Greek word · G412
ἀνεκλάλητος
aneklalētos
inexpressible
Unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond what can be told. It is built from 'not' + 'speak out'. It can also mean 'not to be divulged', but 'beyond words' is the sense in this context.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
Unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond what can be told. It is built from 'not' + 'speak out'. It can also mean 'not to be divulged', but 'beyond words' is the sense in this context.
- Against the English
KJV 'unspeakable' meant 'beyond speech', but today 'unspeakable' usually means 'too horrible to mention' (unspeakable crimes). 'Inexpressible' (BSB) avoids that confusion.
- How it drifted
Since about the nineteenth century English 'unspeakable' has leaned toward 'atrocious' or 'appalling'. The KJV phrase survives mainly because of hymns.
- Used elsewhere in the period
It is found only here in the New Testament and is not in the Septuagint. It is rare in Greek generally and occurs in a few later writers, including Christian ones (per BDAG).
Where it appears
1 Peter · 1
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1 Peter 1:8 ἀνεκλαλήτῳ inexpressible
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
Here: Literally 'not able to be spoken out'. The joy is too great for words to put across. The word appears only here in the New Testament.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.