στόμα

From the study of Luke 21:15

Range of meaning

Literally the mouth. By extension it means speech, utterance, the ability to speak, and sometimes eloquence. In Greek shaped by Hebrew it often stands for the person as speaker ('by the mouth of the prophets', Luke 1:70).

Against the English

KJV, WEB, YLT and ESV keep the literal 'a mouth', which keeps the biblical echo but sounds odd in English. BSB 'speech', NASB 'utterance' and NIV 'words' give the sense but lose the picture of God opening someone's mouth.

Used elsewhere in the period

Greek Old Testament: Exodus 4:11–12, where God answers Moses' complaint that he is no speaker: 'Who gave a mouth to man?… I will open your mouth and teach you what you will say.' Ezekiel 29:21: 'I will give you an opened mouth among them.' Jeremiah 1:9: 'I have put my words in your mouth.' In Luke 1:64 Zechariah's mouth is opened, and in Acts 'opening the mouth' marks the start of a solemn speech (Acts 8:35; 10:34).

From the study of Matthew 15:11

Range of meaning

Mouth, as a body part and as the organ of speech. It is also used for the edge of a sword and for an opening or entrance in general.

Against the English

'Mouth' is accurate. The danger is in how readers hear it: modern readers often take 'what comes out of the mouth' to mean bad language only.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matthew 4:4, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, speaks of 'every word that comes out (ἐκπορευομένῳ) of the mouth of God'. It uses the same verb and noun, with the mouth as the outlet of a person's inner self. Matthew 12:34: 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.'

From the study of Matthew 18:16

Range of meaning

Mouth. By extension, speech or testimony, especially in the Hebrew idiom 'al-pi, 'on the mouth of' = 'on the testimony of, by the word of'.

Against the English

KJV and WEB keep 'in/at the mouth of'. BSB and NIV have 'by the testimony of', ESV 'by the evidence of'. The modern renderings give the right meaning. The literal ones keep the Hebrew flavour, which signals that this is a quotation of the Law.

Used elsewhere in the period

Hebrew 'al-pi shnei 'edim, 'on the mouth of two witnesses' (Deut 17:6; 19:15). The Greek Old Testament: ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων.