Greek word · G216

ἄλαλος

alalos

mute

Without speech, unable to speak, mute. It is formed from the negative a- and the root lal- ('speak, talk').

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἄ-λαλος, -ον

(λάλος, talkative), [in LXX: Psalms 31:18 (אָלַם ni.) Psalms 38:13 (אִלֵּם)* ;]

dumb, speechless: Mark 7:37 9:17, 25.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Mark 7:37

Range of meaning

Without speech, unable to speak, mute. It is formed from the negative a- and the root lal- ('speak, talk').

Against the English

KJV 'dumb' meant 'unable to speak' in 1611. Modern readers easily hear 'stupid'. BSB/WEB/ESV 'mute' is the accurate modern word.

How it drifted

The English word 'dumb' shifted during the 19th–20th centuries, partly under the influence of German dumm ('stupid'), until 'lacking intelligence' became its main sense.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 9:17, 25 (a 'mute spirit'). In the Greek Old Testament, Psalm 31:18 [30:19] ('let lying lips be made speechless') and Psalm 38:13 [37:14].

Where it appears

Mark · 3

  1. Mark 7:37 ἀλάλους mute

    The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

    Here: Literally 'without speech' (a- 'not' + lal- 'speak'). It builds a wordplay with the verb that follows: the un-speaking are made to speak.

  2. Mark 9:17 ἄλαλον. mute.

    Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.

  3. Mark 9:25 ἄλαλον Mute

    When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

    Here: Literally “without speech.” This is the father's own description in v. 17 (“a spirit that makes him mute”), and Jesus now uses it as the spirit's name.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.