λέγει (legei) in John 1:46: Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
λέγει (legei) in John 1:46
Textual Witness
The witness reads λέγει in John 1:46, within a straightforward speech exchange in the textus receptus tradition cited here.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form makes the verse feel conversational and immediate, so the reader hears Philip's response as a live invitation rather than a detached report.
How To Communicate It
In teaching or reading aloud, this form can be rendered simply as 'Philip says to him,' preserving the directness of the exchange.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Present tense here should not be pressed into a timeless or special theological meaning.
- Verb person and number identify the speaker, but they do not supply the whole interpretation of the verse.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form names an action of speaking, saying, or declaring 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 here and points to one speaker in the scene.
Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It is linked to αὐτῷ and Φίλιππος, with the direct speech Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε following it.
The verb is governed by the narrative sequence and introduces Philip's reply after Nathanael's question.
It functions as a speech verb that frames Philip as the current speaker and presents his spoken invitation.
It does not itself contain the content of the reply, and it does not by itself determine tone beyond the spoken context.
How Much The Form Matters Here
Moderate: The verb introduces Philip's spoken invitation and keeps the dialogue movement clear.
Speech-reporting verb. marks Philip as the speaker and frames the invitation that follows. Attached to Philip's reply to Nathanael. Governed by the narrative reporting clause and the following direct speech. The verb reports the act of speaking; the quoted words supply the invitation's content.
Who is speaking now? The verb introduces Philip as the speaker whose invitation follows.
Direct: The form directly supports the rendering "Philip said to him."
The speech verb does not by itself determine tone; the spoken words and scene must guide that judgment.
Present tense proves special immediacy: The present form supports the narrative speech frame, but context supplies the force of the invitation.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads λέγει in John 1:46, within a straightforward speech exchange in the textus receptus tradition cited here.
The lemma is λέγω, which in this context means to say or speak, introducing spoken words rather than a new subject.
The third singular present indicative suits the immediate narrative and marks Philip as the one now speaking to Nathanael.
The form helps the verse read as a responsive conversation: after the question, Philip answers with an invitation to come and see.
Within John's Gospel, speech verbs often move the dialogue forward and let the spoken content carry the main argument.
For communication, the form highlights direct reply and keeps attention on Philip's invitation as the key spoken action.
Do not derive extra theology, emotion, or certainty from present tense alone, and do not force the grammar to override the immediate dialogue.