Greek word · G5419

φράζω

phrazō

to interpret

In classical Greek: to point out, show, indicate, tell, declare. It also came to mean to explain or interpret, putting something into words so that it becomes clear.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

φράζω

[in LXX: Job 6:24 (בִּין hi.) Job 12:8 (יָרָה hi.), Dan LXX 2:4 (חָוָה pa.) * ;]

to show forth, tell, declare, explain: Matthew 13:36 (WH, RV, διασάφησον) Matthew 15:15.†

(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 Matthew 15:15

Range of meaning

In classical Greek: to point out, show, indicate, tell, declare. It also came to mean to explain or interpret, putting something into words so that it becomes clear.

Against the English

"Explain" (BSB, WEB, YLT) is accurate. The KJV's "declare" meant "make clear" in 1611 (from Latin declarare, "to make clear"). Today it sounds like "announce," which loses the sense of making a puzzle plain.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the critical text this is the only New Testament use. Many manuscripts also read phrason at Matt 13:36 ("explain to us the parable of the weeds"), where other manuscripts have the near-synonym diasaphēson, "make clear." In the Septuagint it appears in Job 6:24 ("teach me… make me understand") and Job 12:8. In classical writers such as Homer and Herodotus it is common for showing or telling. BDAG gives "explain, interpret" for its New Testament use.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 15:15 φράσον do explain

    Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

    Here: A command form, "explain!" Asking a teacher for something this way was normal and not rude. The word means to point out or put into clear words what is obscure. It appears nowhere else in the critical text of the New Testament.

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