rhēma · word, saying

What it means

rhēma (ῥῆμα) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “word, saying”.

Word, something said; also matter, thing.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. What comes out of someone's mouth: a saying, a sentence, a message.
2. A matter, something that happened.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Word, saying: what is spoken by the mouth. As in Hebrew (דָּבָר), it can also name what is spoken about, a thing or a matter. It comes from the root of the verb “say”.

• “Every word that comes out through the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4
• The words of Jesus John 6:63John 6:68Luke 5:5
• “Let it be to me according to your word” Luke 1:38Luke 1:37
• What has been said or done: “all these words”, “every word” Luke 2:192 Corinthians 13:1
• The word of God as a sword Ephesians 6:17Hebrews 11:3

How we translate it

“Words” 32 times, “word” 26, “saying” 5. This edition's glossary sets rhēma = “word, saying”, with “thing, matter” allowed: so “these things” (Luke 1:65) and “this thing” (Luke 2:15); in Luke 2:19 it keeps “all these words” and in 2 Corinthians 13:1 “every word”. It is distinct from λόγος, which is also translated “word”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• words ×32
• word ×26
• saying ×5
• thing ×2
• things ×2

Where it appears

• Matthew×5
• Mark×2
• Luke×18
• John×12
• Acts×14
• Romans×4
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Ephesians×2
• Hebrews×4
• 1 Peter×2
• 2 Peter×1
• Jude×1

• Matthew 4:4

  But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘A person will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out through the mouth of God.’”

• Matthew 12:36

  And I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment;

• Matthew 18:16

  But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

• Matthew 26:75

  And Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

• Matthew 27:14

  And he did not answer him with regard to even one word, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

• Mark 9:32

  But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.

• Mark 14:72

  And at once a second time a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word, how Jesus had said to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And breaking down, he was weeping.

• Luke 1:37

  for no word from God will be impossible.”

• Luke 1:38

  And Mary said, “Look, I am the slave of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

• Luke 1:65

  And fear came on all who lived around them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these things were being talked about,

• Luke 2:15

  And it happened, when the angels went away from them into heaven, that the shepherds were saying to one another, “Let us go then over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

• Luke 2:17

  And when they saw this, they made known the word that had been spoken to them about this child.

• Luke 2:19

  But Mary was keeping all these words, pondering them in her heart.

• Luke 2:29

  “Now you are releasing your slave, Sovereign, according to your word, in peace;

• Luke 2:50

  But they did not understand the word that he spoke to them.

• Luke 2:51

  And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and he was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.

• Luke 3:2

  under the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

• Luke 5:5

  And Simon answered and said, “Master, through the whole night we worked hard and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the nets.”

• Luke 7:1

  When he had completed all his words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.

• Luke 9:45

  But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

• Luke 18:34

  And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know what was being said.

• Luke 20:26

  And they were not able to catch him in any saying in front of the people; and marveling at his answer, they fell silent.

• Luke 24:8

  And they remembered his words.

• Luke 24:11

  And these words seemed to them like nonsense, and they would not believe them.

• John 3:34

  For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

• John 5:47

  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

• John 6:63

  It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no use. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

• John 6:68

  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life,

• John 8:20

  He spoke these words in the treasury, teaching in the temple; and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

• John 8:47

  Whoever is of God hears the words of God; the reason you do not hear is that you are not of God.”

• John 10:21

  Others were saying, “These are not the words of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

• John 12:47

  And if anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

• John 12:48

  Whoever rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge: the word that I have spoken, that will judge him on the last day.

• John 14:10

  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who remains in me does his works.

• John 15:7

  If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

• John 17:8

  because the words that you gave me I have given them, and they received them and came to know truly that I came forth from you; and they believed that you sent me.

• Acts 2:14

  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them: “Jewish men and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

• Acts 5:20

  “Go, and standing in the temple, speak to the people all the words of this life.”

• Acts 5:32

  And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

• Acts 6:11

  Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

And 27 more times.