προσφων-έω G4377
To call out to someone, address directly; to summon or speak to a person, whether in greeting, instruction, or public proclamation.
In classical Greek this verb covered a wide range of direct speech acts, from addressing someone by name to issuing orders. The New Testament uses it for calling out in everyday settings, as when children shout to one another in the marketplace (Matt 11:16; Luke 7:32), and for more solemn moments, as when Jesus calls his disciples by name (Luke 6:13) or addresses a crippled woman in the synagogue (Luke 13:12). Spanish renders it variously as 'habló' and 'les habló,' while French consistently uses 'adresser la parole,' both capturing the sense of deliberate, face-to-face communication.
Senses
1. call out to/address — To call out to or address someone directly, whether summoning, greeting, or delivering a message face to face. The multilingual glosses converge on directed speech: German 'spricht an' (accosts), French 'adresser la parole' (address the word to), and Spanish 'les habló' (spoke to them). In the Gospels, this verb appears for children calling playmates in the agora (Matt 11:16; Luke 7:32), Jesus naming his apostles (Luke 6:13), his healing address to the bent woman (Luke 13:12), and Pilate addressing the crowd about Jesus (Luke 23:20). 7×
AR["كَانَ-يُنَادِي", "ناداهُمْ", "نادى", "نَادَاهَا", "نَادَى", "يُنادونَ"]·ben["ডাকছে", "ডাকলেন", "তিনি-সম্বোধন-করলেন", "বললেন", "সে-বলছিল"]·DE["spricht-an"]·EN["addressed", "called-out", "calling-out", "he-called", "he-was-addressing"]·FR["adresser-la-parole", "appeler"]·heb["דִּבֵּר", "קָרָא", "קוֹרְאִים"]·HI["पुकअर-के-केहते-हैन", "पुकारते-हैं", "पुकारा", "बुलाया", "बोलता-था", "बोला"]·ID["Ia-memanggil", "berbicara", "berseru", "dia-berbicara", "memanggil"]·IT["chiamare", "rivolgersi"]·jav["ngandika", "nimbali", "nyeluk", "nyeru", "wicantenan"]·KO["그가-말하므로", "그가-말했다", "부르는", "부르시고", "불러말했다", "불렀다", "소리치는"]·PT["chamam", "chamando", "chamou", "falou"]·RU["кричащие", "кричащим", "обратился", "обращался", "подозвал", "призвал"]·ES["habló", "les-hablaba", "les-habló", "llamando", "llamó", "que-gritan"]·SW["akajaribu", "akamwita", "aliwahutubia", "aliwaita", "wanaitana", "wanawapiga-kelele"]·TR["seslendi", "seslenen", "sesleniyordu", "çağırdı"]·urd["بلایا", "بولا", "بُلایا", "وہ-مخاطب-کرتا-تھا", "پکارا", "پکارتے-ہوئے", "کہتے-ہیں"]
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
προσφων-έω, call or speak to, address, present first in Refs 8th c.BC+ only in imperfect, the Epic dialect aorist being προσέειπον, τινα NT+8th c.BC+: with double accusative, address words to a person, οὐδέ τί μιν προσεφώνεον Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 call by name, ποδαπὸν ὅμιλον τόνδε.. προσφωνοῦμε; Refs 5th c.BC+; π. τινὰ βασιλέα salute him king, Refs 2nd c.BC+ __3 issue directions or orders, τινι…