Greek · G2980, G225 · unreviewed
λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν
To speak · truth
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
These lexicon entries are being actively developed. If you notice missing content, incorrect definitions, or have suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. Share a note on our Connect page and include a screenshot if helpful.
Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
λαλέω G2980 to speak
Pronunciation laléō
Speaking that emphasizes the act of utterance itself rather than the content or meaning of words
Open lexicon entry →
ἀλήθεια G225 truth
Pronunciation alḗtheia
Open lexicon entry →
What does λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν (laleite alētheian) mean in the Bible?
λαλέω · ἀλήθεια is a Greek word meaning "speak truth, communicate what is true".
Full entry for λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν (G2980, G225) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
speak truth, communicate what is true
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 161×
Aorist Active Matt 9:33 · Matt 13:3 · Matt 13:33 · Matt 13:34 · Matt 14:27 · Matt 23:1 · Matt 28:18 · Mark 6:50 · Luke 1:55 · Luke 1:70 · Luke 2:50 · Luke 11:14 · Luke 24:6 · John 7:46 · John 8:12 · John 8:20 52×
Present Active Matt 12:34 · Mark 2:7 · Mark 11:23 · Luke 5:21 · Luke 6:45 · John 3:31 · John 3:34 · John 7:26 · John 8:44 · John 16:18 · Rom 3:19 · 1 Cor 14:2 · 1 Cor 14:3 · 1 Cor 14:27 · Heb 11:4 · 1 Pet 4:11 52×
Imperfect Active Matt 13:34 · Mark 2:2 · Mark 4:33 · Mark 4:34 · Mark 7:35 · Mark 8:32 · Mark 14:31 · Luke 1:64 · Luke 2:38 · Luke 9:11 · Luke 24:32 · John 4:27 · John 7:13 · John 10:6 · Acts 6:10 · Acts 9:29 27×
Perfect Active John 6:63 · John 8:40 · John 14:25 · John 15:3 · John 15:11 · John 16:1 · John 16:4 · John 16:6 · John 16:25 · John 16:33 · John 18:20 · John 9:29 · John 12:29 13×
Future Active John 9:21 · John 16:13 · Acts 11:14 · John 14:30 · John 16:25 · 1 Cor 14:21 · Matt 12:36 · Mark 16:17 · 3 John 1:14 10×
Future Passive Matt 26:13 · Mark 14:9 · Acts 9:6 · Acts 22:10 4×
Aorist Passive Luke 2:20 · Heb 11:18 2×
Perfect Passive Acts 27:25 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 46×
Aorist Active Matt 12:46 · Matt 12:47 · Mark 16:19 · Luke 1:19 · Luke 1:20 · Luke 1:22 · Luke 11:37 · Acts 14:1 · Acts 16:6 · Acts 21:39 · Acts 23:18 · 1 Cor 3:1 · 1 Cor 14:19 · 2 Cor 12:4 · Eph 6:20 · Col 4:3 22×
Present Active Matt 12:22 · Matt 12:34 · Mark 1:34 · Mark 7:37 · Mark 12:1 · Luke 4:41 · Luke 7:15 · John 8:26 · Acts 2:4 · Acts 4:17 · Acts 4:20 · Acts 4:29 · Acts 5:40 · Acts 11:15 · Rom 15:18 · 1 Cor 14:5 21×
Aorist Passive Acts 13:42 · Acts 13:46 2×
Present Passive Heb 2:3 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 71×
Present Active Matt 9:18 · Matt 12:46 · Matt 17:5 · Matt 26:47 · Mark 5:35 · Mark 14:43 · Luke 8:49 · Luke 22:47 · Luke 22:60 · John 1:37 · John 8:30 · Acts 6:11 · Acts 7:38 · Acts 10:44 · Acts 14:9 · Acts 22:9 55×
Present Passive Luke 2:33 · Acts 13:45 · Acts 16:14 · Mark 5:36 · Acts 17:19 · 1 Cor 14:9 6×
Aorist Active Acts 8:25 · Acts 14:25 · Heb 1:1 · Heb 5:5 4×
Aorist Passive Luke 2:17 · Luke 2:18 · Heb 2:2 · Heb 9:19 4×
Perfect Passive Luke 1:45 1×
Future Passive Heb 3:5 1×
Imperative command or strong request 9×
Present Active Mark 13:11 · Acts 5:20 · Eph 4:25 · Jas 2:12 · Acts 18:9 · Titus 2:1 · Titus 2:15 · 1 Cor 14:28 · 1 Cor 14:29 9×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 10×
Aorist Active Matt 10:19 · Mark 13:11 · John 12:49 · 1 Cor 14:6 · Acts 3:22 · Rev 13:15 7×
Present Active John 8:44 · 1 Cor 13:1 · 1 Cor 14:23 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 290 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 144 aorist 91 imperfect 25 future 15 perfect 15
Voice
active 268 passive 22
Mood
indicative 158 participle 69 infinitive 44 subjunctive 10 imperative 9
NT Occurrences
Matthew 9:18 λαλοῦντος present active participle participle Matthew 9:33 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 10:19 λαλήσητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 10:19 λαλήσητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 10:20 λαλοῦντες present active participle participle Matthew 10:20 λαλοῦν present active participle participle Matthew 12:34 λαλεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Matthew 12:34 λαλεῖ present active indicative ongoing Matthew 12:36 λαλήσουσιν future active indicative prospective Matthew 12:46 λαλοῦντος present active participle participle Matthew 12:46 λαλῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 12:47 λαλῆσαι aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:10 λαλεῖς present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:13 λαλῶ present active indicative ongoing Matthew 13:3 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:33 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:34 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 13:34 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Matthew 14:27 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 15:31 λαλοῦντας present active participle participle Matthew 17:5 λαλοῦντος present active participle participle Matthew 23:1 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 26:13 λαληθήσεται future passive indicative prospective Matthew 26:47 λαλοῦντος present active participle participle Matthew 28:18 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 1:34 λαλεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Mark 2:2 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Mark 2:7 λαλεῖ present active indicative ongoing Mark 4:33 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Mark 4:34 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Mark 5:35 λαλοῦντος present active participle participle Mark 5:36 λαλούμενον present passive participle participle Mark 6:50 ἐλάλησεν aorist active indicative completed Mark 7:35 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Mark 7:37 λαλεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Mark 8:32 ἐλάλει imperfect active indicative background Mark 11:23 λαλεῖ present active indicative ongoing Mark 12:1 λαλεῖν present active infinitive infinitive Mark 13:11 λαλήσητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Mark 13:11 λαλεῖτε present active imperative imperative
+250 more occurrences
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)
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
1 Corinthians 13 — The More Excellent Way of Love 1 Corinthians 5 — Purge the Evil, Keep the Feast, and Guard the Holiness of the Church Acts 18 — The Lord Strengthens the Mission in Corinth and Beyond Acts 21 — Paul Goes to Jerusalem and Is Seized in the Temple Acts 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Risen Christ Sends Light to Jews and Gentiles Ephesians 6 — Household Faithfulness and Standing Firm in the Armor of God Galatians 2 — Justified by Faith: Gospel Unity, Apostolic Confrontation, and Life in Christ John 1 — The Word Made Flesh, Witnessed, and Followed John 14 — The Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Father Revealed in the Son, and the Promise of the Spirit John 15 — The True Vine, Abiding Fruitfulness, Christlike Love, and the World’s Hatred John 16 — The Spirit’s Convicting Witness, the Disciples’ Sorrow Turned to Joy, and Christ’s Victory over the World John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World John 4 — Living Water, True Worship, and the Savior of the World John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham Mark 5 — The Authority of Jesus over Demons, Disease, and Death Romans 1 — The Gospel Reveals the Righteousness of God and the Wrath of God Romans 15 — Bearing with the Weak, Welcoming One Another, and Paul’s Priestly Mission to the Gentiles Romans 2 — God’s Righteous Judgment and the Exposure of Religious Presumption Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain