Say

primarily, "to pick out, gather," chiefly denotes "to say, speak, affirm," whether of actual speech, e.g., Matthew 11:17 , or of unspoken thought, e.g., Matthew 3:9 , or of a message in writing, e.g., 2—Corinthians 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 Matthew 14:27 , "saying," and Mark 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., Matthew 11:25; 17:4; 28:5; Mark 11:14; 12:35; Luke 13:15; 14:3; John 5:17,19 ), illustrates the use of the Hebrew idiom.

"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., John 8:25 (3rd part),26; 16:6; 18:20 (2nd part),21 (1st part); Acts 3:22 (2nd part); 1—Corinthians 9:8 (1st part); Hebrews 5:5; in the following the RV uses the verb "to say," John 16:18; Acts 23:18 (2nd part); 26:22 (2nd part); Hebrews 11:18 . See Note above, and SPEAK, TALK , TELL , UTTER.

"to declare, say," (a) is frequently used in quoting the words of another, e.g., Matthew 13:29; 26:61; (b) is interjected into the recorded words, e.g., Acts 23:35; (c) is used impersonally, 2—Corinthians 10:10 .

an obsolete verb, has the future tense ereo, used, e.g., in Matthew 7:4; Luke 4:23 (2nd part); 13:25 (last part); Romans 3:5; 4:1; 6:1; 7:7 (1st part); 8:31; 9:14,19,20,30; 11:19; 1—Corinthians 15:35; 2—Corinthians 12;6; James 2:18 . The perfect is used, e.g., in John 12:50; see No. 1, Note. The 1st aorist Passive, "it was said," is used in Romans 9:12,26; Revelation 6:11 . See SPEAK , No. 13.

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., Romans 9:29; "to tell before," Matthew 24:25; Mark 13:23; "were spoken before," 2—Peter 3:2; Jude 1:17; (b) of "saying" before, 2—Corinthians 7:3; 13:2 , RV (AV, "to tell before" and "foretell"); Galatians 1:9; 5:21; in 1—Thessalonians 4:6 , "we forewarned," RV. See FORETELL , FOREWARN , TELL.

"to say against" (anti, "against," and No. 1), is so rendered in Acts 4:14 . See GAINSAY.