δημηγορέω
dēmēgoréō
G1215 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To address the assembled people; to speak publicly in an official or formal manner before a popular assembly. The core meaning is 'to deliver a speech to the people,' especially in civic, political, or legal contexts where an individual makes a public statement or oration before an assembled body of citizens.
Semantic Range
to make a public speech before an assembly, to give a formal address to the people, to orate in civic or political setting, to speak on behalf of or to the populace, to deliver a public oration
Root / Etymology
From δῆμος ('people, populace') + ἀγορά ('assembly, marketplace'); thus, literally 'speak in the assembly of the people'. Compound formed by direct attachment of δῆμος and ἀγορεύω ('to speak in the agora' or 'to speak publicly').
Historical & Contextual Notes
δημηγορέω is attested in classical Greek from the 5th century BCE (Herodotus, Thucydides) referring to the formal act of speaking in public, particularly in democratic assemblies of city-states such as Athens, where orators addressed the demos in the agora or Pnyx. The term specifically denotes public speech directed at the citizen body on matters of state, rather than private or informal conversation. In classical Athens, this was closely linked to civic duties and political influence; one who addressed the people (ὁ δημηγορῶν) might be an orator, politician, or magistrate. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, while communal assemblies persisted, the term retained its connotation of public address before a gathered community. In Koine Greek of the Second Temple and early Christian periods, δημηγορέω continues to denote formal public speech; it is rare in the New Testament but appears in contexts related to assemblies or trials (cf. Acts 12:21-22). English translations such as 'make an oration' or 'address the people' reflect the primary sense but may understate the specifically civic, formal, and public character implied in Greek, particularly the association with communal decision-making or governance. Distinguished from ῥητορεύω ('to declaim or practice rhetoric') or λαλέω ('to speak, say'), which are broader or more general.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of δῆμος and ἀγορά; to be a people-gatherer, i.e. to address a public assembly:--make an oration.
Root Family
δημηγορέω (dēmēgoreō) — to address publicly, to speak in assembly, to orate
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1215-01 |
ἐδημηγόρει | edemegorei | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
made an oration | was delivering a public address | was delivering a public address | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1215-01 |
Acts 12:21 | ἐδημηγόρει | edemegorei | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
made an oration | was delivering a public address | was delivering a public address |