λέγει, (legei) in John 1:29: Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
λέγει, (legei) in John 1:29
Textual Witness
The witness reads λέγει in John 1:29 within the TR/Scrivener form tradition, and the surrounding text shows a speech introduction.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The grammar keeps the focus on John's spoken witness and prepares the reader for the content of his declaration.
How To Communicate It
This form functions as a clear speech cue: it tells readers that the next words are direct testimony and should be heard as quoted speech.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Do not overread tense, voice, or mood into theology beyond the scene's communication.
- Do not confuse verbal gender or number with doctrinal claims about the speaker or the message.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form names an action or speech event, here the act of speaking in the clause.
Present: often views the action as in progress, customary, or presently in view. Context decides the exact force.
Active: presents the subject as doing or carrying the action.
Indicative: presents the verbal idea as an assertion or statement in the clause.
Third person: the form speaks about someone or something rather than directly as I/we or you.
Not applicable: this verb form is not using noun case to mark its sentence role.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular and presents the speaking as the action of one subject.
Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.
What The Form Does In This Verse
John as speaker and the behold statement that follows
The form is governed by the singular subject ὁ Ἰωάννης in the prior clause, so it reports John's speech.
It functions as the main verb of the quoted-speech introduction and sets up the direct words that follow.
It does not by itself identify the content of the speech or add a separate action beyond speaking.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The verb introduces John's central testimony, Behold the Lamb of God.
Present active indicative speech-report verb. introduces the direct speech that identifies Jesus. Attached to John's testimony about Jesus. Governed by the narrative scene where John sees Jesus coming. The verb reports John speaking; the testimony content carries the christological claim.
What does this verb introduce? It introduces John's spoken testimony about Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Direct: The present speech verb directly supports English wording such as "he says."
The present form reports speech in the narrative; the title and statement that follow carry the theological content.
Present tense supplies the theological force of the title: The present verb introduces the speech; the words John speaks carry the claim.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads λέγει in John 1:29 within the TR/Scrivener form tradition, and the surrounding text shows a speech introduction.
The lemma is λέγω, which in context means to say or speak, introducing direct discourse rather than changing the subject matter.
The present indicative presents the speaking as the narrated event, and the singular agreement points back to John as the speaker.
In the verse, the form marks John's announcement to the one he sees: it introduces the declaration, 'Behold, the Lamb of God.'
Across the canon, this kind of speech verb commonly introduces direct quotation, so here it supports a public witness statement in the Gospel scene.
For readers and teachers, the form signals where the narrator yields to John's spoken testimony, helping listeners follow the quotation.
Do not derive extra theology from present tense alone, and do not treat the verbal form as adding meaning beyond the narrated act of saying.