nonsense ! Id. Th. 625; but οὐδὲν λέγειν, also, say what is not, lie, Id. Av. 66, Pl. Ap. 30b; also εὖ γε λέγεις, εὖ λέγεις, εὖ ἂν λέγοις, good news!, that is well !, ib. 24e, Grg. 447b, Prt. 310b; καλῶς, ὀρθῶς λ., you are right, X. Mem. 3.3.4, 3.6.8; κοὔπω λέγω and what is more, Herod. 7.44; τί λέγεις; τὸν ἔποπα παῖ καλεῖς; Ar. Av. 57, cf. Ec. 298 (lyr.).
7. pleon., ἔφη λέγων Hdt. 3.156, 5.36; ἔλεγε φάς Id. 1.122; ἔφασκε λέγων Ar. Av. 472; ἦ δ' ὃς λέγων Id. V. 795; ὡς ἔφη λέγων S. Aj. 757; καὶ λέγων εἶπεν οὕτω πως D. 8.74, etc.
8. at the beginning of letters or documents, Ἄμασις Πολυκράτεϊ ὧδε λέγει.., Μαρδόνιος τάδε λέγει.., etc., Hdt. 3.40, 8.140. ά, etc.; τὰ γράμματα ἔλεγε τάδε Id. 1.124, etc.; γράμμασι λέγον τάδε, of an inscription, Th. 6.54: in roman edicts, Μάρκος Μέττιος Ῥοῦφος.. λέγει POxy. 237 viii 28 (i A.D.).
9. wish to say, mean, οὔτοι γυναῖκας ἀλλὰ Γοργόνας λέγω A. Eu. 48; τί τοῦτο λέγει, πρὸ Πύλοιο; what does πρὸ Πύλοιο mean? Ar. Eq. 1059, cf. 1021, 1375, Ec. 989, Pl. Phd. 60e: freq. in Platonic dialogue, πῶς λέγεις; how do you mean ? in what sense do you say this? Ap. 24e, al.; ἢ πῶς λέγομεν; or what do we mean to say? Grg. 480b; πῶς δὴ οὖν αὐτὸ λέγεις; Phdr. 265c; ποῖόν τί ποτε ἄρα λέγοντ ές φασι.. what they can possibly mean by saying.., Tht. 181c, al.: c. dupl. acc., τοιοῦτόν τι σὲ λέγειν τὸ κρεῖττον Grg. 489d, al.: freq. (esp. in Trag.) to explain more fully, εἴσω κομίζου καὶ σύ, Κασάνδραν λέγω you, I mean Cassandra, A. Ag. 1035; ὁ μάντις, υἱὸν Οἰκλέους λ. Id. Th. 609, cf. 658 (v.l.), Pr. 946; ποταμός, Ἀχελῷον λέγω S. Tr. 9, cf. 1220, Ph. 1261, E. Ph. 987; ἐμὲ λέγων meaning me, Isoc. 12.215; τὸ δ' ὑμεῖς ὅταν λέγω, τὴν πόλιν λ. D. 18.88: sts., however, the word after λέγω is put in appos. with the word to be expld., Ἀντικλείας.., τῆς σῆς λέγω τοι μητρός A. Fr. 175, cf. Th. 658 cod. M; περὶ τῶνδε.., λέγω δὲ Φωκέων D. 19.152; παρ' ὧν.., τούτων τῶν τὴν Ἀσίαν οἰκούντων λέγω Id. 8.24, cf. Pl. Smp. 202b: abs., μηδενὸς ὄντος ἐν [τῇ χώρᾳ] λέγω D. 1.27. περὶ ἃς (sc. ἀπολαύσεις) λέγομεν τὸν σώφρονα in regard to which we use the term 'temperate', Arist. EN 1148a5, cf. Pl. Grg. 494b.
10. ὡς λέγουσι as they say, S. Ant. 23, etc.; ὡς λ. μοι Id. OC 1161: — Pass., λέγεται it is said, c.acc.et inf., X. Mem. 1.2.30, al.; but also πατρὸς λέγεται γενέσθαι.. Id. Cyr. 1.2.1; θανεῖν ἐλέχθη he was said to have been killed, S. OT 292; so λεγόμενον ἐρέω Pi. P. 5.108: τὸ λεγόμενον abs., as the saying goes, Th. 7.68, cf. Pl. Grg. 447a, Smp. 217e, etc.; τὸ λ. δὴ τοῦτο Id. Grg. 514e: ὁ λεγόμενος γραῶν ὕθλος the so-called.., Id. Tht. 176b; οἱ λ. αὐτόνομοι εἶναι X. HG 6.3.8; οἱ λ. ὅτι.. of whom it is said that.., Id. Cyr. 8.6.16.
11. of orators, speak (emphatically), λέγειν δεινός S. OT 545, X. Cyr. 1.5.9, etc.; λέγειν ἠσκηκότες S. Fr. 963, cf. Eup. 95 (v. λαλέω) ; λ. τε καὶ πράσσειν δυνατώτατος Th. 1.139; οἱ ἐν τῷ πλήθει λέγειν δυνάμενοι Isoc. 3.8, cf. D. 19.286; plead one's cause in a court of law, Id. 23.78; δίκας λέγειν ὑπέρ τινος speak as an advocate for.., Din. 1.111.
12. boast of, tell of, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥώμην X. Cyr. 1.3.10; in Poets, sing of, θέλω λ. Ἀτρείδας Anacreont. 23.1.
13. recite what is written, λαβὲ τὸ βιβλίον καὶ λέγε Pl. Tht. 143c; and freq. in Oratt., as λέγε τὸν νόμον D. 21.8 and 10, etc.; of lectures, ἀκούσατέ μου σχόλια λέγοντος Arr. Epict. 3.21.6, cf. 15.8 (the sense of Lat. lego, read, occurs only in the compds. ἀναλέγομαι, ἐπιλέγομαι).
14. say or send word by another, X. An. 1.9.25, 7.4.5.
15. maintain as a thesis, οἱ τὰς ἰδέας λέγοντες Arist. Ph. 193b36, Metaph. 1036b14.
16. nominate, Lat. dicere [dictatorem ], D.C. Fr. 36.26 (Pass.). (Cf. Lat. lègo, legio, legulus ('olivegatherer').)
εἶπον, 2 aorist active from an obsolete present ἘΠΩ (late epic and in composition; see Veitch) (cf. ἔπος (Curtius, § 620)), Ionic ἘΙΠΩ (like ἐρωτάω, εἰρωτάω; ἑλίσσω, εἱλίσσω; subjunctive εἴπω, imperative εἶπε, infinitive εἰπεῖν, prcp. εἰπών; 1 aorist εἶπα (John 10:34 R G T Tr WH, from Psalm 81:6
1. with an accusative of the object;
a. with the accusative of the thing: εἰπεῖν λόγον, Matthew 8:8 Rec.; John 2:22 (L T Tr WH);
b. with the accusative of the person to speak of, designate by words: ὅν εἶπον, John 1:15 ((not WH text); Buttmann, 377 (323); cf. Romans 4:1 WH text (say of)); ὁ ῤηθείς, Matthew 3:3. εἰπεῖν τινα καλῶς, to speak well of one, praise him, Luke 6:26 (ἐν εἰπεῖν τινα, Homer, Odyssey 1, 302); κακῶς, to speak ill of one, Acts 23:5 from Exodus 22:28; cf. Kühner, § 409, 2; 411, 5; (Winer's Grammar, § 32, 1 b. β.; Buttmann, 146 (128)).
c. with an ellipsis of the accusative αὐτό (see αὐτός, II. 3): Luke 22:67; John 9:27; John 21:4, etc. σύ εἶπας (namely, αὐτό), i. e. you have just expressed it in words; that's it; it is just as you say: Matthew 26:25, 64 (a rabbinical formula; for examples cf. Schoettgen or Wetstein on Matthew 26:25; others seem to regard the answer as noncommittal, e. g. Origen on Matthew 26:64 (Works, 3:910 De la Rue edition); Wunsche, Erlaut. der Evang. aus Talmud, as above, with on Matthew 26:25; but cf. the ἐγώ εἰμί of Mark 14:62; in Matthew 26:64 WH marginal reading take it interrogatively).
2. the person, to whom a thing is said, is indicated a. by a dative: εἰπεῖν τί τίνι, Luke 7:40, and very often; εἶπον ὑμῖν namely, αὐτό, I (have just) told it you; this is what I mean; let this be the word: Matthew 28:7; cf. Bernhardy (1829), p. 381; (Jelf, § 403, 1; Godwin § 19, 5; especially (for examples) Herm. Vig., p. 746). τίνι περί τίνος (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 47, 4), Matthew 17:13; John 18:34. to say anything to one by way of censure, Matthew 21:3; to cast in one's teeth, ἐρεῖτε μοι τήν παραβολήν Luke 4:23. to tell what anything means, e. g. τό μυστήριον, Revelation 17:7.
b. by the use of a preposition: πρός τινα (cf. Buttmann, 172 (150); Krüger, § 48, 7, 13), to say (a thing) to one, as Luke 4:23; Luke 5:4; Luke 12:16, and many other places in Luke; to say a thing in reference to one (Winer's Grammar, 405 (378)), Mark 12:12; Luke 18:9; Luke 20:19.
3. εἶπον, to say, speak, simply and without an accusative of the object, i. e. merely to declare in words, to use language;
a. with the addition of an adverb or of some other adjunct: ὁμοίως, Matthew 26:35; ὡσαύτως, Matthew 21:30; καθώς, Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:24; John 1:23; John 7:38; εἶπε διά παραβολῆς, making use of a parable (see διά, A. III. 3) he spake, Luke 8:4; ἐν παραβολαῖς, Matthew 22:1; with an instrumental dative: εἶπε λόγῳ, say in (using only) a (single) word, namely, that my servant shall be healed, Matthew 8:8 (where Rec. λόγον); Luke 7:7.
b. with the words spoken added in direct discourse; so a hundred times in the historical books of the N. T., as Matthew 9:4; Matthew 8:32; (
c. followed by ὅτι: Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:7; John 6:36; John 7:42; John 8:55; John 11:40; John 16:15; John 18:8; 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 1 Corinthians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 14:23; 1 Corinthians 15:27 (L brackets; WH marginal reading omits ὅτι.
d. followed by an accusative and infinitive: τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν Ἀβραάμ τόν πατέρα ἡμῶν εὑρηκέναι (WH text omits; Tr marginal reading brackets εὑρηκέναι; cf. 1 b. above) κατά σάρκα; Romans 4:1.
4. εἰπεῖν sometimes involves in it the idea of commanding (cf. Buttmann, 27f (237)): followed by the infinitive, εἶπε δοθῆναι αὐτῇ φαγεῖν, Mark 5:43; εἶπε τῷ ἀδελφῷ μου μερίσασθαι μετ' ἐμοῦ τήν κληρονομίαν, Luke 12:13; ὅσα ἄν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν (namely, τηρεῖν (inserted in R G)), τηρεῖτε, Matthew 23:3 (Wis. 9:8). followed by the accusative and infinitive, ὁ εἶπον ἐκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι, 2 Corinthians 4:6 (R G L marginal reading, cf. Buttmann, 273f (235); but L text T Tr WH read λάμψει, thus changing the construction from the accusative with an infinitive to direct discourse, see 3 b. above); εἶπεν αὐτῷ (for ἑαυτῷ, see αὑτοῦ) φωνηθῆναι τούς δούλους τούτους, be commanded to be called for him (i. e., to him) these servants, Luke 19:15; cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 3 b.; Krüger, § 55, 3, 13. followed by ἵνα with the subjunctive: Matthew 4:3; Matthew 20:21; Luke 4:3; to εἰπεῖν is added a dative of the person bidden to do something, Mark 3:9; Luke 10:40 cf. 4:3; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 9:4. "Moreover, notice that ἵνα and ὄφρα are often used by the later poets after verbs of commanding;" Hermann ad Vig., p. 849; cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 8; (Buttmann, 237 (204)). 5 B a Hebraism εἰπεῖν ἐν ἑαυτῷ (בְּלִבּו אָמַר, Deuteronomy 8:17; Psalm 10:6
6. εἰπεῖν τινα with a predicate accusative, to call, style, one:ἐκείνους εἶπε Θεούς, John 10:35; ὑμᾶς εἴρηκα φίλους, John 15:15; (Homer, Odyssey 19, 334; Xenophon, Apology Socrates § 15; Lucian, Tim. § 20). (Compare: ἀντεῖπον, ἀπεῖπον, προεῖπον.)
STRONGS NT 3004: εἴρω εἴρω, future ἐρῶ, see εἶπον.
STRONGS NT 3004: ἐρῶ ἐρῶ, see εἶπον.
STRONGS NT 3004: λέγω λέγω (in the N. T. only the present and imperfect active and present passive are in use; 3 person plural imperfect ἐλεγαν, John 11:56 Tdf. (cf. ἔχω, at the beginning));
I. in its earliest use in Homer to lay (like Latinlego, German legen; cf. J. G. Müller in Theol. Studien und Kritiken for 1835, p. 127ff; Curtius, § 538); to cause to lie down, put to sleep;
1. to collect, gather; to pick out.
2. to lay with, count with; to enumerate, recount, narrate. describe; (cf. English tale, German zählen).
II. to put word to word in speaking, join words together, i. e. "to say (how it differs from λαλεῖν, see under that word at the beginning); once so by Homer in Iliad 2, 222 (yet cf. Schmidt, Syn. 1:1, §§ 20; 48, 2; Liddell and Scott, under the word, B. II. 2); often in Pindar, and by far the most common use in Attic; the Sept. more than thirteen hundred times for אָמַר; often also for נְאֻם (saying,dictum); very rarely for דִּבֵּר; and so in N. T.
1. universally,
a. absolutely, to speak: Acts 13:15; Acts 24:10; to say, foll. by direct discourse, Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:44; Matthew 16:2 (here T brackets WH reject the passage); Mark 3:30; Luke 5:39 (WH brackets the clause); John 1:29, 38; (1 Corinthians 12:3 L T Tr WH); James 4:13, and very often; the direct discourse is preceded by ὅτι recitative, Matthew 9:18 (T omits ὅτι); Mark 1:15 (T omits; WH brackets λέγων); Mark 2:12 (L and WH brackets λέγοντας); Mark 3:21; Mark 5:28; Mark 6:14f, 35; Mark 7:20; Luke 1:24; Luke 4:41; Luke 17:10; John 6:14; John 7:12; John 8:33; John 9:9, 41; John 16:17; Acts 2:13; Acts 11:3; Hebrews 10:8; Revelation 3:17, etc.; followed by the accusative with an infinitive, Luke 11:18; Luke 24:23; John 12:29; Acts 4:32; Acts 28:6, etc.; followed by ὅτι, Luke 22:70; John 8:48; John 18:31; 1 Timothy 4:1 (for other examples see 2 a. below); followed by an indirect question, Matthew 21:27; Mark 11:33; Luke 20:8.
b. The N. T. writers, particularly the historical, are accustomed to add the verb λέγειν followed by direct discourse to another verb which already contains the idea of speaking, or which states an opinion concerning some person or thing; as τό ῤηθέν ... προφήτου λέγοντος, Matthew 2:17; Matthew 8:17; Matthew 12:17; Matthew 13:35; κηρύσσων ... καί (L T WH omit; Tr brackets καί) λέγων, Matthew 3:2; κράζειν λέγειν, Matthew 9:27; Matthew 21:15; Mark 10:47; Luke 4:41 (here L T Tr marginal reading κραυγάζειν); Acts 14:15; προσφώνειν καί λέγειν, Matthew 11:17; Luke 7:32; ἀπεκρίθη καί λέγει, Mark 7:28; αἰνεῖν τόν Θεόν καί λέγειν, Luke 2:13; γογγύζειν καί λέγειν, John 6:42. to verbs of speaking, judging, etc., and those which denote in general the nature or the substance of the discourse reported, the participle λέγων is added (often so in the Sept. for לֵאמֹר (Winer's Grammar, 535f (499), cf. 602 (560))) followed by direct discourse: ἀπεκρίθη λέγων, Matthew 25:9, 44; Mark 9:38 (T WH omit λέγων); Acts 15:13; Revelation 7:13, etc. (see ἀποκρίνομαι, 1 c.); εἶπαν ... λέγοντες, Mark (Mark 8:28 T WH Tr marginal reading);
e. below)): Luke 1:63; 1 Macc. 8:31 1 Macc. 11:57; Josephus, Antiquities 11, 2, 2; 13, 4, 1; examples from the Syriac are given by Gesenius in Rosenmüller's Repertor. i., p. 135. ἔπεμψε or ἀπέστειλε λέγων, i. e. he ordered it to be said by a messenger: Matthew 22:16; Matthew 27:19; Luke 7:19; Luke 19:14; John 11:3; Acts 13:15; Acts 16:35 (see in εἶπον, 3 b.); otherwise in Matthew 21:37; Mark 12:6.
c. ἡ φωνή λέγουσα: Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; Luke 3:22 (G L T Tr WH omit λέγουσα); Revelation 6:6; Revelation 10:4, 8; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 14:13, etc. λέγειν φωνή μεγάλη, Revelation 5:12; Revelation 8:13; ἐν φωνή μεγάλη, Romans 14:7, 9.
d. In accordance with the Hebrew conception which regards thought as internal speech (see εἶπον, 5), we find λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, to say within oneself, i. e. to think with oneself: Matthew 3:9; Matthew 9:21; Luke 3:8; ἐν τῇ καρδία αὐτοῦ, Revelation 18:7.
e. One is said to speak, λέγειν, not only when he uses language orally, but also when he expresses himself in writing ((cf.
b. sub at the end)): 2 Corinthians 7:3; 2 Corinthians 8:8; 2 Corinthians 9:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 11:16, 21; Philippians 4:11, and often in Paul; so of the writers of the O. T.: Romans 10:16, 20; Romans 11:9; Romans 15:12; λέγει ἡ γραφή, Romans 4:3; Romans 10:11; Romans 11:2; James 2:23, etc.; and simply λέγει, namely, ἡ λέγουσα, i. e. ἡ γραφή (our it is said): Romans 15:10 (11 L Tr marginal reading); Galatians 3:16; Ephesians 4:8; Ephesians 5:14; cf. Winers Grammar, 522 (486f) and 588 (547); Buttmann, § 129, 16; λέγει, namely, ὁ Θεός, 2 Corinthians 6:2; λέγει, Δαυίδ ἐν ψαλμῷ, Acts 13:35; λέγει ὁ Θεός, Hebrews 5:6; ἐν τῷ ὡσεη, Romans 9:25; ἐν Ἠλίᾳ, Romans 11:2; ἐν Δαυίδ, Hebrews 4:7; λέγει τό πνεῦμα τό ἅγιον, Hebrews 3:7; ὁ νόμος λέγει, 1 Corinthians 14:34; τί, 1 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 3:19.
f. λέγειν is used of every variety of speaking: as of inquiry, Matthew 9:14; Matthew 15:1; Matthew 17:25; Matthew 18:1; Mark 2:18; Mark 5:30; Luke 4:22; Luke 7:20; John 7:11; John 9:10; John 19:10; Romans 10:18; Romans 11:1, 11, etc.; followed by εἰ interrogative (see εἰ, II. 2), Acts 21:37; λέγει, τίς, equivalent to one bids the question be asked, Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11; of reply, Matthew 17:25; Matthew 20:7; Mark 8:24 (L marginal reading εἶπεν); John 1:21; John 18:17; of acclaim, Revelation 4:8, 10; of exelamation, Revelation 18:10, 16; of entreaty, Matthew 25:11; Luke 13:25; equivalent to to set forth in language, make plain, Hebrews 5:11.
g. λέγω with the accusative of the thing. to say a thing: ὁ, Luke 9:33 (i. e. not knowing whether what he said was appropriate or not); Luke 22:60; to express in words, Philemon 1:21; τοῦτο, John 8:6; John 12:33; τοιαῦτα, Hebrews 11:14; ταῦτα, Luke 8:8; Luke 11:27, 45; Luke 13:17; John 5:34; Acts 14:18; 1 Corinthians 9:8; τάδε (referring to what follows), Acts 21:11; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; Revelation 3:1, 7, 14; τί, what? Romans 10:8; Romans 11:4; Galatians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 14:16; πολλά, John 16:12; τά λεγόμενα, Luke 18:34; Acts 28:24; Hebrews 8:1; ὑπό τίνος, Acts 8:6; Acts 13:45 (L T Tr WH λαλουμένοις); Acts 27:11; λέγω ἀλήθειαν, John 8:45; Romans 9:1; 1 Timothy 2:7; ἀληθῆ, John 19:35; ἀνθρώπινον, Romans 6:19; σύ λέγεις, namely, αὐτό, properly, thou sayest, i. e. thou grantest what thou askest, equivalent to it is just as thou sayest; to be sure, certainly (see εἶπον, 1 c.): Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3, cf. Luke 22:70; John 18:37 ((all these passages WH marginal reading punctuate interrogatively)); παραβολήν, to put forth, Luke 14:7; τό αὐτό, to profess one and the same thing, 1 Corinthians 1:10 cf. 1 Corinthians 1:12. h. with the dative of the person to whom anything is said: followed by direct discourse, Matthew 8:20; Matthew 14:4; Matthew 18:32; Matthew 19:10; Mark 2:17, 27; Mark 7:9; Mark 8:1; John 1:43 (
2. specifically,
a. equivalent to to asseverate, affirm, aver, maintains: followed by an accusative with an infinitive, Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:41; Luke 23:2; Luke 24:23; Acts 5:36; Acts 8:9; Acts 17:7; Acts 28:6; Romans 15:8; 2 Timothy 2:18; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9; with the included idea of insisting on, περιτέμνεσθαι (that you must be (cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 3 b.; Buttmann, § 141, 2)), Acts 15:24 Rec.; with the simple infinitive without a subject-accusative, Luke 24:23; James 2:14; 1 John 2:6, 9; followed by ὅτι (where the accusative with an infinitive might have been used), Matthew 17:10; Mark 9:11; Mark 12:35; Luke 9:7; John 4:20; John 12:34; 1 Corinthians 15:12; λέγω τίνι ὅτι, etc. to declare to one that etc. (cf. Buttmann, § 141, 1): Matthew 3:9; Matthew 5:20, 22; Matthew 12:36; Matthew 13:17; Matthew 17:12; Matthew 21:43 (WH marginal reading omits ὅτι);
b. equivalent to to teach: with the dative of person followed by direct discourse, 1 Corinthians 7:8, 12; τί τίνι, John 16:12; Acts 1:3; τοῦτο followed by ὅτι, 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
c. to exhort, advise; to command, direct: with an accusative of the thing, Luke 6:46; λέγουσιν (namely, αὐτά) ... καί οὐ ποιοῦσιν, Matthew 23:3; τί τίνι, Mark 13:37; John 2:5; τίνι followed by an imperative, Matthew 5:44; Mark 2:11; Luke 7:14; Luke 11:9; Luke 12:4; Luke 16:9; John 2:8; John 13:29; 1 Corinthians 7:12; λέγω with an infinitive of the thing to be done or to be avoided (cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 3 b.; Buttmann, § 141, 2): Matthew 5:34, 39; Acts 21:4, 21; Romans 2:22; Romans 12:3; followed by ἵνα, Acts 19:4; περί τίνος (the genitive of the thing) followed by ἵνα, 1 John 5:16 (see ἵνα, II. 2 b.); followed by μή with subjunctive 2 Corinthians 11:16. in the sense of asking, seeking, entreating: with the dative of person followed by an imperative, 1 Corinthians 10:15; 2 Corinthians 6:13; followed by an infinitive (Winers Grammar, 316 (296f); Buttmann, as above), Revelation 10:9 (Rec. imperative). χαίρειν τίνι λέγω, to give one a greeting, bid him welcome, salute him, 2 John 1:10f (see χαίρω, at the end).
d. to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say (often so in Greek writings; cf. Passow, under the word, p. 30a; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, C. 10)): τινα, Mark 14:71; John 6:71; τί, 1 Corinthians 10:29; τοῦτο followed by direct discourse, Galatians 3:17; τοῦτο followed by ὅτι, 1 Corinthians 1:12.
e. to call by a name, to call, name; equivalent to καλῷ τινα with the accusative of predicate: τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19; add, Mark 12:37; John 5:18; John 15:15; Acts 10:28; (1 Corinthians 12:3 R G); Revelation 2:20; passive with predicate nominative: Matthew 13:55; 1 Corinthians 8:5; Ephesians 2:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Hebrews 11:24; ὁ λεγόμενος, with predicate nominative he that is surnamed, Matthew 1:16 (so
f. to speak out, speak of, mention: τί, Ephesians 5:12 (with which cf. ό᾿κνω καί λέγειν, Plato, rep. 5, p. 465 c.); (Mark 7:36 T Tr text WH. On the apparent ellipsis of λέγω in 2 Corinthians 9:6, cf. Winers Grammar, 596f (555); Buttmann, 394 (338). Compare: ἀντιλέγω, διαλέγω (διαλέγομαι), ἐκλέγω, ἐπιλέγω, καταλέγω, παραλέγω (παραλέγομαι), προλέγω, συλλέγω; cf. the catalog of comp. in Schmidt, Syn., chapter 1, 60.)
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λέγω ,
[in LXX very freq., chiefly for H559; λέγει for H5001, Genesis 22:16, al.;]
1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount.
2. In Hdt. and Att.., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Acts 13:15; Acts 24:10; seq. orat. dir., Matthew 9:34, Mark 3:11, John 1:29, al.; seq. ὅτι recit., Mark 3:21, Luke 1:24, John 6:14, al.; acc et. inf., Luke 11:18, John 12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ . λέγειν , Matthew 11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν ) λέγων (καὶ λέγει ; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Matthew 25:9, Mark 3:33; Mark 7:28, Luke 24:6-7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ . ἐν ἑαυτῷ , Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8, al.; of writing, 2 Corinthians 8:8, Philippians 4:11, al.; λέγει ἡ γραφή , Romans 4:3, James 2:23, al.; c. acc rei, Luke 8:8; Luke 9:33, John 5:34, al.; σὺ λέγεις (a non-committal phrase; Swete, Mk., 359, 369 f.), Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3, John 18:37; c. dat. pers., seq. orat. dir., Matthew 8:20, Mark 2:17, al. mult.; id. seq. ὅτι , Matthew 3:9, al.; c. prep., πρός , μετά , περί , etc., Mark 4:41, John 11:56, Hebrews 9:5, al.; to mean (cl.), Mark 14:71, John 6:71, 1 Corinthians 10:29, al.; to call, name, Mark 10:18; pass., Matthew 9:9, Mark 15:7, al (cf. ἀντι -, δια - (-μαι ), προ -, συλ -λέγω ).
ἐρῶ , see λέγω ,
εἴρω (fut. ἐρῶ ), see λέγω ,
εἶπον ,
2 aor. of obsol. Pres. ἔπω (cf. Veitch), used as aor. of λέγω , q.v.
SYN .: λαλέω G2980, which refers to the utterance, as λέγω G3004 to the meaning of what is said, its correspondence with thought (Tr., Syn., LXXvi; Thayer, s.v. λαλέω ).
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
(1). ";I say, speak"; : see e.g. P Par 47 (= Selections, p. 21 ff.), c. B.C. 153, which is addressed on the verso—πρὸς τοὺς τὴν ἀλήθεαν λέγοντες (= –ας), P Fay 123.23 (c. A.D. 100) γνώσομαι γ ̣ὰρ ̣ εὶ ἀληθῶς λέγι, ";I will find out whether he is speaking the truth,"; P Ryl II. 76.13 (late ii/A.D.) ἂ ̣ καὶ ἀναγνώσομαι λεγομένου τοῦ [π ]ράγματος ";I will read them when the case is argued"; (Edd.), P Flor II. 132.7 (A.D. 257) ἔλε [ξ ]αν πεποιηκέναι ταῦτα ἀγνοίᾳ, ";they said they had done this in ignorance,"; and the magical P Par 574.1228 (iii/A.D.) (= Selections, p. 113) λόγος λεγόμενος ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, ";invocation to be uttered over the head (of the possessed one)."; For the phrase τὸ αὐτὸ λέγειν, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:10, Weiss (Meyer .10 ad l.) cites a sepulchral inscr. of husband and wife from Rhodes, IMAe 149 (ii/B.C.) ταὐτὰ λἑγοντες ταὐτὰ φρονοῦντες ἤλθομεν τὰν ἀμέτρητον ὁδὸν εἰς Ἀΐδαν. (2). Closely associated is the meaning ";I speak of, mean,"; as in P Fay 110.6 (A.D. 94) ὃ λέγεις ταμε [ῖ ]ον, ";the store-place you speak of,"; P Oxy VI. 907.16 (A.D. 276) λέγω δὴ τῇ Διδύμῃ, ";I mean Didyme."; (3). For the verb = ";I tell, command,"; as in Matthew 5:34; Matthew 5:39, Romans 2:22, cf. P Fay 109.3 (early i/A.D.) παρακληθεὶς τοὺς τρεῖς στατῆρες οὓς εἴρηκέ σοι Σέλευκος δῶναί μοι ἤδη δὸς Κλέωνι, ";please give to Cleon the three staters which Seleucus told you to give me"; (Edd.), ib. 111.9 (A.D. 95–6) Ἡρα ̣κλι ̣δ ̣ας ὁ ̣ [ὀν ]ηλάτης τὼ αἰτίωμα περιεπύησε λέγον ὥτι (l. περιεποίησε λέγων ὅτι) σὺ εἴρηχας πεζῶι [τὰ χ ]υρίδια ἐλα ̣σαι, ";Heraclidas the donkey-driver shifted the blame from himself, saying that you had told him to drive the pigs on foot"; (Edd.). Noteworthy for Revelation 2:1; Revelation 2:8 al. is the use of λέγει or τάδε λέγει as a formal and solemn phrase to introduce the edicts of Emperors and magistrates, e.g. Syll 376.1 (A.D. 67) Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ λέγει —Nero’s speech at Corinth giving liberty to the Greeks, OGIS 584.2 (ii/A.D.) Τι (βέριος) Κλαύδιος Ἰοῦνκος ἀνθύπατος λέγει, and the rescript of King Darius I. to a provincial governor in Asia Minor, Magn 115.4 (writing of 1st half ii/A.D.) Βασιλεὺς [βα ]σιλέων Δαρεῖος ὁ Ὑστάσπεω Γαδάται δούλωι τάδε λέγε [ι ]· πυνθάνομαί σε τῶν ἐμῶν ἐπιταγμάτων οὐ κατὰ πάντα πειθαρχεῖν κτλ. : see also Exp VIII. v. p. 286 f. and Lafoscade De epistulis, pp. 63, 77. (4). The active = ";I call, name,"; as in Mark 10:18, Philippians 3:18 (cf. Kennedy EGT ad l.), may be illustrated from P Par 44.5 (B.C. 163) (= Witkowski .2, p. 82) ἠ (= εἰ) ἕτερον θέλις λέγειν, λέγε, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐνύπνια ὁρῶ πονηρά, and from the usage of the Greek islands, where μὲ λέγει or λέγει με has the meaning ";he names me"; (see Hatzidakis Einl. p. 223). For the passive which is common in the NT in this sense (Matthew 1:16, John 1:38, al.) cf. BGU IV. 1117.9 (B.C. 13) ἐν τῇ Εὐδαίμον [ο ]ς [λε ]γομένῃ ῥύμῃ, P Ryl II. 133.11 (A.D. 33) ἐπιβαλὼν. . εἰς τὸ λεγόμενον Ταορβελλείους ἔμβλημ (α), ";making an attack upon the dam (?) called that of Taorbelles"; (Edd.), ib. 137.19 (A.D. 34) πρὸς τῷ ἐποικίῳ Ληνοῦ λεγομένῳ, ";near the farmstead called that of the Winepress"; (Edd.), al.
For λέγων, λέγοντες, used without construction in the LXX, see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 23, and with Revelation 2:24 ὡς λέγουσιν cf. MGr λένε, ";they say"; (Thumb Handbook, p. 180). As usual the intervocalic γ is commonly omitted in the MGr λέω, λέεις or λές, λέει κτλ. : see Thumb ib. p. 177. The impf. ἔλεγαν in John 9:10 א* al. may be illustrated from BGU II. 595.9 (A.D. 70–80) ἔγραψέ μοι ἐπιστολὴν ὅτι ἔλεγας κτλ., and for ἐλέγοσαν see Syll 928.75 (after B.C. 190) ὡς ἐλέγοσαν οἱ Πριη [νέων ἔγδι ]κοι.
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