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…