To say
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λέγω (legō) is the New Testament’s broad and frequent verb for saying, speaking, telling, or expressing something. Because it often introduces direct discourse, the verb normally points beyond itself to the words, speaker, audience, and situation that supply the theological weight.
Reader summary
Full entry for λέγω (G3004) · Open the biblical lexicon
λέγω (legō) is the New Testament’s broad and frequent verb for saying, speaking, telling, or expressing something. Because it often introduces direct discourse, the verb normally points beyond itself to the words, speaker, audience, and situation that supply the theological weight.
The BSB source-word alignment has 1,177 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include I tell (139), - (124), said (64), he said (59), saying (59).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (282), John (220), Luke (195), Mark (154).
This entry includes 44 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
λέγω (legō) is the New Testament’s broad and frequent verb for saying, speaking, telling, or expressing something. Because it often introduces direct discourse, the verb normally points beyond itself to the words, speaker, audience, and situation that supply the theological weight. Jesus uses it in the Sermon on the Mount to set His authoritative teaching before His hearers, and He warns that merely saying “Lord, Lord” is not the same as doing the Father’s will.
In John, the repeated formula “Truly, truly, I tell you” prepares hearers for claims that demand faith and careful attention. Paul can use the verb when testing confessions about Jesus, while Revelation uses it for Christ’s final promise to come soon. The lexeme does not make every statement true, inspired, sincere, or effective. Characters can say faithful, foolish, deceptive, fearful, or ordinary things.
Responsible study therefore follows the reported speech into its literary context and asks who speaks, what is said, and how the statement advances the passage.
λέγω introduces or reports speech across an unusually wide range of settings. The selected passages show that the verb’s force comes from speaker, content, audience, and context: authoritative teaching, empty profession, Christological declaration, Spirit-enabled confession, and promised return.
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.
Jesus’ “I tell you” carries authority within His exposition of the command against murder, while the same verse reports destructive human speech. One common verb introduces words with radically different speakers, content, and moral weight.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
A correct form of address can coexist with disobedience. Jesus distinguishes verbal profession from the life that submits to the Father’s will, so the act of saying cannot substitute for genuine allegiance.
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
The introductory formula marks a solemn declaration, but the Christological claim lies in the full sentence and its dispute over Abraham, identity, and Jesus’ preexistence. The speech verb signals utterance rather than containing the doctrine by itself.
Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Paul evaluates speech by its relation to Jesus and the Spirit. The verse concerns more than producing syllables: the surrounding discussion tests spiritual manifestations by the confession they serve.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The final promise is spoken by the One who testifies, and the church answers with prayer. Saying here joins trustworthy testimony, eschatological promise, and faithful response at the close of the canon.
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. Emphasizes meaning and thought content of speech, not mere utterance; what is said corresponds to thought
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 2,319 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
Read verseI say, speak
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 1307 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 2,345 lexical occurrence verses.
λέγω is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Shows loving counsel rooted in concern.Acts 21:1-6
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Scripture often places enormous truths after a very ordinary verb. λέγω can introduce Jesus’ authoritative exposition, a false profession, a confession enabled by the Spirit, or the final promise of His return. The theology is not hidden inside the dictionary entry; it is spoken in the sentence. That distinction is pastorally important. Matthew 7 warns that verbal orthodoxy can become a refuge from obedience: people may say “Lord, Lord” while refusing the Father’s will.
First Corinthians 12 guards the other side by showing that the sincere confession “Jesus is Lord” belongs to the Holy Spirit’s work. Revelation 22 then joins Christ’s own speech to the church’s answer, “Come, Lord Jesus. ” Christian faith is not speechless, but neither is it mere speech. The Lord addresses His people truthfully, the Spirit forms a confession centered on Christ, and disciples answer with obedient hope.
Teachers should therefore slow down whenever the narrative says someone spoke. Identify the speaker, hear the actual words, trace their function, and test the response they seek.
Matt.7.21
λέγω is highly frequent and often functions as a discourse marker introducing direct or indirect speech. Its grammatical subject identifies the speaker, while complements and quotations carry the message. Frequency makes it important for following a passage but dangerous for speculative word study: the lexeme does not transfer the authority or truth of one speaker’s words to every occurrence.
Throughout Scripture, God speaks truthfully, prophets announce His word, and human speakers answer faithfully or falsely. The New Testament’s ordinary speech formulas continue that canonical concern while concentrating attention on the Son’s words, the apostolic witness, the Spirit-formed confession of Jesus as Lord, and the church’s hopeful response.