To speak or say (by word or writing)
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G2036 is a common verb for saying or speaking. The local witness places 956 primary forms in 880 verses, so the verb serves many kinds of discourse: brief replies, commands, questions, testimony, mistaken claims, Scripture citations, confessions, warnings, and divine speech.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἔπω (G2036) · Open the biblical lexicon
G2036 is a common verb for saying or speaking. The local witness places 956 primary forms in 880 verses, so the verb serves many kinds of discourse: brief replies, commands, questions, testimony, mistaken claims, Scripture citations, confessions, warnings, and divine speech.
The BSB source-word alignment has 1,080 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include said (170), . . . (88), he said (80), [and] said (56), asked (33).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (319), John (254), Matthew (193), Acts (136).
G2036 is a common verb for saying or speaking. The local witness places 956 primary forms in 880 verses, so the verb serves many kinds of discourse: brief replies, commands, questions, testimony, mistaken claims, Scripture citations, confessions, warnings, and divine speech. Its frequency is itself a guard against lexical exaggeration. The form tells readers that speech occurs, while the speaker, audience, quoted words, grammar, and narrative setting determine what the speech means.
Matthew 2 records an answer from the chief priests and scribes, John 3 introduces Jesus' reply to Nicodemus, Acts 10 opens Peter's address, James 2 exposes partial speech, and Revelation 21 introduces words from the throne. Teachers should therefore explain the saying in context rather than assigning special revelatory force to the verb whenever it appears.
G2036 carries reported speech across narrative, instruction, correspondence, and vision. Its uses range from ordinary human replies to words spoken by Jesus and by the One seated on the throne. The verb marks the act of speaking; each passage supplies the authority and content.
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
The reply answers a location question and directs attention to the cited prophet.
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus' identity and summons govern the force of the saying.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
Mary's answer expresses servant-hearted reception of the announced word.
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
The theological weight belongs to Jesus' statement about the kingdom and new birth.
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
G2036 introduces Peter's developing conclusion in the Cornelius account.
For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”?
The argument depends on what God says in the cited Scripture and to whom He says it.
If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
The paired sayings make partiality audible in the assembly's treatment of visitors.
And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”
The throne, the speaker, and the declared words establish the passage's authority and hope.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. to speak or say (by word or writing)
How this verb appears across 922 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
G2036 helps readers notice that biblical scenes and arguments often advance through spoken words, yet it refuses a shortcut. The same verb can introduce a faithful answer, a divine summons, a question, a biased instruction, or a declaration from the throne. A sermon should never draw authority from the speech verb alone. It should locate the speaker, preserve the quoted content, observe the audience and setting, and follow the passage's own evaluation.
This approach honors both ordinary and weighty speech without confusing them. It also teaches a useful pastoral discipline: reported speech is not automatically approved speech, and memorable words are not necessarily true words. When Jesus speaks or God is cited, the passage identifies that authority. When human characters speak, their claims must be tested within the narrative and the wider witness of Scripture.
Mat.2.5
The 956 primary rows include indicative, participial, infinitive, imperative, and subjunctive forms. Most are second-aorist active forms, but the grammatical variety still requires attention to person, number, and syntactic role. Thirty-seven alternate-reading rows are evidence for textual comparison, not additions to the primary count.
The New Testament frequently introduces quotations from Israel's Scriptures with verbs of saying. G2036 can mark that introduction, but the cited text, attribution, and argument determine the theological connection.