λόγος

λόγος — lógos

λόγος, λόγου, ὁ (λέγω) (from Homer down), the Sept. especially for דָּבָר, also for אֹמֶר and מִלָּה; properly, a collecting, collection (see λέγω) — and that, as well of those things which are put together in thought, as of those which, having been thought i. e. gathered together in the mind, are expressed in words. Accordingly, a twofold use of the term is to be distinguished: one which relates to speaking, and one which relates to thinking.

I. As respects speech:

1. a word, yet not in the grammatical sense (equivalent to vocabulum, the mere name of an object), but language, vox, i. e. a word which, uttered by the living voice, embodies a conception or idea; (hence, it differs from ῤῆμα and ἔπος (which see; cf. also λαλέω, at the beginning)): Heb 12:19; ἀποκριθῆναι λόγον, Mat 22:46; εἰπεῖν λόγῳ, Mat 8:8 (Rec. λόγον (cf. εἶπον, 3 a. at the end)); Luk 7:7; λαλῆσαι πέντε, μυρίους, λόγους, 1Co 14:19; διδόναι λόγον εὔσημον, to utter a distinct word, intelligible speech, 1Co 14:9; εἰπεῖν λόγον κατά τίνος, to speak a word against, to the injury of, one, Mat 12:32; also εἰς τινα, Luk 12:10; to drive out demons λόγῳ, Mat 8:16; ἐπερωτᾶν τινα ἐν λόγοις ἱκανοῖς, Luk 23:9; of the words of a conversation, ἀντιβάλλειν λόγους, Luk 24:17.

2. what someone has said; a saying;

a. universally: Mat 19:22 (T omits); Mar 5:36 (cf, Buttmann, 302 (259) note);; Luk 1:29; Luk 20:20; Luk 20:22 (Tr marginal reading WH ῤήματος); Joh 2:22; Joh 4:39; Joh 4:50; Joh 6:60; Joh 7:36; Joh 15:20; Joh 18:9; Joh 19:8; Act 7:29; ὁ λόγος οὗτος, this (twofold) saying (of the people), Luk 7:17, cf.; τόν αὐτόν λόγον εἰπών, Mat 26:44; (Mar 14:39); παγιδεύειν τινα ἐν λόγῳ, in a word or saying which they might elicit from him and turn into an accusation, Mat 22:15; ἀγρεύειν τινα λόγῳ, i. e. by propounding a question, Mar 12:13; plural, Luk 1:20; Act 5:5; Act 5:24; with the genitive of the contents: ὁ λόγος ἐπαγγελίας, Rom 9:9; ὁ λόγος τῆς ὁρκομωσιας, Heb 7:28; λόγος παρακλήσεως, Act 13:15; ὁ λόγος τῆς μαρτυρίας, Rev 12:11; οἱ λόγοι τῆς προφητείας, Rev 1:3 (Tdf. τόν λόγον); Revelation 22:6f, 10, 18; ὁ προφητικός λόγος, the prophetic promise, collectively of the sum of the O. T. prophecies, particularly the Messianic, 2Pe 1:19; of the sayings and statements of teachers: οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι, the sayings previously related, Mat 7:24 (here L Tr WH brackets τούτους); Mat 7:26; Luk 9:28; οἱ λόγοι τίνος, the words, commands, counsels, promises, etc., of any teacher, Mat 10:14; Mat 24:35; Mar 8:38; Luk 9:44; Joh 14:24; Act 20:35; λόγοι ἀληθινοί, Rev 19:9; Rev 21:5; πιστοί, Rev 22:6; κενοί, Eph 5:6 : πλαστοι, 2Pe 2:3 (cf. Winers Grammar, 217 (204));

b. of the sayings of God; α. equivalent to decree, mandate, order: Rom 9:28; with τοῦ Θεοῦ added, 2Pe 3:5; 2Pe 3:7 (Rst G Tr text); ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο πρός τινα (a phrase frequent in the O. T.), Joh 10:35. β. of the moral precepts given by God in the O. T.: Mar 7:13; (Mat 15:6 L Tr WH text); Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14 (cf. οἱ δέκα λόγοι (Exo 34:28; Deu 10:4 (cf. ῤήματα, ); Philo, quis rer. div. her. § 35; de decalog. § 9); Josephus, Antiquities 3, 6, 5 (cf. 5, 5)). γ. equivalent to promise: ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀκοῆς (equivalent to ὁ ἀκουσθεις), Heb 4:2; ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Rom 9:6; plural Rom 3:4; universally, a divine declaration recorded in the O. T., Joh 12:38; Joh 15:25; 1Co 15:54. δ. διά λόγου Θεοῦ etc. through prayer in which the language of the O. T. is employed: 1Ti 4:5; cf. DeWette and Huther at the passage ε. ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, as יְהוָה דֲּבַר often in the O. T. prophets, "an oracle or utterance by which God discloses, to the prophets or through the prophets, future events": used collectively of the sum of such utterances, Rev 1:2; Rev 1:9; cf. Düsterdieck and Bleek ad the passages cited c. what is declared, a thought, declaration, aphorism (Latinsententia): τόν λόγον τοῦτον (reference is made to what follows, so that γάρ in Rev 1:12 is explicative), Mat 19:11; a dictum, maxim or weighty saying: 1Ti 1:15; 1Ti 3:1; 2Ti 2:11; Tit 3:8; equivalent to proverb, Joh 4:37 (as sometimes in classical Greek, e. g. (Aeschylus the Sept. adverb Theb. 218); ὁ παλαιός λόγος, Plato, Phaedr., p. 240c.; conviv., p. 195 b.; legg. 6, p. 757 a.; Gorgias, p. 499 c.; verum est verbum quod memoratur, ubi amici, ibi apes, Plautus Truc. 4, 4, 32; add, Terence, Andr. 2, 5, 15; others).

3. discourse (Latinoratio);

a. the act of speaking, speech: Act 14:12; 2Co 10:10; Jas 3:2; διά λόγου, by word of month, Act 15:27; opposed to δἰ ἐπιστολῶν, 2Th 2:15; διά λόγου πολλοῦ, Act 15:32; λόγῳ πολλῷ, Act 20:2; περί οὗ πολύς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, of whom we have many things to say, Heb 5:11; ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν, Mat 5:37; Col 4:6; λόγος κολακείας, 1Th 2:5. λόγος is distinguished from σοφία in 1Co 2:1; from ἀναστροφή, 1Ti 4:12; from δύναμις, 1Co 4:19; 1Th 1:5; from ἔργον, Rom 15:18; 2Co 10:11; Col 3:17; from ἔργον καί ἀλήθεια, 1Jn 3:18 (see ἔργον, 3, p. 248a bottom); οὐδενός λόγου τίμιον, not worth mentioning (λόγου ἄξιον, Herodotus 4, 28; cf. German der Rede werth), i. e. a thing of no value, Act 20:24 T Tr WH (see II. 2 below).

b. equivalent to the faculty of speech: Eph 6:19; skill and practice in speaking: ἰδιώτης τῷ λγόω ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ γνώσει, 2Co 11:6; δυνατός ἐν ἔργῳ καί λόγῳ, Luk 24:19 (ἄνδρας λόγῳ δυνατούς, Diodorus 13, 101); λόγος σοφίας or γνώσεως, the art of speaking to the purpose about things pertaining to wisdom or knowledge, 1Co 12:8.

c. a kind (or style) of speaking: ἐν παντί λόγῳ, 1Co 1:5 (A. V. utterance).

d. continuous speaking, discourse, such as in the N. T. is characteristic of teachers: Luk 4:32; Luk 4:36; Joh 4:41; Act 4:4 (cf. Act 3:12-26); Act 20:7; 1Co 1:17; 1Co 2:1; plural, Mat 7:28; Mat 19:1; Mat 26:1; Luk 9:26; Act 2:40; δυνατός ἐν λόγοις καί ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, Act 7:22. Hence, the thought of the subject being uppermost,

e. instruction: Col 4:3; Tit 2:8; 1Pe 3:1; joined with διδασκαλία, 1Ti 5:17; with a genitive of the teacher, Joh 5:24; Joh 8:52; Joh 15:20; Joh 17:20; Act 2:41; 1Co 2:4; 2Co 1:18 (cf. 2Co 1:19); ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμός, Joh 8:31; Joh 8:37; Joh 8:43; Joh 8:51; Joh 14:23; τινα λόγῳ, with what instruction, 1Co 15:2 (where construe, εἰ κατέχετε, τίνι λόγῳ etc.; cf. Buttmann, §§ 139,58; 151,20); equivalent to κήρυγμα, preaching, with the genitive of the object: λόγος ἀληθείας, 2Co 6:7; Jas 1:18; ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, Col 1:5; Eph 1:13; 2Ti 2:15; τῆς καταλλαγῆς, 2Co 5:19; ὁ λόγος τῆς σωτηρίας ταύτης, concerning this salvation (i. e. the salvation obtained through Christ) (cf. Winers Grammar, 237 (223); Buttmann, 162 (141)), Act 13:26; ὁ λόγος τῆς βασιλείας (τοῦ Θεοῦ), Mat 13:19; τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1Co 1:18; ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγος, the first instruction concerning Christ (cf. Buttmann, 155 (136); Winer's Grammar, 188 (177)), Heb 6:1. Hence,

4. in an objective sense, what is communicated by instruction, doctrine: universally, Act 18:15; ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν, 2Ti 2:17; plural ἡμέτεροι λόγοι, 2Ti 4:15; ὑγιαίνοντες λόγοι, 2Ti 1:13; with a genitive of object added, τοῦ κυρίου, 1Ti 6:3; τῆς πίστεως, the doctrines of faith (see πίστις, 1 c. β.), 1Ti 4:6. specifically, the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God: simply, Mat 13:20-23; Mar 4:14-20; Mar 8:32; Mar 16:20; Luk 1:2; Luk 8:12; Act 8:4; Act 10:44; Act 11:19; Act 14:25; Act 17:11; Gal 6:6; Php 1:14; 1Th 1:6; 2Ti 4:2; 1Pe 2:8; τόν λόγον, ὅν ἀπέστειλε τοῖς etc. the doctrine which he commanded to be delivered to, etc. Act 10:36 (but L WH text omit; Tr brackets ὅν; cf. Winers Grammar, § 62, 3 at the end; Buttmann, § 131, 13); τόν λόγον ἀκούειν, Luk 8:15; Joh 14:24; Act 4:4; 1Jn 2:7; λαλεῖν, Joh 15:3 (see other examples under the word λαλέω, 5 under the end); ἀπειθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, 1Pe 2:8; 1Pe 3:1; διδαχή πιστοῦ λόγου, Tit 1:9; with the genitive of the teacher: ὁ λόγου αὐτῶν, Act 2:41; with the genitive of the author: τοῦ Θεοῦ, Luk 5:1; Luk 8:11; Luk 8:21; Luk 11:28; Joh 17:6; Joh 17:14; 1Co 14:36; 2Co 4:2; Col 1:25; 2Ti 2:9; Tit 1:3; Tit 2:5; Heb 13:7; 1Jn 1:10; 1Jn 2:5; 1Jn 2:14; Rev 6:9; Rev 20:4; very often in the book of Acts: Act 4:29; Act 4:31; Act 6:2; Act 6:7; Act 8:14; Act 11:1; Act 11:19; Act 12:24; Act 13:5; Act 13:7; Act 13:44; Act 13:46; Act 17:13; Act 18:11; opposed to λόγος ἀνθρώπων (Buttmann, § 151, 14), 1Th 2:13; λόγος ζῶν Θεοῦ, 1Pe 1:23; ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου, Act 8:25; Act 13:48 ((WH text Tr marginal reading Θεοῦ)); Act 15:35; Act 19:10; Act 19:20; 1Th 1:8; 2Th 3:1; τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Col 3:16; Rev 3:8; with the genitive of apposition, τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Act 15:7; with the genitive of the object, τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Act 14:3; Act 20:32; δικαιοσύνης (see δικαιοσύνη, 1 a.), Heb 5:13; with the genitive of quality, τῆς ζωῆς, containing in itself the true life and imparting it to men, Php 2:16.

5. anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative: of a written narrative, a continuous account of things done, Act 1:1 (often so in Greek writings from Herodotus down (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word, A. IV.)); a fictitious narrative, a story, Mat 28:15, cf. Mat 28:13. report (in a good sense): ὁ λόγος the news concerning the success of the Christian cause, Act 11:22; περί τίνος, Luk 5:15; rumor, i. e. current story, Joh 21:23; λόγον ἔχειν τίνος, to have the (unmerited) reputation of any excellence, Col 2:23 (so λόγον ἔχει τίς followed by an infinitive, Herodotus 5, 66; Plato, epin., p. 987b.; (see especially Lightfoot on Colossians, the passage cited (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word A. III. 3))).

6. matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair: Mat 21:24; Mar 11:29; Luk 20:3; Act 8:21; Act 15:6, and often in Greek writings (Liddell and Scott, under A. VIII.); a matter in dispute, case, suit at law (as דָּבָר in Exo 18:16; Exo 22:8): ἔχειν λόγον πρός τινα, to have a ground of action against anyone, Act 19:38, cf. Kypke at the passage; παρεκτός λόγου πορνείας ((cf. II. 6 below) זְנוּת (or דְּבַר עַל־) בִּלְתִּי מִלְּבַד, Delitzsch) Mat 5:32; ( L WH marginal reading).

7. thing spoken of or talked about; event; deed (often so in Greek writings from Herodotus down): διαφημίζειν τόν λόγον, to blaze abroad the occurrence, Mar 1:45; plural Luk 1:4 (as often in the O. T.; μετά τούς λόγους τούτους, 1Ma 7:33).

II. Its use as respects the mind, alone, Latinratio; i. e.:

1. reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating, etc.: once so in the phrase ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, of the divine mind, pervading and noting all things by its proper force, Heb 4:12.

2. account, i. e. regard, consideration: λόγον ποιεῖσθαι τίνος, to have regard for, make account of a thing, care for a thins, Act 20:24 R G (Job 22:4; Herodotus 1, 4. 13 etc.; Aeschylus, Prom. 231; Theocritus, 3, 33; Demosthenes, Josephus, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Plutarch, others (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word, B. II. 1)); also λόγον ἔχειν τίνος, Acts, the passage cited Lachmann (Tob 6:16 (15)) (cf. I. 3 a. above).

3. account, i. e. reckoning, score: δόσεως καί λήψεως (see δόσις, 1), Php 4:15 (where cf. Lightfoot); εἰς λόγον ὑμῶν, to your account, i. e. tropically, to your advantage, Php 4:17; συναίρειν λόγον (an expression not found in Greek authors), to make a reckoning, settle accounts, Mat 18:23; Mat 25:19.

4. account, i. e. answer or explanation in reference to judgment: λόγον διδόναι (as often in Greek authors), to give or render an account, Rom 14:12 R G T WH L marginal reading Tr marginal reading; also ἀποδιδόναι, Heb 13:17; 1Pe 4:5; with the genitive of the thing, Luk 16:2; Act 19:40 (R G); περί τίνος, Mat 12:36; (Act 19:40 L T Tr WH); τίνι περί ἑαυτοῦ, Rom 14:12 L text brackets Tr text; αἰτεῖν τινα λόγον περί τίνος, 1Pe 3:15 (Plato, polit., p. 285 e.).

5. relation: πρός ὅν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, with whom as judge we stand in relation (A. V. have to do), Heb 4:13; κατά λόγον, as is right, justly, Act 18:14 (A. V. reason would (cf. Polybius 1, 62, 4. 5; 5, 110, 10)) (παρά λόγον, unjustly, 2Ma 4:36; 3Ma 7:8).

6. reason, cause, ground: τίνι λόγῳ, for what reason? why? Act 10:29 (ἐκ τίνος λόγου; Aeschylus Choeph. 515; ἐξ οὐδενός λόγου, Sophocles Phil. 730; τίνι δικαίῳ λόγῳ κτλ.; Plato, Gorgias, p. 512 c.); παρεκτός λόγου πορνείας (Vulg.excepta fornicationis causa) is generally referred to this head, Mat 5:32; (Mat 19:9 L WH marginal reading); but since where λόγος is used in this sense the genitive is not added, it has seemed best to include this passage among those mentioned in I. 6 above.

III. In several passages in the writings of John ὁ λόγος denotes the essential Word of God, i. e. the personal (hypostatic) wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in the creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah and shone forth conspicuously from his words and deeds: Joh 1:1; Joh 1:14; (1Jn 5:7 Rec.); with τῆς ζωῆς added (see ζωή, 2 a.), 1Jn 1:1; τοῦ Θεοῦ, Rev 19:13 (although the interpretation which refers this passage to the hypostatic λόγος is disputed by some, as by Baur, Neutest. Theologie, p. 216f). Respecting the combined Hebrew and Greek elements out of which this conception originated among the Alexandrian Jews, see especially Lücke, Comm. üb.

d. Evang. des Johan. edition 3, i., pp. 249-294; (cf. especially B. D. American edition under the word (and for works which have appeared subsequently, see Weiss in Meyer on John edition 6; Schürer, Neutest. Zeitgesch. § 34 II.); Lightfoot on Col 1:15, p. 143f; and for references to the use of the term in heathen, Jewish, and Christian writings, see Sophocles Lexicon, under the word, 10).