ἐλάλησεν

elalesen

spoke

a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter. Compare λέγω.

G2980

Acts 3:21 · Word #11

Lexicon G2980

Lemmaλαλέω
Transliterationlaléō
Strong'sG2980
In-contextspoke
Literalspoke

Morphology V AOR ACT IND 3P SG All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state of being
Tense AOR — Aorist — Simple occurrence, often past
Voice ACT — Active — The subject performs the action
Mood IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality
Person 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they")
Number SG — Singular — One

Lexical Info

Lemmaλαλέω
Strong'sG2980

SIBI-P1 G2980-06

was uttering speech

Rootλαλέω (laleō)
Core Meaningsto speak, to talk, to utter sounds, to voice words, to express orally
Semantic Rangeto speak, talk, express oneself verbally, preach, declare, narrate, make known through speech
Conceptual Significanceλαλέω often emphasizes the act of vocal expression itself, highlighting spoken revelation, proclamation, or divine communication. In biblical contexts it frequently marks moments where God, prophets, or Jesus are actively voicing words, underscoring the dynamic and relational nature of spoken revelation.
Morphological NotesVerb, imperfect tense, active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person singular (Gr,V,IAA3,,S,) — denotes continuous or repeated action in past time performed by a singular subject.
Rendering RationaleThe rendering "was uttering speech" reflects the imperfect tense (ongoing action in past time), active voice, and indicative mood of the third-person singular form. "Uttering speech" preserves the root sense of λαλέω as the act of vocal expression or verbal communication rather than emphasizing content (as λέγω often does).

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root λαλέω (to speak, to talk, to utter sounds, to voice words, to express orally)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
G2980-01 elalei he/she was speaking
G2980-04 elalesan they were speaking
G2980-05 elalesate you were speaking

Word Usage (298 occurrences of G2980)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Matthew 9:18 λαλοῦντος lalountos
Matthew 9:33 ἐλάλησεν elalesen
Matthew 10:19 λαλήσητε lalesete