λαλέω, λαλῶ; imperfect 3 person singular ἐλάλει, plural ἐλάλουν; future λαλήσω; 1 aorist ἐλάλησα; perfect λελάληκα; passive, present λαλοῦμαι; perfect λελάλημαι; 1 aorist ἐλαλήθην; 1 future λαληθήσομαι: (from Sophocles down); found in Biblical Greek much more frequent than in secular authors, in the Sept. times without number for ãÄÌáÅÌø or ãÄÌáÆÌø, more rarely for àÈîÇø; properly, to utter a sound (cf. (onomatop. la-la, etc.) German lallen), to emit a voice make oneself heard; hence to utter or form words with the mouth, to speak, having reference to the sound and pronunciation of the words and in general the form of what is uttered. while λεγο refers to the meaning and substance of what is spoken; hence λαλεῖν is employed not only of men, especially when chatting and prattling, but also of animals (of birds, Mosch. 3, 47; of locusts, Theocritus, 5, 34; λαλοῦσι μέν, οὐ φραζουσι δέ, of dogs and apes, Plutarch, mor. ii., p. 909 a.), and so of inanimate things (as trees, Theocritus, 27, 56 (57); of an echo, Dio C. 74, 21, 14). Accordingly, everything λεγόμενον is also λαλούμενον, but not everything λαλούμενον is also λεγόμενον (Eupolis in Plutarch, Alc. 13 λαλεῖν ἄριστος, ἀδυνατωτατος λέγειν); (the difference between the words is evident where they occur in proximity, e. g. Rom 3:19 ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει, τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, and the very common ἐλάλησεν ... λέγων, Mat 13:3, etc.). Moreover, the primary meaning of λαλεῖν, to utter oneself, enables us easily to understand its very frequent use in the sacred writers to denote the utterances by which G o d indicates or gives proof of his mind and will, whether immediately or through the instrumentality of his messengers and heralds. (Perhaps this use may account in part for the fact that, though in classic Greek λαλεῖν is the term for light and familiar speech, and so assumes readily a disparaging notion: in Biblical Greek it is nearly ff not quite free from any such suggestion.) Cf. Day. Schulz die Geistesgaben der ersten Christen, p. 94ff; Tittmann de Synonymis N. T., p. 79f; Trench, Synonyms, § lxxvi.; (and on classical usage Schmidt, Syn. 1:1). But let us look at the N. T. usage in detail:

1. to utter a voice, emit a sound: of things inanimate, as βρονταί, Rev 10:4; with τάς ἑαυτῶν φωνάς added, each thunder uttered its particular voice (the force and meaning of which the prophet understood, cf. Joh 12:28 f); Joh 12:3; σάλπιγγος λαλούσης μετ’ ἐμοῦ, λέγων (Rec. λέγουσα) followed by direct discourse Rev 4:1; of the expiatory blood of Christ, metaphorically, to crave the pardon of sins, Heb 12:24; of the murdered Abel, long since dead, equivalent to to call for vengeance (see Gen 4:10; ?????Gen 1:1-31 at the end), Heb 11:4 according to the true reading λαλεῖ; (G L T Tr WH; the Rec. λαλεῖται must be taken as passive, in the exceptional sense to be talked of, lauded; see below, 5 at the end (πρᾶγμα κατ’ ἀγοράν λαλούμενον, Aristophanes Thesm. 578, cf. πάντες αὐτήν λαλοῦσιν, Alciphro fragment 5, ii., p. 222, 10 edition Wagner)).

2. to speak, i. e. to use the tongue or the faculty of speech; to utter articulate sounds: absolutely 1Co 14:11; of the dumb, receiving the power of speech, Mat 9:33; Mat 12:22; Mat 15:31; Luk 11:14; Rev 13:15; (τούς (T Tr WH omit)) ἀλάλους λαλεῖν, Mar 7:37; ἐλάλει ὀρθῶς, Mar 7:35; of a deaf-mute man, μή δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι, Luk 1:20 (of idols, στόμα ἔχουσι καί οὐ λαλήσουσι, Psalm 113:13 (); ; cf. 3Ma 4:16); to speak, i. e. not to be silent, opposed to holding one’s peace, λαλεῖ καί μή σιωπήσῃς, Act 18:9; opposed to hearing, Jas 1:19; opposed to the soul’s inner experiences, 2Co 4:13 from Psa 115:1 (); opposed to ποιεῖν (as λόγος to ἔργον which see 3), Jas 2:12.

3. to talk; of the sound and outward form of speech: τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ, Act 2:6; ἑτέραις καιναῖς γλώσσαις, Act 2:4; Mar 16:17 (here Tr text WH text omit καιναῖς), from which the simple γλώσσαις λαλεῖν, and the like, are to be distinguished, see γλῶσσα, 2.

4. to utter, tell: with the accusative of the thing, 2Co 12:4.

5. to use words in order to declare one’s mind and disclose one’s thoughts; to speak: absolutely, ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος, Mat 12:46; Mat 17:5; Mat 26:47; Mar 5:35; Mar 14:43; Luk 8:49; Luk 22:47; Luk 22:60; with the adverbs κακῶς, καλῶς, Joh 18:23; ὡς νήπιος ἐλάλουν, 1Co 13:11; ὡς δράκων, Rev 13:11; στόμα πρός στόμα, face to face (German mündlich), 2Jn 1:12 (after the Hebrew of Num 12:8); εἰς ἀέρα λαλεῖν, 1Co 14:9; ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τό στωμα λαλεῖ, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, namely, so that it expresses the soul’s thoughts, Mat 12:34; Luk 6:45; ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖν, to utter words in accordance with one’s inner character, Joh 8:44. with the accusative of the thing: τί λαλήσω, λαλήσητε, etc., what I shall utter in speech, etc., Joh 12:50; Mat 10:19; Mar 9:6 (here T Tr WH ἀποκριθῇ); ; τί, anything, Mar 11:23 L T Tr text WH; Rom 15:18; 1Th 1:8; οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί λαλεῖ, what he says, i. e. what the words uttered by him mean (WH brackets τί λαλεῖ), Joh 16:18; ταῦτα, these words, Luk 24:36; Joh 8:30; Joh 17:1; Joh 17:13; 1Co 9:8; τό λαλούμενον, 1Co 14:9; plural Act 16:14 (of the words of a teacher); τόν λόγον λαλούμενον, Mar 5:36 (see Buttmann, 302 (259) note); λόγους, 1Co 14:19; ῤήματα, Joh 8:20; Act 10:44; παραβολήν, Mat 13:33; βλασφημίας, Mar 2:7 (L T Tr WH βλασφημεῖ); Luk 5:21; ῤήματα βλάσφημα εἰς τινα, Act 6:11; ῤήματα (Rec. adds βλάσφημα) κατά τίνος, Act 6:13; σκληρά κατά τίνος, Jud 1:15; ὑπέρογκα, Jud 1:16 (Dan. (Theod.) ); τά μή δέοντα, 1Ti 5:13 (ἅ μή θέμις, 2Ma 12:14; εἰς τινα τά μή καθήκοντα, 3Ma 4:16; (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 480 (448))); διεστραμμένα, Act 20:30; τό ψεῦδος, Joh 8:44; δόλον, 1Pe 3:10 from Psa 33:14 (); ἀγαθά, Mat 12:31; σοφίαν, 1Co 2:6 f; μυστήρια; 1Co 14:2; followed by ὅτι (equivalent to περί τούτου, ὅτι etc. to speak of this, viz. that they knew him (see ὅτι, I. 2 under the end)), Mar 1:34; Luk 4:41; contrary to classic usage, followed by direct discourse, Mar 14:31 L text T Tr WH; Heb 5:5; Heb 11:18, (but in these last two passages of the utterances of God); more correctly elsewhere ἐλάλησε λέγων (in imitation of Hebrew ìÅàîÉø éÀãÇáÅÌø (cf. above (at the beginning))), followed by direct discourse: Mat 14:27; Mat 23:1; Mat 28:18; Joh 8:12; Act 8:26; Act 26:31; Act 28:25; Rev 17:1; Rev 21:9; λαλοῦσα καί λέγουσα, Rev 10:8. λαλῶ with the dative of person to speak to one, address him (especially of teachers): Mat 12:46; Mat 23:1; Luk 24:6; Joh 9:29; Joh 15:22; Act 7:38; Act 7:44; Act 9:27; Act 16:13; Act 22:9; Act 23:9; Rom 7:1; 1Co 3:1; 1Co 14:21; 1Co 14:28; 1Th 2:16; Heb 1:2 (1); of one commanding, Mat 28:18; Mar 16:19; to speak to, i. e. converse with, one (cf. Buttmann, § 133, 1): Mat 12:46 (47 but WH marginal reading only); Luk 1:22; Luk 24:32; Joh 4:26; Joh 12:29; ἑαυτοῖς (the dative of person) ψαλμοῖς καί ὕμνοις (dative of instrument), Eph 5:19; οὐ λαλεῖν τίνι is used of one who does not answer, Joh 19:10; to accost one, Mat 14:27; λαλῶ τί τίνι, to speak anything to anyone, to speak to one about a thing (of teaching): Mat 9:18; Joh 8:25 (on which see ἀρχή, 1 b.); ; 2Co 7:14; ῤήματα, Joh 6:63; Joh 14:10; Act 13:42; οἰκοδομήν καί παράκλησιν, things which tend to edify and comfort the soul, 1Co 14:3; of one promulgating a thing to one, τόν νόμον, passive Heb 9:19; λαλῶ πρός τινα, to speak unto one: Luk 1:19; ( L marginal reading T WH); Act 4:1; Act 8:26; Act 9:29; Act 21:39; Act 26:14 (R G), 26, 31; Heb 5:5 (אֶל ãÄÌáÅÌø, Gen 27:6; Exo 30:11; Exo 30:17; Exo 30:22); λόγους πρός τινα, Luk 24:44; ἐλάλησαν πρός αὐτούς ἀυαγγελιζόμενοι ... Ἰησοῦν, Act 11:20; ὅσα ἄν λαλήσῃ πρός ὑμᾶς, Act 3:22; σοφίαν ἐν τισίν, wisdom among etc. 1Co 2:6; λαλεῖν μετά τίνος, to speak, converse, with one (cf. Buttmann, § 133, 3): Mar 6:50; Joh 4:27; Joh 9:37; Joh 14:30; Rev 1:12; Rev 10:8; Rev 17:1; Rev 21:9; Rev 21:15; λαλεῖν ἀλήθειαν μετά etc. to show oneself a lover of truth in conversation with others, Eph 4:25 (cf. Ellicott); λαλεῖν περί τίνος, concerning a person or thing: Luk 2:33; Luk 9:11; Joh 7:13; Joh 8:26; Joh 12:41; Act 2:31; Heb 2:5; Heb 4:8; with τίνι, dative of person, added, Luk 2:38; Act 22:10; τί περί τίνος, Act 28:21; Luk 2:17; εἰς τινα περί τίνος (the genitive of the thing), to speak something as respects a person concerning a thing, Heb 7:14 R G; εἰς τινα περί with the genitive of person, ibid. L T Tr WH. Many of the examples already cited show that λαλεῖν is frequently used in the N. T. of teachers, — of Jesus, the apostles, and others. To those passages may be added, Luk 5:4; Joh 1:37; Joh 7:46; Joh 8:30; Joh 8:38; Joh 12:50; Act 6:10; Act 11:15; Act 14:1; Act 14:9; Act 16:14; 1Co 14:34; 2Co 2:17; Col 4:3; 1Th 2:4; 1Pe 4:11; with παρρησία added, Joh 7:26; Joh 16:29; ἐπί ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ, Act 5:40; cf. Act 4:17, see ἐπί, B. 2 a. β.; τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου (where L T Tr WH prefix ἐν), of the prophets, Jas 5:10 (see ὄνομα, 2 f.); τίνι (to one) ἐν παραβολαῖς, Mat 13:3; Mat 13:10; Mat 13:13; Mat 13:34; ἐν παροιμίαις, Joh 16:25; ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ, to speak from myself (i. e. utter what I myself have thought out), Joh 12:49; ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ (see ἀπό, II. 2 d. aa., p. 59{a}), Joh 7:17; Joh 14:10; Joh 16:13; ἐκ τῆς γῆς (see ἐκ, II. 2 under the end), Joh 3:31; ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, 1Jn 4:5 (see κόσμος, 6); ἐκ Θεοῦ, prompted by divine influence, 2Co 2:17; λαλεῖν, τόν λόγον, to announce or preach the word of God or the doctrine of salvation: Mar 8:32; Act 14:25 (here in T WH marginal reading followed by εἰς τήν Πέργην; see εἰς, A. I. 5 b.); ; Php 1:14, etc.; τόν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Act 4:29; Act 4:31; τίνι τόν λόγον, Mar 2:2; Act 11:19; with παραβολαῖς added, Mar 4:33; τίνι τόν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου (WH text Θεοῦ), Act 16:32 (the Epistle of Barnabas 19, 9 [ET]); τίνι τόν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Act 13:46; Heb 13:7; τά ῤήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, Joh 3:34; τά ῤήματα τῆς ζωῆς, Act 5:20; πρός τινα τό εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, 1Th 2:2; λαλεῖν καί διδάσκειν τά περί τοῦ Ἰησοῦ (R G κυρίου), Act 18:25; τό μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Col 4:3. λαλεῖν is used of the O. T. prophets uttering their predictions: Luk 24:25; Act 3:24; Act 26:22 (cf. Buttmann, § 144, 20, and p. 301 (258)); 2Pe 1:21; Jas 5:10; of the declarations and prophetic announcements of God: Luk 1:45; Luk 1:55; Joh 9:29; Act 7:6; especially in the Epistle to the Hebrews: Heb 1:1-2 (1); ; God, the Holy Spirit, Christ, are said λαλεῖν ἐν τίνι: Heb 1:1-2 (1); Mat 10:20; 2Co 13:3; διά στόματος τίνος, Luk 1:70; Act 3:21; διά Ἠσαΐου, Act 28:25; of the sayings of angels: Luk 2:17; Luk 2:26; Joh 12:29; Act 10:7; Act 23:9; Act 27:25; the Holy Spirit is said λαλήσειν what it will teach the apostles, Joh 16:13; ὁ νόμος as a manifestation of God is said λαλεῖν τίνι what it commands, Rom 3:19; finally, even voices are said λαλεῖν, Act 26:14 (R G); Rev 1:12; Rev 10:8. equivalent to to make known by speaking, to speak of, relate, with the implied idea of extolling: Mat 26:13; Mar 14:9; Luk 24:36; Act 4:20; (cf. Heb 11:4 Rec. (see 1 at the end above)).

6. Since λαλεῖν, strictly denotes the act of one who utters words with the living voice, when writers speak of themselves or are spoken of by others as λαλοῦντες, they are conceived of as present and addressing their readers with the living voice, Rom 7:1; 1Co 9:8; 2Co 11:17; 2Co 11:23; 2Co 12:19; Heb 2:5; Heb 6:9; 2Pe 3:16, or λαλεῖν is used in the sense of commanding, Heb 7:14. The verb λαλεῖν is not found in the Epistles to Galatians and 2 Thessalonians. (Compare: διαλαλέω, ἐκλαλέω, καταλαλέω, προσλαλέω, συλλαλέω; cf. the catalog of comp. in Schmidt, Syn., chapter i § 60.)