ἄλᾰλος G0216
mute, speechless, unable to speak
An adjective describing inability to speak. Jesus heals a deaf and 'mute' man who then spoke plainly (Mark 7:37). A father brings his son with a 'mute spirit' that prevents speech (Mark 9:17), and Jesus commands the 'mute and deaf spirit' to leave (9:25). Classical usage applies to people lying speechless or struck silent. Medical and demonic causes overlap in ancient understanding.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes the condition of being unable to speak—whether from physical impediment or spiritual oppression. Mark's healings link muteness with demonic affliction: the spirit prevents speech, its expulsion restores it. The consistent cross-linguistic rendering (Spanish 'mudo/mudos,' French 'muet,' German 'stumm') shows transparent meaning. Ancient context doesn't sharply distinguish medical from spiritual causation—the important point is incapacity and restoration of communication. 3×
AR["أَخْرَسُ", "الْأَخْرَسُ", "خُرْسَ"]·ben["বোবা", "বোবাদের"]·DE["stumm"]·EN["mute"]·FR["muet"]·heb["אִלְּמִים", "אִלֵּם", "אִלֶּם"]·HI["करता-है", "गूंगी"]·ID["bisu", "orang-bisu"]·IT["alalon", "alalous"]·jav["bisu", "ingkang-bisu"]·KO["말-못하는-자들-을", "벙어리의"]·PT["mudo", "mudos"]·RU["немого", "немой", "немых"]·ES["mudo", "mudos"]·SW["bubu", "wabubu"]·TR["dilsiz", "dilsizleri"]·urd["گونگوں-کو", "گونگی", "گونگے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἄλᾰλος, ον, speechless, dumb, probably in NT+4th c.BC+; κείμεσθα ἄ. Refs 5th c.BC+