945. battalogeó
Strong's Lexicon
battalogeó: To babble, to speak vainly, to use empty repetitions

Original Word: βατταλογέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: battalogeó
Pronunciation: bat-tal-og-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (bat-tol-og-eh'-o)
Definition: To babble, to speak vainly, to use empty repetitions
Meaning: I chatter, am long-winded, utter empty words, stammer, repeat.

Word Origin: Derived from a presumed compound of the Aramaic "battah" (meaning "idle" or "vain") and the Greek "logos" (meaning "word" or "speech").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "battalogeó," the concept of vain or empty speech can be related to Hebrew terms such as "שָׁוְא" (shav', Strong's H7723), meaning "vain" or "worthless," often used in the context of false or insincere speech.

Usage: The verb "battalogeó" is used in the New Testament to describe the act of speaking without purpose or using repetitive, meaningless words. It implies a lack of sincerity or depth in communication, particularly in the context of prayer or religious practice. The term suggests a focus on form rather than substance, where the speaker is more concerned with the quantity of words rather than their quality or heartfelt intention.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, eloquence and rhetoric were highly valued, and public speaking was an art form. However, the use of excessive or ornate language without meaningful content was often criticized. In Jewish and early Christian contexts, prayer was seen as a sincere communication with God, and the use of empty phrases was discouraged. Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount reflects this cultural backdrop, emphasizing the importance of genuine, heartfelt prayer over ritualistic or formulaic expressions.

HELPS Word-studies

945 battologéō – properly, to blubber nonsensical repetitions; to chatter (be "long-winded"), using empty (vain) words (Souter).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from battos (stammerer) and logos
Definition
to stammer
NASB Translation
use meaningless repetition (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 945: βαττολογέω

βαττολογέω (T WH βατταλογέω (with א B, see WH's Appendix, p. 152)), βαττολόγω: 1 aorist subjunctive βαττολογήσω;

a. to stammer, and, since stammerers are accustomed to repeat the same sounds,

b. to repeat the same things over and over, to use many and idle words, to babble, prate; so Matthew 6:7, where it is explained by ἐν τῇ πολυλογία, (Vulg.multumloqui; (A. V. to use vain repetitions)); cf. Tholuck at the passage Some suppose the word to be derived from Battus, a king of Cyrene, who is said to have stuttered (Herodotus 4, 155); others from Battus, an author of tedious and wordy poems; but comparing βατταρίζειν, which has the same meaning, and βάρβαρος (which see), it seems fax more probable that the word is onomatopoetic. (Simplicius, in Epictetus (ench. 30 at the end), p. 340, Schweigh edition.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
use vain repetitions.

From Battos (a proverbial stammerer) and logos; to stutter, i.e. (by implication) to prate tediously -- use vain repetitions.

see GREEK logos

Forms and Transliterations
βατταλογησητε βατταλογήσητε βαττολογήσητε βδέλλη battalogesete battalogēsēte battalogḗsete battalogḗsēte
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 6:7 V-ASA-2P
GRK: δὲ μὴ βατταλογήσητε ὥσπερ οἱ
NAS: And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles
KJV: not vain repetitions, as
INT: moreover not do use vain repetitions as the

Strong's Greek 945
1 Occurrence


βατταλογήσητε — 1 Occ.

















944
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