Lexical Definition

‎φημί‎ phēmí (fay-mee') to assert ^G:V
properly, the same as the base of ‎φῶς‎ and ‎φαίνω‎

affirm, say.

• to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. speak or say

Abbott-Smith

φημί [in LXX chiefly for נאם, also for אמר; freq. in II-IV Mac ;]
to declare, say: freq. in quoting the words of another, Mt 13:29 26:61, Lk 7:40 22:58, Jo 1:23, al.; interjected into the recorded words (cl.), Mt 14:8, Ac 23:35, al.; φησί, impersonal (Bl., § 30, 4), I Co 6:16 (Lft., Notes, 217; but cf. Bl., l.c.), II Co 10:10 (WH, mg., φασίν), He 8:5; joined with synon. verb (cf. LS, s.v., II, 2), ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ ἔφη, Lk 23:3; seq. πρός, Lk 22:70, al.; c. acc rei, I Co 10:15 10:19; acc. et inf., Ro 3:8; seq. ὅτι (Bl., § 70, 3), I Co 10:19 15:50 (cf. σύν-φημι)

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

φημί, φῄς, φηις

[Refs 5th c.BC+], cf. Hdn.Gr.2.147, 419; φησί (apocopation φή [Refs 6th c.BC+]; plural φᾰμέν, φᾰτέ, φᾱσ; Doric dialect φᾱμί, φᾱσί or φᾱτί [Refs 5th c.BC+], 3rd.pers. plural φαντ; Aeolic dialect φᾶμι [Refs 7th c.BC+], 2nd pers. singular φαῖσθα [Refs 7th c.BC+], 3rd.pers. plural φαῖσι [Refs 7th c.BC+]aorist 2 ἔφην, Epic dialect φῆν [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect φῆσθα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἔφη, Epic dialect φῆ, Doric dialect φᾶ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural ἔφᾰμεν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 2nd pers. plural ἔφᾰτε [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἔφασαν, Epic dialect φάσαν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φάθι is found in codices of [Refs 5th c.BC+]; subjunctive φῶ, φῇς, φῇ, Epic dialect φῇσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Doric dialect 3rd.pers. plural subjunctive φᾶντι [Refs]; optative φαίην, 1st pers. plural φαῖμεν [Refs 8th c.BC+], 3rd.pers. plural φαῖεν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; infinitive φάναι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; participle φάς [Refs 8th c.BC+]future φήσω, Doric dialect φασῶ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural φασοῦμες [Refs 5th c.AD+]: aorist 1 ἔφησα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Doric dialect 3rd.pers. singular φᾶσε [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 2nd pers. singular subjunctive (Doric dialect) φάσῃς [ᾱ] [Refs 5th c.BC+], participle φήσας [Refs 5th c.BC+], infinitive φῆσαι [Refs 4th c.BC+] —middle (chiefly poetry in early writers), imperfect and aorist 2 ἐφάμην, ἔφατο (also [Refs 3rd c.BC+], Epic dialect φάτο [Refs 8th c.BC+] Epic dialect φάντο [Refs], φάσθω, φάσθ; infinitive φάσθα; participle φάμενος (also [Refs 3rd c.BC+]future φάσομαι [ᾱ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, perfect 3rd.pers. singular πέφαται [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular imperative πεφάσθω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but participle πεφασμένος [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist ἐφάθην [Refs 4th c.BC+]present indicative φημί is enclitic, except in 2nd pers. singular present φῄς: φαμέν is 1st pers. plural present, φάμεν poetry infinitive: φαντί is 3rd.pers. plural, φάντι participle

__II φάσκω supplied all moods of present except the indicative, also imperfect ἔφασκο; compare ἠμί. [ᾰ, except in φᾱσι, and in masculine and feminine participle φάς, φᾶσα: in infinitive φάναι ᾰ always; φᾶναι is corrupt in [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—say, affirm, assert, either absolutely, or followed by infinitive, e. g. Λυσίθευς Μικίωνα φιλῖν (={-εῖν}) φησι [Refs], compare 57.48, or accusative et infinitive; the infinitive is frequently omitted, σὲ κακὸν καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φήσει (i.e. εἶναι) [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also Κορινθίους τί φῶμε; what shall we say of them? [NT+8th c.BC+]; κατά τινος φ. to speak against him, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; by ὅτι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; by an interrogative clause, μή ποτε φάσῃς ὅ τι γίνεται αὔριον [Refs 4th c.BC+] [same place]; by participle, uncertain in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also parenthetic, τίνες, φῄς, ἦσαν οἱ λόγο; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.b since what one says commonly expresses a belief or opinion, think, deem, suppose, φῆ γὰρ ὅ γ᾽ αἱρήσειν Πριάμου πόλιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φαίης κε ζάκοτόν τέ τιν᾽ ἔμμεναι ἄφρονά τε you would say, would think, he was.., [Refs]; ἶσον ἐμοὶ φάσθαι to say he is (i. e. fancy himself) equal to me, [Refs]; μὴ.. φαθὶ λεύσσειν think not that you see, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; τί φῄ; what say you? i.e. what think you? (see.[Refs 5th c.BC+] —so φ. δεῖν, φ. χρῆναι, deem it right, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.c say, i.e. write, of an author, ὡς ἔφημεν [Refs 2nd c.AD+] —The middle has all these senses as well as the active
__II Special Phrases:
__II.1 φασί, they say, it is said, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; φησίν saith He, [NT]; especially of an opponent's objection, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; “τὸν δὲ μετ᾽ εἰσενόησα, ἔφη Ὅμηρος as H. said, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 joined with a synonymous Verb, ἔφη λέγων, ἔφησε λέγων, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; λέγει οὐδέν, φαμένη.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 in repeating dialogues the Verb commonly goes before its subject, ἔφην ἐγώ, ἔφη ὁ Σωκράτης, said I, said [Refs 5th c.BC+] I said, [Refs 5th c.BC+] said.
__II.4 inserted parenthetically, though the sentence has been introduced by λέγει, εἶπεν, etc., ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος.. εἶπεν· ἀλλὰ παίζεις μὲν σύ γε, ἔφη [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.5 τί φημ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.6 κυριώτατα φάναι, in parenthesis, strictly speaking, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ὡς οὕτω φάναι, ={ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἅπασαι ὡς οὕτω φάναι} practically all, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; συνελόντα (variant{-όντι}) φάναι, ={συνελόντι εἰπεῖν}, [Refs]
__II.7 Οἰδίπουν.. ἂν μόνον φῶ if I only mention Oedipus, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III like{κατάφημι}, say yes, affirm, assert, καὶ τοὺς φάναι and they said yes, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, φῂς ἢ καταρνεῖ μὴ δεδρακέναι τάδ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but οὔ φημι means say no, deny, refuse, with infinitive, ἡ Πυθίη οὐκ ἔφη χρήσειν said she would not.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with accusative et infinitive, οὔ φημ᾽ Ὀρέστην σ᾽ ἐνδίκως ἀνδρηλατεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+] if he says no, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἢ φάθι ἢ μὴ ἃ ἐρωτῶ answer me yes or no, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in answers, φημί or οὕτως φημί yes, [Refs]; οὐκ ἔφη he said no, [Refs] — In this sense _Attic dialect_ writers, besides present, mostly use future φήσω and aorist ἔφησα, but in imperfect, infinitive, and participle present, to avoid ambiguity, they prefer ἔφασκον, φάσκειν, φάσκων (see. φάσκω): φάναι is distinguished from φάσκειν, e.g. ἔφη σπουδάζειν he said he was in haste, ἔφασκε σπουδάζειν he alleged he was in haste; but ἔφησθα is found in this sense, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__IV command, order, ἔφην τῷ Ὀρθοβούλῳ ἐξαλεῖψαί με [Refs 5th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Matt.13.28 ☩ 1Cor.6.16}