ῥῆμα G4487
rhema -- a spoken word, utterance, or saying; a discrete unit of speech often carrying divine authority
The neuter noun rhema ('word, utterance, saying') emphasizes the spoken character of a word -- something declared aloud, as distinct from logos, which more often conveys rational content. In its 69 New Testament occurrences, rhema ranges from the mundane ('every careless word,' Matt 12:36) to the revelatory ('every word from God's mouth,' Matt 4:4; cf. Deut 8:3). It is the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) and the word of faith Paul preaches (Rom 10:8). Spanish palabra, French parole, and German Wort render it consistently across all contexts.
Senses
1. word, utterance, saying — A spoken word or utterance conceived as a discrete communicative act, emphasizing the said quality of speech rather than its conceptual content (cf. logos). Used of divine pronouncements ('every rhema from God's mouth,' Matt 4:4; Luke 1:37 'no rhema from God will be void of power'), prophetic fulfillment (Matt 26:75, Peter 'remembered the rhema of Jesus'), and ordinary human speech (Matt 12:36; Matt 18:16). Spanish palabra, French parole, and German Wort render it uniformly across all 69 occurrences. 69×
AR["أَمْرٍ","أَمْرَ","أَمْرِ","قَوْلَ","قَوْلِ","كَلامُ","كَلَامَ","كَلِمَةً","كَلِمَةٍ","كَلِمَةَ","كَلِمَةُ","كَلِمَتِكَ"]·ben["-কথায়","কথা","কথার","বচন","বচনে","বাক্য","বাক্যে","বাক্যের"]·DE["Wort","Worte"]·EN["a-word","matter","saying","word"]·FR["parole"]·heb["דְּבַר","דְּבָרְךָ","דָּבָר","מִלָּה"]·HI["बअत","बात","बात-को","वचन","वचन-पर"]·ID["firman","itu","kata","peristiwa","perkataan"]·IT["parola"]·jav["pangandika","pangandikan","pangandikanipun","sabda","sabda.","tembung","tembung,"]·KO["말","말-을","말씀","말씀-으로","말씀-을","말씀-이","말씀에","말씀을","말씀이","말을","말이"]·PT["dito","palavra"]·RU["слове","слово","слову","это"]·ES["asunto","dicho","palabra"]·SW["jambo","neno"]·TR["söz","söze","sözle","sözü","sözün","sözüne","sözünü","sözüyle"]·urd["بات","کلام"]
Matt 4:4, Matt 12:36, Matt 18:16, Matt 26:75, Matt 27:14, Mark 9:32, Mark 14:72, Luke 1:37, Luke 1:38, Luke 1:65, Luke 2:15, Luke 2:17 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ῥῆμα, ατος, τό, (ἐρῶ) that which is said or spoken, word, saying, Refs 7th c.BC+ (where perhaps it ={ῥήτρα}Refs 5th c.BC+; τοῦ Πιττακοῦ.. περιεφέρετο τοῦτο τὸ ῥ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ δόγμα τε καὶ ῥ. Refs; opposed to ἔργματα, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to ἔργον, Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to τὸ ἀληθές, Refs 5th c.BC+ 'fine words butter no parsnips', cited in Refs 5th c.BC+; ῥήματα θηρεύειν catch at one's…