Answer

"to say, speak, tell, command, answer." This verb occurs in all Semitic languages and in all periods of those languages although it has the meaning "to say, speak" only in the so-called Northwest Semitic dialects (except in Ugaritic) and in Aramaic. Elsewhere the word means "to say" or "to see." This verb is used about 5,280 times in Old Testament Hebrew. ’Amar refers to the simple act of communicating with the spoken word. Usually the word is used of direct speech ("say"), although it may be used of indirect speech as well ("speak").

The usual subject of this verb is some selfconscious personality, man (Gen 2:23) or God (Gen 1:3, the first occurrence of the word). Infrequently animals (Gen 3:1) or, in figures of speech such as personification, inanimate objects "say" something (Judg 9:8ff.). This verb bears many connotations and in some passages is better translated accordingly. The kjv renders this verb "answer" 98 times ("say as a response"), while the nasb translates such passages "said." In Gen 9:8 we read: "God spoke to Noah" (nasb); the specific content of the communication is not immediately detailed. In Gen 22:2 Abraham is to offer Isaac on the "mountain of which" God "tells [says to] him" (nasb). Moses requests Pharaoh to let Israel go and sacrifice to God as He "commands" them (Exod 8:27): the force of God's speaking is more than merely making a statement: It is authoritative. In addition to these frequently occurring connotations, ’amar is rendered with many words representing various aspects of spoken communication, such as "appoint" or "assign" (1Kings 11:18), "mention" or "name" (Gen 43:27), "call" (Isa 5:20), and "promise" (2Kings 8:19). Although not always so translated, this word can imply the act of thinking within oneself (Gen 44:28) and the intention to do something (Exod 2:14).

When used of divine speaking, this verb may refer to simple communication (Gen 1:26). Often, however, there is a much fuller sense where God's saying effects the thing spoken (cf. Gen 1). The phrase "thus says the Lord," so frequent in the prophets, has been analyzed as a message-formula. Ancient Near Eastern letters from, for example, Mari (1750-1697 b.c.) and Amarna (1400-1360 b.c.) contain a similar formula. One might compare our letters which open with "Dear sir." Divine messages are often concluded with the words "says the Lord." The Bible recognizes that behind the divine speaking is divine authority and power.

The Septuagint renders this verb by over 40 different Greek words and most often by lego ("to say") and epein ("he said").

"word; speech." This noun appears 48 times. ’Emer refers to "words" in Prov 2:1: "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee." Several other nouns are related to the verb ’amar. ’Imrâ also means "word, speech," and it occurs 37 times. One occurrence of ’imrâ is in 2Sa 22:31 (cf. Psa 18:30). The noun ’omer is found 6 times and means "word, speech, promise" (Psa 68:11; Hab 3:9). Ma’amar and me’mar mean "word, command." Ma’amar occurs 3 times (Esth 1:15; Esth 2:22; Esth 9:32), and me’mar occurs twice (Ezra 6:9; Dan 4:17).

Approach

"to approach, draw near, bring." Found primarily in biblical Hebrew, this word is also found in ancient Ugaritic. It occurs 125 times in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Nagash is used for the first time in the biblical text in Gen 18:23, where Abraham is said to "draw near" to God to plead that Sodom be spared.

The word is often used to describe ordinary "contact" of one person with another (Gen 27:22; Gen 43:19). Sometimes nagash describes "contact" for the purpose of sexual intercourse (Exod 19:15). More frequently, it is used to speak of the priests "coming into the presence of" God (Ezek 44:13) or of the priests' "approach" to the altar (Exod 30:20). Opposing armies are said "to draw near" to battle each other (Judg 20:23; kjv, "go up"). Inanimate objects, such as the close-fitting scales of the crocodile, are said to be so "near" to each other that no air can come between them (Job 41:16). Sometimes the word is used to speak of "bringing" an offering to the altar (Mal 1:7).

The English versions render nagash variously, according to context: "went near" (rsv); "moved closer" (tev); "came close" (jb, neb, nasb).

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lit., "a separation or distinction," is the regular word for "answer," Luk 2:47, Luk 20:26, Joh 1:22, Joh 19:9.

akin to No. 1, denotes a judicial "sentence," 2Co 1:9, AV, and RV, margin, or an "answer" (RV, text), an answer of God to the Apostle's appeal, giving him strong confidence. In an ancient inscription it is used of an official decision. In a papyrus document it is used of a reply to a deputation. See SENTENCE.

"a Divine response, an oracle," is used in Rom 11:4, of the answer given by God to Elijah's complaint against Israel. See the verb under CALL.

a "verbal defense, a speech in defense," is sometimes translated "answer," in the AV, Act 25:16, 1Co 9:3, 2Ti 4:16, all which the RV corrects to "defense." See Act 22:1, Phi 1:7, Phi 1:16, 2Co 7:11, "clearing." Once it signifies an "answer," 1Pe 3:15. Cp. B, No. 4. See CLEARING, DEFENSE.

Note: Eperotema, 1Pe 3:21, is not, as in the AV, an "answer." It was used by the Greeks in a legal sense, as a "demand or appeal." Baptism is therefore the ground of an "appeal" by a good conscience against wrong doing.

akin to A, No. 1, above, signifies either "to give an answer to a question" (its more frequent use) or "to begin to speak," but always where something has preceded, either statement or act to which the remarks refer, e.g., Mat 11:25, Luk 14:3, Joh 2:18. The RV translates by "answered," e.g., Mat 28:5, Mar 12:35, Luk 3:16, where some have suggested "began to say" or "uttered solemnly," whereas the speaker is replying to the unuttered thought or feeling of those addressed by him.

anti, "against," and No. 1, a strengthened form, "to answer by contradiction, to reply against," is found in Luk 14:6, Rom 9:20.

signifies (a) "to take or bear up from beneath," Act 1:9; (b) "to receive," 3Jo 1:8; (c) "to suppose," Luk 7:43, Act 2:15; (d) "to catch up (in speech), to answer," Luk 10:30; in sense (d) it indicates that a person follows what another has said, either by controverting or supplementing it. See RECEIVE, SUPPOSE.

cp. A, No. 4, lit., "to talk oneself off from" (apo, "from," lego, "to speak"), "to answer by way of making a defense for oneself" (besides its meaning "to excuse," Rom 2:15, 2Co 12:19), is translated "answer" in Luk 12:11, Luk 21:14; in Act 19:33, AV and RV both have "made defense;" in Act 24:10, Act 25:8, Act 1:26-2, the RV has the verb to make a defense, for the AV, "to answer," and in Act 26:24 for the AV, "spake for himself." See DEFENSE, EXCUSE, SPEAK.

"to speak against," is rendered "answering again" in the AV of Tit 2:9 (RV, "gainsaying"). See CONTRADICT, DENY, GAINSAY, SPEAK.

lit., "to be in the same line or row with" (sun, "with," stoichos, "a row"), is translated "answereth to" in Gal 4:25.

Note: Cp. stoicheo, "to walk" (in line), Gal 5:25, Gal 6:16. For hupakouo, rendered to answer in Act 12:13, RV, see HEARKEN, No. 1, Note.