λέγω G3004
say, speak, tell; to utter words in speech, name something, or declare
One of the most common verbs in the New Testament, λέγω covers the full range of verbal communication. It introduces direct speech throughout the Gospels and Acts, serves as the standard verb for instructing or commanding, and appears in the idiom for naming ('called,' typically in passive constructions). The multilingual evidence reveals a sharp distinction: when introducing narrative speech, languages use their most neutral speech verb (Spanish dijo, Arabic قَالَ), but when commanding, they shift to imperative-friendly constructions (Swahili mwambie). The formal declaration sense ('I say to you') appears in Jesus' teaching with authoritative weight.
1. say, tell, speak — The default narrative speech introducer, functioning as a quotative marker throughout biblical narrative. Spanish consistently uses dijo/dice, Arabic قَالَ, and Chinese 说, confirming this as the unmarked speech verb across 1,183 occurrences. 2226×
AR["قالَ","قَالَ","وَ-قَالَ"]·ben["বলল","বললেন"]·DE["sagt"]·EN["he-said","said"]·FR["dire"]·heb["אָמַר"]·HI["कह","कहा","बोला"]·ID["berkata"]·IT["dire"]·jav["matur","ngandika","ngandika,","ngendika","ngendika,"]·KO["말씀하셨다","말씀하셨으니","말했다"]·PT["disse","disse,"]·RU["сказал","сказал,"]·ES["dijo"]·SW["-","Mnajua","Rafiki","Waacheni","akawaambia","alisema","alisema,","aliwaambia","vivyo-hivyo","wao"]·TR["dedi"]·urd["کہا"]
Matt 4:3, Matt 4:9, Matt 8:32, Matt 9:15, Matt 12:11, Matt 12:49, Matt 13:37, Matt 15:3, Matt 15:15, Matt 15:24, Matt 15:28, Matt 17:11 (+38 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. command, direct, order — Instructive speech with directive force—commanding, telling someone to do something. The multilingual glosses shift to imperative-friendly forms (Spanish dile/digan, Swahili mwambie, Arabic قُلْ) that distinguish this from neutral narration. 21×
AR["قُل","قُلْ","قُولِي","لا-تَقُلْ"]·ben["বল","বল,","বলুন","বলো","বলো-না"]·DE["sagen","sagt"]·EN["Say","Tell","say","speak","tell"]·FR["dire"]·heb["אֱמֹר","אִמְרִי","אִמְרִי-לִי","תַּגִּיד"]·HI["कह","कह,","बत","बता","बोल","मुझे"]·ID["Katakan","Katakanlah","engkau-beritahu","katakan","katakan,","katakanlah","katakanlah,"]·IT["dire"]·jav["Criyosna","Dhawuha","Dhawuhana","Matur-kula","Matura","cariyosana","kersaa-dhawuh","matur","matur-dhateng","matura","ngandika","ngandikaa","ngandikana","ngendika","ngendikaa,","ngendikakaken,"]·KO["말씀하라","말씀하소서","말하라","말하소서","말하지-말라","말해-주소서","말해-주십시오","말해봐라","명하라"]·PT["Dize","digas","diz","dize","dize,"]·RU["Скажи","не-скажи","скажи","скажи,"]·ES["Di","Dime","di","digas","dile","diles","dilo","dime","dinos"]·SW["Niambie","Tuambie","basi","ili","liambie","mwambie","niambie","sema","sisi","tuambie","usimwambie;","uwaambie"]·TR["Söyle","işitme-ile","söyle","söyle,","söyleme"]·urd["بتا","بتاؤ","بول","فرما","کہ","کہہ"]
Matt 4:3, Matt 8:4, Matt 8:8, Matt 18:17, Matt 20:21, Matt 22:17, Matt 24:3, Mark 13:4, Luke 4:3, Luke 7:7, Luke 7:40, Luke 10:40 (+9 more)
3. call, name, designate — The naming or designating function, predominantly in passive voice meaning 'to be called' or 'to be known as.' Cross-linguistic evidence shows passive participles (Spanish llamado, French appelé, Chinese 称为), marking instances where identity is established. 11×
AR["المُسَمَّى","تُدعَى","تُدْعَى","قالَ","يَقولُ","يُدْعَى","يُقَالُ"]·ben["তিনি-বলেছিলেন","বলা","বলা-হয়","বলা-হয়,","বলেন"]·DE["sagen","sagt"]·EN["are-said","being-called","calls","he-called","is-called","is-said","means"]·FR["dire"]·heb["אָמַר","נִקְרֵאת","נִקְרָא","נֶאֱמַר","נֶאֱמָר","קוֹרֵא"]·HI["कहता-है","कहलअतेए-है","कहलाता-है","कहलाती-है","कहा","कहा-जाता-है"]·ID["Ia-sebut","berarti","dikatakan","disebut","menyebut"]·IT["dire"]·jav["dipun-sebat","dipunsebat","dipunsebut","dipunwastani","ingkang-dipun-sebat","kasebat","kasebut","ngandika","nyebut"]·KO["그-","말씀되니","말한다","부른다","불렀으면","불리우니","불리운다","불리지-않는가","불린다"]·PT["chama","chama-se","chamada","chamou","significa","é-chamada","é-chamado","é-dito"]·RU["говорится","значит","назвал","называемых","называет","называется","называется,","называется-ли"]·ES["dice","es-llamada","llamada","llamó","se-dice","se-llama"]·SW["aliwaita","anaitwa","anamwita","husemwa","inaitwa","linaitwa","linasemwa","panaitwa","uitwao"]·TR["Güzel","dedi","demektir","denilen","denilir","denir","der","söyleniyor"]·urd["کہا","کہتا-ہے","کہلاتا ہے","کہلاتا-تھا","کہلاتا-ہے","کہلاتی-ہے","کہی-جاتی-ہیں"]
4. sense 4 — Speech as questioning or inquiry, where λέγω functions as 'to ask' rather than 'to say.' Languages employ their standard question verbs (Spanish preguntó, Korean 물었다), indicating a genuine semantic extension beyond declarative speech. 4×
AR["-المَقولِ","المَقولَ","المَقُولِ","مَقُولَاتِ"]·ben["কথিত-বিষয়গুলির-প্রতি","বলা","বলিতে"]·DE["sagt"]·EN["being-said","being-spoken","spoken"]·FR["dire"]·heb["הַנֶּאֱמָר","הַנֶּאֱמָרִים","נֶאֱמָרִים"]·HI["कही-गई-बातों-को","कही-जानेवाली-बातों;","कही-हुई-बातों","कहीहुई।"]·ID["dikatakan","dikatakan.","yang-dikatakan","yang-dikatakan;"]·IT["dire"]·jav["dipunngendikakaken.","dipunngendikakaken;","ingkang-dipun-ngandikakaken","ingkang-dipun-ngandikakaken."]·KO["말씀하신-것들을","말하는-것들-에","말해진-것들에","말해진-것들을"]·PT["coisas-ditas","coisas-ditas.","coisas-ditas;"]·RU["говоримому","говоримым;","сказанное"]·ES["dichas"]·SW["yaliyosemwa"]·TR["söylenen-şeylere","söylenenler","söylenenlerden","söylenenlere"]·urd["کہی-گئی","کہی-گئی-باتوں","کہی-گئی-باتیں","کہی-ہوئی-باتیں"]
5. sense 5 — Solemn or authoritative declaration, especially in the formulaic 'I say to you' (λέγω ὑμῖν) that punctuates Jesus' teaching. Spanish les digo and Arabic أَقُولُ لَكُمْ preserve the first-person authoritative frame. 3×
AR["أَنْ-تَتَكَلَّمَ","أَنْ-يَتَكَلَّمَ","الكَلَامُ"]·ben["বলার","বলিতে"]·DE["sagen","sagt"]·EN["to-speak"]·FR["dire"]·heb["לְדַבֵּר"]·HI["कहने","बोलने","बोलने।"]·ID["berbicara","berbicara,","berbicara."]·IT["dire"]·jav["ngandika,","ngendika.","ngrembag"]·KO["말하기가","말하기를","말하라고"]·PT["falar","falar."]·RU["говорить"]·ES["hablar"]·SW["kusema"]·TR["konuşmak","konuşmasını","söylemek"]·urd["بولنا","کہنا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
λέγω, __B pick up, etc.: tenses for signification 1 and 11, future λέξω Refs 8th c.BC+: aorist ἔλεξα Refs 4th c.BC+:—middle, future in passive sense λέξομαι Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐλεξάμην Refs 8th c.BC+; Epic dialect ἐλέγμην Refs 8th c.BC+:—passive, aorist ἐλέχθην Refs 8th c.BC+-; post-Refs 8th c.BC+perfect εἴλοχα (κατ-, συν-), passive εἴλεγμαι, in these senses rarely λέλεγμαι (see. the…