primarily, "to pick out, gather," chiefly denotes "to say, speak, affirm," whether of actual speech, e.g., Mat 11:17, or of unspoken thought, e.g., Mat 3:9, or of a message in writing, e.g., 2Co 8:8. The 2nd aorist form eipon is used to supply that tense, which is lacking in lego. Concerning the phrase "he answered and said," it is a well known peculiarity of Hebrew narrative style that a speech is introduced, not simply by "and he said," but by prefixing "and he answered" (apokrinomai, with eipon). In Mat 14:27, "saying," and Mar 6:50, "and saith," emphasis is perhaps laid on the fact that the Lord, hitherto silent as He moved over the lake, then addressed His disciples. That the phrase sometimes occurs where no explicit question has preceded (e.g., Mat 11:25, Mat 17:4, Mat 28:5, Mar 11:14, Mar 12:35, Luk 13:15, Luk 14:3, Joh 5:17, Joh 5:19), illustrates the use of the Hebrew idiom.
Note: A characteristic of lego is that it refers to the purport or sentiment of what is said as well as the connection of the words; this is illustrated in Heb 8:1, RV, "(in the things which) we are saying," AV, "(which) we have spoken." In comparison with laleo (No. 2), lego refers especially to the substance of what is "said," laleo, to the words conveying the utterance; see, e.g., Joh 12:49, "what I should say (lego, in the 2nd aorist subjunctive form eipo), and what I should speak (laleo);" Joh 12:50, "even as the Father hath said (laleo, in the perfect form eireke) unto Me, so I speak" (laleo); cp. 1Co 14:34, "saith (lego) the law;" 1Co 14:35, "to speak" (laleo). Sometimes laleo signifies the utterance, as opposed to silence, lego declares what is "said;" e.g., Rom 3:19, "what things soever the law saith (lego), it speaketh (laleo) to them that are under the law;" see also Mar 6:50, Luk 24:6. In the NT laleo never has the meaning "to chatter."
<2,,2980, laleo>
"to speak," is sometimes translated "to say;" in the following where the AV renders it thus, the RV alters it to the verb "to speak," e.g., Joh 8:25 (3rd part), Joh 8:26, Joh 16:6, Joh 18:20 (2nd part), Joh 18:21 (1st part); Act 3:22 (2nd part); 1Co 9:8 (1st part); Heb 5:5; in the following the RV uses the verb "to say," Joh 16:18, Act 23:18 (2nd part); Act 26:22 (2nd part); Heb 11:18. See Note above, and SPEAK, TALK, TELL, UTTER.
<3,,5346, phemi>
"to declare, say," (a) is frequently used in quoting the words of another, e.g., Mat 13:29, Mat 26:61; (b) is interjected into the recorded words, e.g., Act 23:35; (c) is used impersonally, 2Co 10:10.
<4,,3004, eiro>
an obsolete verb, has the future tense ereo, used, e.g., in Mat 7:4, Luk 4:23 (2nd part); Luk 13:25 (last part); Rom 3:5, Rom 4:1, Rom 6:1, Rom 7:7 (1st part); Rom 8:31, Rom 9:14, Rom 1:9-20, Rom 9:30, Rom 11:19, 1Co 15:35, 2Co 12:6, Jam 2:18. The perfect is used, e.g., in Joh 12:50; see No. 1, Note. The 1st aorist Passive, "it was said," is used in Rom 9:12, Rom 9:26, Rev 6:11. See SPEAK, No. 13.
<5,,4302, proeipon>
and proereo, "to say before," used as aorist and future respectively of prolego (pro, "before," and No. 1), is used (a) of prophecy, e.g., Rom 9:29; "to tell before," Mat 24:25, Mar 13:23; "were spoken before," 2Pe 3:2, Jud 1:17; (b) of "saying" before, 2Co 7:3, 2Co 13:2, RV (AV, "to tell before" and "foretell"); Gal 1:9, Gal 5:21; in 1Th 4:6, "we forewarned," RV. See FORETELL, FOREWARN, TELL.
<6,,473, anteipon>
"to say against" (anti, "against," and No. 1), is so rendered in Act 4:14. See GAINSAY.
Notes: (1) Phasko, "to affirm, assert," is translated "saying" in Act 24:9, AV (RV, "affirming"), and Rev 2:2 in some mss. (AV). See AFFIRM, No. 3. (2) In Act 2:14, AV, apophthengomai, "to speak forth" (RV), is rendered "said." (3) The phrase tout' esti (i.e., touto esti), "that is," is so translated in Mat 27:46, RV (AV, "that is to say"); so Act 1:19; in Heb 9:11, Heb 10:20, AV and RV, "that is to say;" in Mar 7:11 the phrase is ho esti, lit., "which is;" the phrase ho legetai, lit., "which is said," Joh 1:38, Joh 20:16, is rendered "which is to say." (4) In Luk 7:40, Act 13:15, the imperative mood of eipon and lego, respectively, is rendered "say on." (5) In Mar 6:22, AV, autes, "herself," RV, is rendered "the said." (6) In Heb 5:11, "we have many things to say" is, lit., "much (polus) is the word (or discourse, logos) for us."
