Bible Dictionary
SPEECH
Speech is articulate expression of thought through words. Scripture uses the term for ordinary conversation, persuasive or gracious words, communication, and the proclamation of God’s message.
Definition
Speech is articulate expression of thought through words. The biblical terms translated “speech” may also denote a saying, word, talk, communication, fair speech, persuasive speech, or a message. The sense depends on the context.
Biblical Usage
Scripture uses speech for ordinary talk, communication, gracious or fair words, persuasive language, and the proclamation of thought. The New Testament commonly connects the idea with logos, “word,” while other passages use terms for talk or utterance.
Historical Background
English translations vary: “speech” may represent words translated elsewhere as matters, communication, words, talk, or enticing words. These differences reflect the range of the Hebrew and Greek terms.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>spech ('imrah, dabhar, etc.; logos): "Speech," the articulate utterance of thought, is the tranlation of various Hebrew terms which convey this idea of "saying" or "word"; so, in the New Testament, the term generally so rendered is logos, "word." See LOGOS; WORD. Eulogia in Ro 16:18 is "fair speech"; lalia in Mt 26:73; Mr 14:70 the King James Version; Joh 8:43 is simply "talk." the Revised Version (British and American) has "speech" for various other words in the King James Version, as "matters" (1Sa 16:18, margin "bussiness"), "communication" (Mt 5:37; Eph 4:29), "words" (Lu 20:20; 1Co 14:9); "persuasiveness of speech" for "enticing words" (Col 2:4), etc.</p><p>W. L. Walker</p>