ἀντιλέγω G0483
Speak against, contradict, deny; passive: be spoken against, be opposed or disputed.
The Greek verb antilego combines anti ('against') with lego ('speak'), yielding a word that captures verbal opposition in both directions. In the active voice it means to contradict, deny, or object — the Jews in Antioch contradicting Paul's preaching (Acts 13:45), or Pilate warned that releasing Jesus means 'speaking against Caesar' (John 19:12). The passive carries a more poignant weight: Simeon prophesies that the infant Jesus will be 'a sign that is spoken against' (Luke 2:34), and Paul in Rome acknowledges that 'this sect is everywhere spoken against' (Acts 28:22). Spanish contradecir, German widersprechen, and French contredire all mirror the compound 'speak-against' structure.
Senses
1. contradict, speak against — To speak in opposition to someone or something, actively contradicting, denying, or objecting to what is said or proposed. This dominant sense (9 occurrences) appears across confrontational settings: the Jewish leaders unable to contradict the healing of the lame man (Acts 4:14), the Pisidian Jews who 'contradicted the things spoken by Paul' (Acts 13:45), and Pilate's awareness that anyone who releases Jesus 'speaks against Caesar' (John 19:12). Spanish contradecir, German widersprechen, and French contredire all deploy dedicated compound verbs, confirming that verbal opposition is a cross-linguistically recognized speech act. Jesus' promise in Luke 21:15 — 'I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to contradict' — shows the word at its sharpest forensic edge. 9×
AR["أَنْ-يُعَارِضُوا", "المُعانِدينَ", "المُنكِرونَ", "عارَضَ", "قاوَموا", "مُعارِضينَ", "مُعَانِدٍ", "يُعَارِضُ", "يُناقِضوا"]·ben["না", "বলার-বিরুদ্ধে", "বিরোধ-করতে", "বিরোধ-করা", "বিরোধ-করিতে", "বিরোধকারী", "বিরোধকারীদের", "বিরোধিতা-করছিল", "বিরোধিতা-করে"]·DE["widersprechen", "widerspricht"]·EN["contradicting", "denying", "objecting", "speaking-against", "speaks-against", "talking-back", "to-contradict", "to-say-against", "were-contradicting"]·FR["contredire"]·heb["הִתְנַגְּדוּ", "הַמִּתְנַגְּדִים", "כַּאֲשֶׁר-הִתְנַגְּדוּ", "לְהַכְחִישׁ", "לִסְתֹּר", "מִתְנַגְּדִים;", "מִתְנַגֵּד", "מַכְחִישִׁים", "מַכְחִישׁ"]·HI["कहने-वाले", "खण्डन-करना", "विरोध-करता-है", "विरोध-करते-थे", "विरोध-करनेपर", "विरोध-करनेवअलोन", "विरोध-करनेवले;", "विरोधी"]·ID["Menentang", "membantah", "membantah;", "menentang", "untuk-menentang.", "yang-membantah"]·IT["anteipein", "antilegei", "antilegontas", "antilegontes", "parlare-contro"]·jav["ingkang-nglawan.", "mbantah", "mbantah,", "mbantah;", "nglawan", "nglawan.", "nyangkal"]·KO["가졌으니", "대꾼하는-자들", "반대하는-자들-을", "반대하니", "반대한다", "반박하기를", "반박하는", "반박했다"]·PT["contradizendo", "contradizendo;", "contradizente.", "contradizer", "contradiziam", "opõe-se", "para-contradizer", "que-contradizem", "que-dizem"]·RU["возражающих", "возразить", "отрицающие", "прекословящими", "противоречащих", "противоречили", "противоречит", "противоречить."]·ES["contradecir", "contradecían", "contradice", "negando", "oponiéndose", "que-contradice", "que-contradicen"]·SW["anapinga", "kukataa", "kupinga", "pinge", "walipinga", "walipopinga", "wanaopinga", "wanaopinga."]·TR["karşı-konuşan;", "karşı-konuşmaya", "karşı-konuşuyorlardı", "karşı-koyan", "karşı-çıkan", "karşı-çıkanları", "karşı-çıkınca", "karşı-çıkıyor", "karşılık-söyleyecek"]·urd["انکار-کرتے-ہیں", "انکار-کرنا", "بحث-کرنے-والی۔", "بحث-کرنے-والے", "مخالفت کرتا ہے", "مخالفت-کرتے-تھے", "مخالفت-کرنے", "مخالفوں-کو", "کہنا"]
2. be spoken against, be opposed — To be the object of contradiction or opposition, expressed through the passive or middle voice — indicating that the subject is the one spoken against rather than the one speaking. Only 2 clear occurrences, but both are theologically weighty: Simeon's prophecy over the infant Jesus, 'a sign that is spoken against' (Luke 2:34), foreshadows the entire arc of rejection that the Gospels will narrate; and Paul's acknowledgment in Rome that 'concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against' (Acts 28:22) marks the early church's awareness of its contested status. Spanish contradicha and German widersprochen shift to passive participle forms, mirroring the Greek grammatical distinction. 2×
AR["يُعارَضُ", "يُقَاوَمُ"]·ben["বিরোধ-করিতেছে", "বিরোধিত"]·DE["widerspricht"]·EN["being-opposed", "it-is-spoken-against"]·FR["contredire"]·heb["מְדֻבָּר", "מֵרִים-בָּהּ"]·HI["विरोध-किए-जानेवाले", "विरोध-की-जाती-है।"]·ID["ditentang.", "tanda"]·IT["antilegomenon", "parlare-contro"]·jav["dipunlawan.", "ingkang-dipun-lawan;"]·KO["반대받는다", "반박받는"]·PT["contradito", "é-contradita."]·RU["оспариваемое", "противоречат."]·ES["contradicha", "es-contradicha"]·SW["itakayokanushwa", "yanapingwa"]·TR["karşı-çıkılan"]·urd["انکار-کیے-جانے-والی", "مخالفت-کی-جاتی-ہے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀντιλέγω, Refs 5th c.BC+: future ἀντιλέξωRefs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἀντέλεξαRefs 5th c.BC+perfect ἀντείρηκα: future passive ἀντειρήσομαι:—speak against, gainsay, contradict, τινίRefs 5th c.BC+; ὑπὲρ τῶν δικαίωνRefs 5th c.BC+ —often followed by a dependent clause, ἀ. ὡς.. declare in opposition or answer that.., χρησμοῖσι οὐκ ἔχω ἀντιλέγειν ὡς οὐκ εἰσὶ ἀληθέεςRefs 5th c.BC+infinitive, ἀ. ποιήσειν…