Lexical Definition

‎ἐρέω‎ eréō (er-eh'-o) to say ^G:V
probably a fuller form of ‎ῥέω‎

call, say, speak (of), tell.

• an alternate for ‎ἔπω‎ in certain tenses
• to utter, i.e. speak or say

Abbott-Smith

λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Ge 22:16, al.;]

1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount.
2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Ac 13:15 24:10; seq. orat. dir., Mt 9:34, Mk 3:11, Jo 1:29, al.; seq. ὅτι recit., Mk 3:21, Lk 1:24, Jo 6:14, al.; acc. et. inf., Lk 11:18, Jo 12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mt 11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mt 25:9, Mk 3:33, 7:28, Lk 24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mt 3:9, Lk 3:8, al.; of writing, II Co 8:8, Phl 4:11, al.; λέγει ἡ γραφή, Ro 4:3, Ja 2:23, al.; c. acc. rei, Lk 8:8 9:33, Jo 5:34, al.; σὺ λέγεις (a non-committal phrase; Swete, Mk., 359, 369 f.), Mt 27:11, Mk 15:2, Lk 23:3, Jo 18:37; c. dat. pers., seq. orat. dir., Mt 8:20, Mk 2:17, al. mult.; id. seq. ὅτι, Mt 3:9, al.; c. prep., πρός, μετά, περί, etc., Mk 4:41, Jo 11:56, He 9:5, al.; to mean (cl.), Mk 14:71, Jo 6:71, I Co 10:29, al.; to call, name, Mk 10:18; pass., Mt 9:9, Mk 15:7, al (cf. ἀντι-, δια- (-μαι), προ-, συλ-λέγω).
SYN.: λαλέω, which refers to the utterance, as λέγω to the meaning of what is said, its correspondence with thought (Tr., Syn., Ixxvi; Thayer, s.v. λαλέω).

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

form of: ἔπω

ἐρῶ,

Attic dialect future of εἴρω (B), [Refs 5th c.BC+], Ionic dialect and Epic dialect ἐρέω (later as present, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; optative ἐροίην [Refs 5th c.BC+]imperfect ἤρεον (variant{εἴρεον}) [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect active εἴρηκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: pluperfect εἰρήκειν [Refs 1st c.AD+]:—passive, perfect εἴρημαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect 3rd.pers. plural εἰρέαται [Refs 5th c.BC+], contraction εἰρῆται [Refs 4th c.BC+]; participle εἰρημένος, Cretan dialect ϝερημένος [Refs]: pluperfect εἴρητο [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist 1 passive ἐρρήθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future ῥηθήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+] mostly in 3rd.pers. singular -ήσεται[Refs 8th c.BC+]; participle -όμενος[Refs 8th c.BC+]future ἐρέω, 3rd.pers. singular perfect and pluperfect passive, with participle εἰρημένος, aorist participle ῥήθείς in the phrase ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ (see. below), and future passive —The place of the present εἴρω (which see) is supplied by φημί, λέγω or ἀγορεύ; εἶπον serves as aorist (ϝερε-: ϝρη-, compare ῥήτρα, ῥητός, Latin verbum, Engl. word.)

__I I will say or speak, with accusative of things et dative person, [Refs 8th c.BC+] he will say nothing against it, [Refs]; ἐν δ᾽ ὑμῖν ἐρέω among you,[Refs 8th c.BC+]: frequently in Attic dialect, ἐρεῖν τι πρός τινα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τι περί τινος [Refs]: with accusative person, speak of, κακῶς ἐρεῖν τινα [Refs 6th c.BC+]:—passive, μῦθος..εἰρημένος ἔστω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λίαν εἰρημένος too true, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ after justice has been pronounced, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εἰρήσθω περί τινος let this suffice, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II I will tell, proclaim, ἔπος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ἠὼς..Ζηνὶ φόως ἐρέουσα announce it,[Refs 7th c.BC+]
__II.2 tell, order, with dative person et infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with accusative et infinitive, [Refs]:—passive, εἴρητο συλλέγεσθαι τὸν στρατόν orders had been given.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III passive, to be mentioned, οὗτοι μὲν οἱ παραθαλάσσιοι.. εἰρέαται [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III.2 to be specified, agreed, promised, εἰρημένος μισθός [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰρημένον, absolutely, when it had been agreed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κὰ (τ) τὰ ϝεϝρημένα [Refs]