To speak
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Λαλέω is a Greek verb meaning to speak, say, tell, utter, or communicate. It can describe God speaking, Christ speaking, prophets speaking, apostles speaking, false or truthful speech, and ordinary conversation.
Reader summary
Full entry for λαλέω (G2980) · Open the biblical lexicon
Λαλέω is a Greek verb meaning to speak, say, tell, utter, or communicate. It can describe God speaking, Christ speaking, prophets speaking, apostles speaking, false or truthful speech, and ordinary conversation.
The BSB source-word alignment has 298 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to speak (23), speak (18), spoke (18), speaking (16), speaks (14).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 9:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (60), John (60), 1 Corinthians (34), Luke (31).
This entry includes 2 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Λαλέω is a Greek verb meaning to speak, say, tell, utter, or communicate. It can describe God speaking, Christ speaking, prophets speaking, apostles speaking, false or truthful speech, and ordinary conversation.
Pastorally, this word matters because Scripture treats speech as accountable. God spoke through the prophets and has spoken by His Son. The apostles cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard. Believers are commanded to speak truthfully to one another.
The verb itself does not decide whether the speech is divine revelation, human testimony, command, deception, or ordinary conversation. The speaker, message, and setting define its force.
Laleo is currently counted about 297 times in the local Greek artifact. It can mean speak, say, tell, utter, or communicate.
On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
God spoke to the fathers through the prophets in many ways. The verb serves the history of divine revelation.
But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.
God has spoken in these last days by His Son. The verb marks the climactic revelation in the Son.
For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
The apostles cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard. The verb serves witness under pressure.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
Believers must speak truthfully to one another. The verb is governed by membership in one body.
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus speaks to the people and reveals Himself as the light of the world. The verb introduces revelatory speech from Christ.
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.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Speaking that emphasizes the act of utterance itself rather than the content or meaning of words
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 295 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseI speak, say
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
How this verb appears across 290 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)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 297 lexical occurrence verses.
λαλέω is from an obsolete root - no further derivation.
Describes visible manifestations accompanying Spirit reception in this transitional moment. Acts 19:1-7
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Laleo marks speaking. The identity of the speaker and the content of the speech decide the theological weight.
Heb.1.2
Laleo is a broad speech verb. It should be interpreted with the speaker, object, audience, and discourse setting.
God reveals Himself by speaking, sends prophets to speak, and now has spoken by His Son. laleo can mark that speech, while the passage identifies the speaker and message.
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain