Tell
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [1]
and the 2nd aorist form eipon, used to supply this tense in lego, are frequently translated "to tell," e.g., Matthew 2:13 , RV, "I tell," AV, "I bring (thee) word;" Matthew 10:27 . See Say , No. 1.
for which see Say , No. 2, is usually rendered "to speak," in the RV (for AV, "to tell"), e.g., Matthew 26:13; Luke 1:45; 2:17,18,20; Acts 11:14; 27:25; but RV and AV, "to tell" in John 8:40; Acts 9:6; 22:10 .
"to speak out" (ek), is translated "tell" in Acts 23:22 .
for which see Say , No. 4, is rendered "to tell" in Matthew 21:24; Mark 11:29; John 14:29; Revelation 17:7 .
"to announce, declare, report" (usually as a messenger), is frequently rendered "to tell," e.g., Matthew 8:33; 14:12 . See Bring , No. 36.
"to bring back word, announce," is sometimes rendered "to tell," e.g., John 5:15; 2—Corinthians 7:7 . See Declare , No. 1.
for which see Declare , No. 6, is rendered "to tell," in the AV and RV, in Mark 9:9; Hebrews 11:32 .
for which see Declare , No. 8, is translated "told" in Luke 24:35 , AV (RV, "rehearsed").
"to make clear" (dia, "throughout," saphes, "clear"), explain fully, is translated "told" in Matthew 18:31 . See Explain.
is rendered "told" in Acts 23:30 , AV: see show, No. 7.
(prolego) "to tell before," is so rendered in Matthew 24:25 : see Foretell , Forewarn.
Matthew 21:27 Mark 11:33 Luke 20:7 John 3:8 8:14 16:18 2—Corinthians 12:2
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words [2]
A. Verb.
Nâgad ( נָגַד , Strong'S #5046), “to tell, explain, inform.” An exact equivalent to this verb is not known outside biblical Hebrew except in late Aramaic. The verb occurs around 335 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew.
The first emphasis of the word is “to tell.” This especially means that A (frequently a messenger or some other person who has witnessed something) “tells” B (the one to whom the report is made) C (the report). In such instances B (the one told) is spatially separated from the original source of the information. So, in Gen. 9:22, Ham (A) saw his father naked and went outside the tent and “told” his brothers (B) what he had seen (C).
In another group of passages nâgad represents the reporting of a messenger about a matter of life-or-death importance for the recipient. So a fugitive “came … and told Abram” that Lot had been captured and led away captive (Gen. 14:13). A note of this emotionally charged situation is seen in Jacob’s message to Esau: “… I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight” (Gen. 32:5). Although not a report from a messenger from afar, Gen. 12:18 uses the verb of a report that is of crucial importance to the one addressed. Pharaoh asked Abram: “Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?” Gen. 12:17 reports that because Pharaoh had taken Sarai into his harem to become his wife, God had smitten his household with great plagues.
Finally, nâgad means “to explain or reveal” something one does not otherwise know. In Gen. 3:11 (the first biblical occurrence of the word) God asked Adam: “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” This was information immediately before them but not previously grasped by them. This usage appears in Gen. 41:24, where Pharaoh said of his dream: “… I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.” Similarly, David made certain there were no survivors from the Philistine cities he looted so no one would “tell” it to Achish (1 Sam. 27:11). This word sometimes has a more forceful significance—God told the prophet to “show my people their transgression” (Isa. 58:1).
B. Noun.
Nâgı̂yd ( נַגִד , Strong'S #5057), “chief leader.” This noun occurs 44 times in biblical Hebrew. In 1 Sam. 9:16 the word is used as a “chief leader” that is equivalent to a king: “Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel.…” Nâgı̂yd appears in 1 Chron. 9:11 to refer to a “chief leader” (ruler) of a smaller region. The word may also be used of a head of a family (1 Chron. 9:20).
C. Preposition.
Neged ( נֶגֶד , Strong'S #5048), “before; in the presence of; in the sight of; in front of; in one’s estimation; straight ahead.” This word occurs 156 times in biblical Hebrew as a preposition and an adverb. Basically the word indicates that its object is immediately “before” something or someone. It is used in Gen. 2:18, where God said He would make Adam “a help meet for him,” or someone to correspond to him, just as the males and females of the animals corresponded to (matched) one another. To be immediately “before” the sun is to be fully in the sunlight (Num. 25:4). In Exod. 10:10 Pharaoh told Moses that evil was immediately “before” his face, or was in his mind. Neged signifies “in front of” (Exod. 19:2), “before” in the sense of “in one’s estimation” (Isa. 40:17), and “straight ahead (before)” (Josh. 6:5). In combination with other particles neged means “contrary to” (Num. 22:32).
D. Adverb.
Neged ( נֶגֶד , Strong'S #5048), “opposite; over against.” This meaning of neged appears in Gen. 21:16: “And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off.…”
King James Dictionary [3]
TELL, pret. and pp. told. L. telum L.appello and peal, L. pello.
1. To utter to express in words to communicate to others.
I will not eat till I have told my errand. Genesis 24
2. To relate to narrate to rehearse particulars as, to tell a story. Genesis 37
And not a man appears to tell their fate.
3. To teach to inform to make known to show by words. Tell us the way.
Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Genesis 12
4. To discover to disclose to betray.
They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. Numbers 14
5. To count to number.
Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars. Genesis 15
6. To relate in confession to confess or acknowledge.
Tell me now what thou hast done. Joshua 7
7. To publish.
Tell it not in Gath. 2 Samuel 1
8. To unfold to interpret to explain. Ezekiel 24 9. To make excuses.
Tush, never tell me. Not elegant.
10. To make known.
Our feelings tell us how long they ought to have submitted.
11. To discover to find to discern. The colors are so blended that I cannot tell where one ends and the other begins.
Tell, though equivalent in some respects to speak and say, has not always the same application. We say, to tell this, that or what, to tell a story, to tell a word, to tell truth or falsehood, to tell a number, to tell the reasons, to tell something or nothing but we never say, to tell a speech, discourse or oration, or to tell an argument or a lesson. It is much used in commands. Tell me the whole story tell me all you know, or all that was said. Tell has frequently the sense of narrate which speak and say have not.
TELL, To give an account to make report.
--That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Psalms 36
To tell of
To tell on - to inform. You must not disobey I will tell of you if you do. This is a common popular use of the word. To tell on, is quite vulgar as well as improper.
Webster's Dictionary [4]
(1): ( v. t.) To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate.
(2): ( n.) That which is told; tale; account.
(3): ( v. t.) To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform.
(4): ( n.) A hill or mound.
(5): ( v. t.) To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money.
(6): ( v. t.) To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge.
(7): ( v. t.) To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate.
(8): ( v. t.) To order; to request; to command.
(9): ( v. i.) To give an account; to make report.
(10): ( v. t.) To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one color ends and the other begins.
(11): ( v. i.) To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot tells; every expression tells.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [5]
TELL . See Tale.
The Nuttall Encyclopedia [6]
A fertile strip of land of 47 m. of average breadth in North-West Africa, between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea; produces cereals, wine, &c.
