H4448a H4448a
to speak, utter, say
A Piel verb meaning to speak or declare, appearing primarily in poetic and wisdom literature. Sarah uses it in wondering who would have 'said' to Abraham that she would nurse children (Genesis 21:7). Job's interlocutors 'speak' their arguments (Job 8:2, 33:3), and the Psalmist asks who can 'utter' all the mighty deeds of the Lord (Psalm 106:2). The term emphasizes the act of verbal expression, the voicing of thoughts or knowledge.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To speak, declare, or utter words, with emphasis on the act of verbal expression. The cross-linguistic glosses ('speak,' 'say,' 'utter,' 'hablar,' 'declarar') capture various aspects of the speech act. Contexts range from rhetorical questions about speaking to declarations of knowledge, suggesting the term encompasses both casual speech and more formal pronouncement. The Psalm 106:2 usage highlights the inadequacy of human speech to fully express God's mighty works. 4×
AR["أَخْبَرَ", "تَتَكَلَّمُ", "يَنطِقانِ", "يَنطِقُ"]·ben["কথা-বলেছে", "তুমি-বলবে-", "বর্ণনা-করতে-পারে", "বলত"]·DE["[מללו]", "[תמלל]", "hätte-gesagt", "kann-express"]·EN["can-express", "they-speak", "will-you-speak-", "would-have-said"]·FR["aurait-avoir-dit", "parler", "מללו", "תמלל"]·heb["ימלל", "מיללו", "מלל", "תמלל"]·HI["कहता", "तू-बोलेगा", "बोलेंगे", "वर्णन-करे"]·ID["dapat-menyatakan", "engkau-berkata", "mengucapkan", "pernah-berkata"]·IT["[ימלל]", "essi-parlare", "will-you-speak", "would-avere-disse"]·jav["ngantos-ngendikakaken", "ngucapaken", "panjenengan-ngandika", "saged-nyariyosaken"]·KO["말하리요", "말한다", "말할-것이냐-네가", "말했으랴"]·PT["disse", "falam", "falarás-", "pode-declarar"]·RU["будешь-говорить", "выскажет", "говорил", "говорят"]·ES["declarará", "hablaron", "hablarás", "habría-dicho"]·SW["akasema", "ataweza-kusema", "itasema", "utasema"]·TR["anlatabilir", "söylediler", "söyleyebilirdi", "söyleyeceksin-"]·urd["بولتا-رہے-گا", "بولے", "بیان-کرے", "کہے-گا"]
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
† I. [מָלַל] vb. Pi. speak, utter, say (NH Pi. id.; Aramaic ܡܰܠܶܠ (and many deriv.), מַלֵּל; perhaps cf. Arabic مَلَّ iv. dictate (a letter, etc.), ((ملو) مَلَا) iv. id. NöZMG xl. 1886, 725);— Pi. Pf. מִלֵּל Gn 21:7; cf. 1 s. מַלּוֹתִי (Ew§ 274 b. N) as n.pr. infr.; מִלֵּ֑לוּ Jb 33:3; Impf. יְמַלֵּל ψ 106:2; תְּמַלָּל־ Jb 8:2;—say, sq. dir. quot. + לְ of ind. obj. Gn 21:7; utter, obj. דַּ֫עַת Jb 33:3; cf. 8:2; obj. גְּבוּרוֹת י׳ ψ 106:2.