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)): Hebrews 12:19; ἀποκριθῆναι λόγον, Matthew 22:46; εἰπεῖν λόγῳ, Matthew 8:8 (Rec. λόγον (cf. εἶπον, 3 a. at the end)); Luke 7:7; λαλῆσαι πέντε, μυρίους, λόγους, 1 Corinthians 14:19; διδόναι λόγον εὔσημον, to utter a distinct word, intelligible speech, 1 Corinthians 14:9; εἰπεῖν λόγον κατά τίνος, to speak a word against, to the injury of, one, Matthew 12:32; also εἰς τινα, Luke 12:10; to drive out demons λόγῳ, Matthew 8:16; ἐπερωτᾶν τινα ἐν λόγοις ἱκανοῖς, Luke 23:9; of the words of a conversation, ἀντιβάλλειν λόγους, Luke 24:17.
2. what someone has said; a saying;
a. universally: Matthew 19:22 (T omits); Mark 5:36 (cf, Buttmann, 302 (259) note); Mark 7:29; Luke 1:29; Luke 20:20, 22 (Tr marginal reading WH ῤήματος); John 2:22; John 4:39, 50; John 6:60; John 7:36; John 15:20; John 18:9; John 19:8; Acts 7:29; ὁ λόγος οὗτος, this (twofold) saying (of the people), Luke 7:17, cf. Luke 7:16; τόν αὐτόν λόγον εἰπών, Matthew 26:44; (Mark 14:39); παγιδεύειν τινα ἐν λόγῳ, in a word or saying which they might elicit from him and turn into an accusation, Matthew 22:15; ἀγρεύειν τινα λόγῳ, i. e. by propounding a question, Mark 12:13; plural, Luke 1:20; Acts 5:5, 24; with the genitive of the contents: ὁ λόγος ἐπαγγελίας, Romans 9:9; ὁ λόγος τῆς ὁρκομωσιας, Hebrews 7:28; λόγος παρακλήσεως, Acts 13:15; ὁ λόγος τῆς μαρτυρίας, Revelation 12:11; οἱ λόγοι τῆς προφητείας, Revelation 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, 2 Peter 1:19; of the sayings and statements of teachers: οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι, the sayings previously related, Matthew 7:24 (here L Tr WH brackets τούτους); Matthew 7:26; Luke 9:28; οἱ λόγοι τίνος, the words, commands, counsels, promises, etc., of any teacher, Matthew 10:14; Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:44; John 14:24; Acts 20:35; λόγοι ἀληθινοί, Revelation 19:9; Revelation 21:5; πιστοί, Revelation 22:6; κενοί, Ephesians 5:6: πλαστοι, 2 Peter 2:3 (cf. Winers Grammar, 217 (204));
b. of the sayings of God;
α. equivalent to decree, mandate, order: Romans 9:28; with τοῦ Θεοῦ added, 2 Peter 3:5, 7 (Rst G Tr text); ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο πρός τινα (a phrase frequent in the O. T.), John 10:35.
β. of the moral precepts given by God in the O. T.: Mark 7:13; (Matthew 15:6 L Tr WH text); Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14 (cf. οἱ δέκα λόγοι (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 10:4 (cf. ῤήματα, Deuteronomy 4:13); 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), Hebrews 4:2; ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Romans 9:6; plural Romans 3:4; universally, a divine declaration recorded in the O. T., John 12:38; John 15:25; 1 Corinthians 15:54.
δ. διά λόγου Θεοῦ etc. through prayer in which the language of the O. T. is employed: 1 Timothy 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, Revelation 1:2, 9; cf. Düsterdieck and Bleek ad the passages cited
c. what is declared, a thought, declaration, aphorism (Latin sententia): τόν λόγον τοῦτον (reference is made to what follows, so that γάρ in Revelation 1:12 is explicative), Matthew 19:11; a dictum, maxim or weighty saying: 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8; equivalent to proverb, John 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 (Latin oratio);
a. the act of speaking, speech: Acts 14:12; 2 Corinthians 10:10; James 3:2; διά λόγου, by word of month, Acts 15:27; opposed to δἰ ἐπιστολῶν, 2 Thessalonians 2:15; διά λόγου πολλοῦ, Acts 15:32; λόγῳ πολλῷ, Acts 20:2; περί οὗ πολύς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, of whom we have many things to say, Hebrews 5:11; ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν, Matthew 5:37; Colossians 4:6; λόγος κολακείας, 1 Thessalonians 2:5. λόγος is distinguished from σοφία in 1 Corinthians 2:1; from ἀναστροφή, 1 Timothy 4:12; from δύναμις, 1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; from ἔργον, Romans 15:18; 2 Corinthians 10:11; Colossians 3:17; from ἔργον καί ἀλήθεια, 1 John 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, Acts 20:24 T Tr WH (see II. 2 below).
b. equivalent to the faculty of speech: Ephesians 6:19; skill and practice in speaking: ἰδιώτης τῷ λγόω ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ γνώσει, 2 Corinthians 11:6; δυνατός ἐν ἔργῳ καί λόγῳ, Luke 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, 1 Corinthians 12:8.
c. a kind (or style) of speaking: ἐν παντί λόγῳ, 1 Corinthians 1:5 (A. V. utterance).
d. continuous speaking, discourse, such as in the N. T. is characteristic of teachers: Luke 4:32, 36; John 4:41; Acts 4:4 (cf. Acts 3:12-26); Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:1; plural, Matthew 7:28; Matthew 19:1; Matthew 26:1; Luke 9:26; Acts 2:40; δυνατός ἐν λόγοις καί ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, Acts 7:22. Hence, the thought of the subject being uppermost,
e. instruction: Colossians 4:3; Titus 2:8; 1 Peter 3:1; joined with διδασκαλία, 1 Timothy 5:17; with a genitive of the teacher, John 5:24; John 8:52; John 15:20; John 17:20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 2 Corinthians 1:18 (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:19); ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμός, John 8:31, 37, 43, 51; John 14:23; τινα λόγῳ, with what instruction, 1 Corinthians 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, 2 Corinthians 6:7; James 1:18; ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, Colossians 1:5; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:15; τῆς καταλλαγῆς, 2 Corinthians 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)), Acts 13:26; ὁ λόγος τῆς βασιλείας (τοῦ Θεοῦ), Matthew 13:19; τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Corinthians 1:18; ὁ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγος, the first instruction concerning Christ (cf. Buttmann, 155 (136); Winer's Grammar, 188 (177)), Hebrews 6:1. Hence,
4. in an objective sense, what is communicated by instruction, doctrine: universally, Acts 18:15; ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν, 2 Timothy 2:17; plural ἡμέτεροι λόγοι, 2 Timothy 4:15; ὑγιαίνοντες λόγοι, 2 Timothy 1:13; with a genitive of object added, τοῦ κυρίου, 1 Timothy 6:3; τῆς πίστεως, the doctrines of faith (see πίστις, 1 c. β.), 1 Timothy 4:6. specifically, the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God: simply, Matthew 13:20-23; Mark 4:14-20; Mark 8:32; Mark 16:20; Luke 1:2; Luke 8:12; Acts 8:4; Acts 10:44; Acts 11:19; Acts 14:25; Acts 17:11; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 2:8; τόν λόγον, ὅν ἀπέστειλε τοῖς etc. the doctrine which he commanded to be delivered to, etc. Acts 10:36 (but L WH text omit; Tr brackets ὅν; cf. Winers Grammar, § 62, 3 at the end; Buttmann, § 131, 13); τόν λόγον ἀκούειν, Luke 8:15; John 14:24; Acts 4:4; 1 John 2:7; λαλεῖν, John 15:3 (see other examples under the word λαλέω, 5 under the end); ἀπειθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, 1 Peter 2:8; 1 Peter 3:1; διδαχή πιστοῦ λόγου, Titus 1:9; with the genitive of the teacher: ὁ λόγου αὐτῶν, Acts 2:41; with the genitive of the author: τοῦ Θεοῦ, Luke 5:1; Luke 8:11, 21; Luke 11:28; John 17:6, 14; 1 Corinthians 14:36; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:25; 2 Timothy 2:9; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:5; Hebrews 13:7; 1 John 1:10; 1 John 2:5, 14; Revelation 6:9; Revelation 20:4; very often in the book of Acts: Acts 4:29, 31; Acts 6:2, 7; Acts 8:14; Acts 11:1, 19; Acts 12:24; Acts 13:5, 7, 44, 46; Acts 17:13; Acts 18:11; opposed to λόγος ἀνθρώπων (Buttmann, § 151, 14), 1 Thessalonians 2:13; λόγος ζῶν Θεοῦ, 1 Peter 1:23; ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου, Acts 8:25; Acts 13:48 ((WH text Tr marginal reading Θεοῦ)); Acts 15:35; Acts 19:10, 20; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Colossians 3:16; Revelation 3:8; with the genitive of apposition, τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Acts 15:7; with the genitive of the object, τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts 14:3; Acts 20:32; δικαιοσύνης (see δικαιοσύνη, 1 a.), Hebrews 5:13; with the genitive of quality, τῆς ζωῆς, containing in itself the true life and imparting it to men, Philippians 2:16.
5. anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative: of a written narrative, a continuous account of things done, Acts 1:1 (often so in Greek writings from Herodotus down (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word, A. IV.)); a fictitious narrative, a story, Matthew 28:15, cf. Matthew 28:13. report (in a good sense): ὁ λόγος the news concerning the success of the Christian cause, Acts 11:22; περί τίνος, Luke 5:15; rumor, i. e. current story, John 21:23; λόγον ἔχειν τίνος, to have the (unmerited) reputation of any excellence, Colossians 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: Matthew 21:24; Mark 11:29; Luke 20:3; Acts 8:21; Acts 15:6, and often in Greek writings (Liddell and Scott, under A. VIII.); a matter in dispute, case, suit at law (as דָּבָר in Exodus 18:16; Exodus 22:8): ἔχειν λόγον πρός τινα, to have a ground of action against anyone, Acts 19:38, cf. Kypke at the passage; παρεκτός λόγου πορνείας ((cf. II. 6 below) זְנוּת (or דְּבַר עַל־) בִּלְתִּי מִלְּבַד, Delitzsch) Matthew 5:32; (Matthew 19:9 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, Mark 1:45; plural Luke 1:4 (as often in the O. T.; μετά τούς λόγους τούτους, 1 Macc. 7:33).
II. Its use as respects the mind, alone, Latin ratio; 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, Hebrews 4:12.
2. account, i. e. regard, consideration: λόγον ποιεῖσθαι τίνος, to have regard for, make account of a thing, care for a thins, Acts 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 (Tobit 6:16 (15)) (cf. I. 3 a. above).
3. account, i. e. reckoning, score: δόσεως καί λήψεως (see δόσις, 1), Philippians 4:15 (where cf. Lightfoot); εἰς λόγον ὑμῶν, to your account, i. e. tropically, to your advantage, Philippians 4:17; συναίρειν λόγον (an expression not found in Greek authors), to make a reckoning, settle accounts, Matthew 18:23; Matthew 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, Romans 14:12 R G T WH L marginal reading Tr marginal reading; also ἀποδιδόναι, Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 4:5; with the genitive of the thing, Luke 16:2; Acts 19:40 (R G); περί τίνος, Matthew 12:36; (Acts 19:40 L T Tr WH); τίνι περί ἑαυτοῦ, Romans 14:12 L text brackets Tr text; αἰτεῖν τινα λόγον περί τίνος, 1 Peter 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), Hebrews 4:13; κατά λόγον, as is right, justly, Acts 18:14 (A. V. reason would (cf. Polybius 1, 62, 4. 5; 5, 110, 10)) (παρά λόγον, unjustly, 2 Macc. 4:36; 3Macc. 7:8).
6. reason, cause, ground: τίνι λόγῳ, for what reason? why? Acts 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, Matthew 5:32; (Matthew 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: John 1:1, 14; (1 John 5:7 Rec.); with τῆς ζωῆς added (see ζωή, 2 a.), 1 John 1:1; τοῦ Θεοῦ, Revelation 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; For a translation of Lücke's discussion see Christian Examiner for 1849 pp.165 sqq. 412 sqq. (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.; Mansel in Alex.'s Kitto s.v. Philosophy; Zeller, Philos. der Griechen, 3te Theil, 2², p. 369 sq. (1881); Drummond, Philo Judaeus, vol. ii. pp. 156-273.); Lightfoot on Colossians 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).

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's