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Greek

To speak

λαλέωStrong’s G2980

laleō

Appears in 274 verses of the New Testament

In short

Laleō is the Greek word usually translated “speaking”, “speak” and “spoke”. It appears in 274 verses of the New Testament.

“And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.”
1 Timothy 5:13 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “speaking”, “speak” and “spoke”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • speaking 36
  • to speak 36
  • spoke 27
  • is speaking 15
  • he was speaking 12
  • speaks 10
  • i speak 10
  • he spoke 8

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Acts 61
  • John 51
  • Luke 31
  • 1 Corinthians 28
  • Matthew 21
  • Mark 19

23 books in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
All 274 verses, by book
Romans 3
3:197:115:18
Ephesians 3
4:255:196:20
Philippians 1
1:14
Colossians 2
4:34:4
1 Thessalonians 4
1:82:22:42:16
1 Timothy 1
5:13
Titus 2
2:12:15
1 Peter 2
3:104:11
2 Peter 2
1:213:16
1 John 1
4:5
2 John 1
1:12
3 John 1
1:14
Jude 2
1:151:16
Greek dictionary

λαλέω laleō · to speak

λαλέω, -ῶ, [in LXX chiefly for דּבר pi., also for אמר, etc. ;] 1. to utter: of inanimate things, Rev.4:1 10:4; metaphorically, Heb.11:4 12:24. 2. to talk, speak, say: absol., Mat.9:33 12:46, Mrk.5:35, Luk.8:49; before ὡς, 1Co.13:11, Rev.13:11; εἰς, 1Co.14:9; ἐκ, Mat.12:34; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.10:19, Mrk.11:32, Jhn.8:30, al.; with dative of person(s), Mat.12:46, Luk.24:6, Rom.7:1, al.; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Mat.9:18, Jhn.10:6, al.; with prep., πρός, μετά, περί, Mrk.6:50, Luk.1:19 2:33, al.; ἐν, ἐξ, ἀπό, Mat.13:3, Jhn.12:49 14:10, al.; λ. τ. λόγον, …

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “speak” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

SPEAK, verb intransitive

preterit tense spoke, [spake, nearly, obsolete ] participle passive spoke, spoken. It is easy to see that the root of this word is allied to that of beak peak, pick.]

  1. To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts bywords.
  2. To utter a speech, discourse or harangue; to utter thoughts in a public assembly.
  3. To talk; to express opinions; to dispute.
  4. To discourse; to make mention of.
All definitions and other forms of “speak”
  1. To give sound.

SPEAK, verb transitive

  1. To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter articulately; as human beings. Job 2:10Matthew 8:8
  2. To declare; to proclaim; to celebrate.
  3. To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in conversation.
  4. To address; to accost.
  5. To exhibit; to make known.
  6. To express silently or by signs.
  7. To communicate; as, to speak peace to the soul.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.