διαλέγω G1256
To reason, discuss, or argue in dialogue; to address or speak authoritatively to someone
A word that paints Paul's missionary method in vivid strokes: he enters the synagogue and 'reasons' (dialegomai) from the Scriptures, engaging his audience in back-and-forth dialogue rather than one-way proclamation. In Acts 17:2, 17:17, and 18:4, the verb carries the force of persuasive argumentation, the root from which English gets 'dialogue' and 'dialectic.' A subtler use appears in Hebrews 12:5, where Scripture itself 'speaks to' or 'addresses' the believer, shifting from interchange to authoritative exhortation.
Senses
1. reason, discuss, argue — To reason, discuss, or argue through speech interchange, especially persuasive discourse in a public setting. This is the characteristic Pauline usage: reasoning in synagogues (Acts 17:2; 18:4, 19), disputing with opponents (Acts 17:17), or debating among disciples (Mark 9:34). Spanish uses 'discutir' (discuss/argue), French 'discuter,' and German 'reden mit' (speak with), all preserving the dialogical quality. The middle-deponent form emphasizes active engagement between speakers rather than mere lecturing. 12×
amh["ሲነጋገር"]·AR["أُجَادِلُ", "إِذْ-كَانَ-يُحَاجُّ", "تحاور", "تَجَادَلُوا", "حاجَجَهُم", "حَاجَّ", "كانَ-يُحاجِجُ", "كَانَ-يُحَاجُّ", "لَمَّا-تَكَلَّمَ", "مُحَاجًّا", "وَكَانَ-يُحَاجُّ"]·ben["আলোচনা-করছিলেন", "আলোচনা-করতে", "আলোচনা-করলেন", "আলোচনা-করাকালে", "কথা-বলছিলেন", "তর্ক-করছিলেন", "তর্ক-করিতে", "তিনি-আলোচনা-করতেন", "বলিতে", "বাদ-প্রতিবাদ-করতেন"]·ces["hádal-se"]·dan["talte"]·DE["reden", "redet-mit", "redete"]·ell["διελέγετο"]·EN["arguing", "discoursing", "reasoned", "reasoning", "they-had-discussed", "was-arguing", "was-discoursing", "was-reasoning"]·FR["discutait", "discuter"]·guj["વાત-કરતા-હતા"]·hat["te-pale"]·hau["ya-yi-muhawara"]·heb["בְּדַבְּרוֹ", "בְּדַבֵּר", "דִּבֵּר", "דָּרַשׁ", "דיבר", "מִתְוַכֵּחַ", "נִתְוַכְּחוּ"]·HI["बहस-की", "बात-करता-था", "बोलतेहुए", "वाद-विवाद-करता-था", "वाद-विवाद-करते-हुए", "विचार-विमर्श-करता-था", "विचार-विमर्श-किया", "विवादकरतेहुए"]·hun["beszélt"]·ID["Berbicara", "berbicara", "berdebat", "berdebat,", "berdiskusi", "dia-berdiskusi", "mereka-berdebat"]·IT["dielechthesan", "discutere", "discuteva"]·jav["bebantahan,", "nalika-wicantenan", "rerembugan", "sami-padudon", "wicanten", "wicantenan"]·JA["論じた"]·KO["그가-논증했다", "논쟁하는", "논쟁했다", "논증하는-동안", "논증하며", "논증했다", "논하는데", "말할-때에"]·mar["बोलत-होता"]·mya["ဆွေးနွေးခဲ့"]·nld["redetwistte"]·nor["disputerte"]·pnb["گل-کردا-سی"]·pol["rozmawiał"]·PT["discursando", "discursava", "discutindo", "discutindo,", "disputava", "tinham-discutido"]·ron["vorbea"]·RU["Рассуждал", "беседовал", "беседующего", "говорил", "обсуждали", "рассуждал", "рассуждающего", "рассуждая", "рассуждая,", "спорящего"]·ES["Discutía", "discutiendo", "discutieron", "discutió", "discutía"]·SW["akijadiliana", "alijadiliana", "alipokuwa-akiongea", "aliwahubiria", "nikibishana", "walijadiliana"]·swe["samtalade"]·tam["பேசினார்"]·tel["వాదించెను"]·tgl["nakipag-usap"]·TH["พูด"]·TR["konuşurken", "konuşuyordu", "münakaşa-ediyordu", "tartışarak", "tartışmışlardı", "tartıştı", "tartışırken", "tartışıyordu"]·ukr["говорив"]·urd["بات-کرتے-ہوئے", "بحث-کرتا-تھا", "بحث-کرتا-ہوا", "بحث-کرتے-ہوئے", "بحث-کی", "بحث-کی-تھی"]·VI["nói-chuyện"]·yor["ó-sọ̀rọ̀"]·yue["講論"]·ZH["争论"]
2. speak, address, exhort — To speak to or address someone with directness and authority, without the back-and-forth implied by debate. In Hebrews 12:5, the exhortation of Proverbs 3:11-12 'speaks to' (dialegetai) the readers as sons. Here the emphasis falls on personal address rather than exchange. Spanish shifts to 'habla' (speaks) rather than 'discute,' and English uses 'speaks' rather than 'reasons,' reflecting the absence of argumentative interchange in this context. 1×
AR["يُخَاطِبُ"]·ben["বলে"]·DE["reden"]·EN["speaks"]·FR["discuter"]·heb["מְדַבֵּרֶת"]·HI["कहता-है"]·ID["berbicara:"]·IT["dialegetai"]·jav["ngandika"]·KO["말씀하신다"]·PT["fala"]·RU["говорит"]·ES["habla"]·SW["inazungumza"]·TR["konuşuyor"]·urd["کہتی-ہے"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διαλέγω, pick out, Refs 5th c.BC+; πτῶμα glean fallen olives, Refs; compare διαλέγειν· ἀνακαθαίρειν, Refs 5th c.AD+; select, separate, Refs 5th c.BC+; examine, check documents, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __II διαλέγων τὴν ὀπήν picking open the hole, to escape, Refs 5th c.BC+; compare διαλέξαι· διορύξαι, Refs 5th c.AD+ __B as deponent verb, διαλέγομαι: future διαλέξομαι Refs 5th c.BC+ also -λεχθήσομαι Refs…