καταλᾰλ-έω G2635
To speak against or slander someone; to defame with malicious speech, especially within the community of faith.
Refers to hostile, demeaning speech directed at another person—talking someone down rather than merely talking about them. James uses it three times in a single verse (Jas 4:11) to warn believers against slandering one another, while Peter applies it to outsiders who malign the Christian community (1Pet 2:12; 3:16). The Spanish 'habla-mal' and 'murmuran-de' capture both the active defamation and the murmuring dimension. In every New Testament occurrence the word carries strong moral censure, treating such speech as a violation of the royal law of love.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To speak against, slander, or defame someone with hostile or malicious words. The multilingual evidence converges on speech acts of disparagement: English 'speak-against,' Spanish 'habla-mal' (speak badly of), and German 'verleumden' (slander) all point to verbal attack on a person's character. James 4:11 piles three forms of the word together to show how pervasive this sin is among believers, while 1 Peter 2:12 and 3:16 address the slander directed at Christians by outsiders—where upright conduct is the antidote. 5×
AR["المُغتابُ", "تُقدَحونَ", "يَغتابُ", "يَقدَحونَ"]·ben["তারা-নিন্দা-করে", "তোমরা-নিন্দিত-হও", "নিন্দা-করে", "নিন্দা-করো", "নিন্দাকারী"]·DE["verleumden"]·EN["speak-against", "speaking-against", "speaks-against", "they-speak-against", "you-are-spoken-against"]·FR["καταλαλεῖ", "καταλαλεῖσθε", "καταλαλεῖτε", "καταλαλοῦσιν", "καταλαλῶν"]·heb["מְדַבְּרִים־רָע", "מְדַבֵּר־רָע", "מְדֻבָּרִים-רָעוֹת", "תְדַבְּרוּ־רָע"]·HI["बदनाम-करते-हैं", "बदनाम-करते-हो", "बुराई-कहता-है", "बुराई-कहनेवाला", "बुराई-कहो"]·ID["kamu-difitnah", "memfitnah", "mereka-memfitnah"]·IT["parlare-male"]·jav["kang-dipunala-ala,", "kang-ngala-ala", "ngala-ala"]·KO["비방받을-때에", "비방하는", "비방하는-자가", "비방하라", "비방한다"]·PT["fala-mal", "falam-mal", "faleis-mal", "que-fala-mal", "sois-caluniados,"]·RU["злословит", "злословьте", "злословят", "злословящий", "клевещут-на-вас,"]·ES["habla-mal", "habléis-mal", "murmuran-de", "que-habla-mal", "sois-calumniados"]·SW["anaisema-vibaya", "anayemsema-vibaya", "semane-vibaya", "wanawasema-vibaya"]·TR["kötü-konuşan", "kötü-konuşmayın", "kötü-konuşulursunuz", "kötü-konuşur", "kötü-konuşurlar"]·urd["بد-گوئی-کرتے-ہیں", "بد-گوئی-کی-جاتی-ہے-تمہاری،", "برائی-کرتا-ہے", "برائی-کرنے-والا", "برائی-کرو"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καταλᾰλ-έω, perfect -λελάληκαRefs 2nd c.AD+:—talk, babble loudly, τοῖς θύραζε ταῦτα κ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τινος before another, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II talk down, rail at, ἡμᾶς Refs 2nd c.BC+; τινος NT+1st c.BC+; κατά τινοςLXX:—passive, ἐπί τινι Refs 2nd c.BC+; to be outdone in speech, ὑπ᾽ ἰδιωτῶν Refs 1st c.BC+ __II.2 weary by talking, gloss on{καταγλωττίζειν}, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II.3 simply, interview, address a person, Refs 3rd c.BC+