ἔφη
ephe
said
properly, the same as the base of φῶς and φαίνω; to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. speak or say:--affirm, say. Compare λέγω.
Mark 9:38 · Word #1
Lexicon G5346
| Lemma | φημί |
| Transliteration | phēmí |
| Strong's | G5346 |
| In-context | said |
| Literal | said-answered |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| 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
| Lemma | φημί |
| Strong's | G5346 |
SIBI-P1 G5346-01
he/she was declaring
| Root | φημί (phēmí) |
| Core Meanings | say, speak, declare, make known, affirm |
| Semantic Range | to say, speak, affirm, assert, declare, express an opinion, report speech |
| Conceptual Significance | Frequently used to introduce speech in narrative, φημί highlights the act of making one’s thoughts publicly known. Its connection to showing or bringing to light underscores the biblical emphasis on spoken testimony and revealed intent. |
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense, active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person singular (Gr,V,IIA3,,S,). The imperfect denotes ongoing or repeated action in past time. |
| Rendering Rationale | The verb φημί carries the sense of making one’s thoughts known—declaring or affirming aloud. Rendering it "was declaring" preserves the root idea of making known, while the imperfect active indicative (3rd person singular) is reflected by the past continuous form "was" plus the participial sense of ongoing speech. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root φημί (say, speak, declare, make known, affirm)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
G5346-02 |
phasin | they are saying |
G5346-03 |
phemi | I am making-known |
G5346-04 |
phesi | he/she was making-known (by speaking) |
Word Usage (66 occurrences of G5346)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew 4:7 | ἔφη | ephe | |
| Matthew 8:8 | ἔφη | ephe | |
| Matthew 13:28 | ἔφη | ephe | said |