In the context of the Bible, "utterances" refer to spoken words, declarations, or pronouncements that carry significant meaning, often attributed to divine inspiration or authority. The concept of utterances is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, where the spoken word is a powerful vehicle for communication between God and humanity, as well as among individuals.

Divine Utterances

The Bible frequently records instances where God communicates directly with His people through utterances. These divine utterances are often delivered through prophets, who serve as God's mouthpieces. In the Old Testament, the phrase "Thus says the LORD" is a common introduction to prophetic messages, underscoring the authority and divine origin of the words spoken. For example, in Isaiah 55:11 , God declares, "So My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it."

The New Testament also emphasizes the power and authority of divine utterances. Jesus Christ, as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), embodies the ultimate divine utterance. His teachings, parables, and proclamations are considered authoritative and transformative. In Matthew 24:35 , Jesus affirms the enduring nature of His words: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away."

Human Utterances

Human utterances in the Bible can be expressions of faith, prayer, praise, or even doubt and rebellion. The Psalms, for instance, are rich with human utterances directed toward God, ranging from cries for help to songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 19:14 reflects a desire for one's words to be pleasing to God: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

The New Testament encourages believers to be mindful of their utterances, recognizing the power of words to build up or tear down. James 3:5-6 warns of the destructive potential of the tongue: "In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body."

Prophetic Utterances

Prophetic utterances are a specific category of divine communication, often involving foretelling future events or delivering messages of warning, judgment, or hope. The prophets of the Old Testament, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, were known for their prophetic utterances, which called the people of Israel to repentance and faithfulness to God.

In the New Testament, the gift of prophecy continues to be recognized within the early church. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:1 , encourages believers to "Pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." Prophetic utterances are intended to edify, exhort, and comfort the church (1 Corinthians 14:3).

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in inspiring and guiding utterances, both divine and human. In Acts 2:4 , the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them. This event marks the outpouring of the Spirit and the empowerment of believers to proclaim the gospel with boldness.

The Holy Spirit also aids believers in prayer, especially when words fail. Romans 8:26 states, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words."

In summary, utterances in the Bible encompass a wide range of spoken expressions, from divine pronouncements to human prayers and prophecies. They are a testament to the power of words and the importance of aligning one's speech with the will and purposes of God.3051. logion -- a saying, an oracle
... logion Phonetic Spelling: (log'-ee-on) Short Definition: divine communication
Definition: plur: oracles, divine responses or utterances (it can include the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3051.htm - 6k

5456. phone -- a voice, sound
... Word Usage blasts (1), cry (1), language (1), languages (1), outcry (1), sound
(15), sounds (4), statement (1), tone (1), utterance (3), utterances (1), voice ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5456.htm - 7k

4394. propheteia -- prophecy
... Word Origin from propheteuo Definition prophecy NASB Word Usage prophecies (1),
prophecy (15), prophesying (1), prophetic utterance (1), prophetic utterances (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4394.htm - 7k

561. emer -- speech, word
... NASB Word Usage arguments (1), chastisement (1), command (1), decreed (1), promise
(1), sayings (4), slander* (1), speech (2), thing (1), utterances (1), words ...
/hebrew/561.htm - 6k

4405. millah -- a word, speech, utterance
... a word, speech, utterance NASB Word Usage answer* (1), anything to say (1), byword
(1), said (1), speaking (1), speech (5), talking (1), utterances (1), what ...
/hebrew/4405.htm - 6k

Utterances of the Son.
... Chapter XXXVIII."Utterances of the Son. And when the Spirit of prophecy
speaks from the person of Christ, the utterances are of ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xxxviii utterances of the son.htm

Utterances of the Father.
... Chapter XXXVII."Utterances of the Father. And that this too may be clear
to you, there were spoken from the person of the Father ...
/.../justin/the first apology of justin/chapter xxxvii utterances of the father.htm

Of the Lord's Successive Utterances when He was About to Die; and ...
... Chapter XVIII."Of the Lord's Successive Utterances When He Was About to Die; And
of the Question Whether Matthew and Mark are in Harmony with Luke in Their ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xviii of the lords successive.htm

Utterances of the Prophet Isaiah Regarding the Resurrection of the ...
... Book XX. Chapter 21."Utterances of the Prophet Isaiah Regarding the
Resurrection of the Dead and the Retributive Judgment. The ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 21 utterances of the prophet.htm

For, as the Divine Utterances Testify, "God is Love...
... 15. For, as the Divine utterances testify, "God is love? 15. For, as
the Divine utterances testify, "God is love, and he that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on patience /15 for as the divine.htm

A Remarkable and Original Reply to These Utterances
... Book V. Section 3. A remarkable and original reply to these utterances. Section
3. A remarkable and original reply to these utterances ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 3 a remarkable and.htm

The Third vision "In Heaven"
... For it is "in heaven" that the Trumpet is sounded. After it is sounded, we again
hear the heavenly utterances which tell us of the design of this sounding. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the third vision in heaven.htm

Of the Three-Fold Meaning of the Prophecies, which are to be ...
... Therefore prophetic utterances of three kinds are to be found; forasmuch as there
are some relating to the earthly Jerusalem, some to the heavenly, and some to ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 3 of the three-fold meaning.htm

The Scope of the Apocalypse Shewn by Its Structure
... to hear. It is remarkable that in each of these wondrous scenes "in Heaven"
voices with utterances and songs are heard. Not one ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the scope of the apocalypse 2.htm

The Seventh vision "In Heaven"
... The Seventh Vision "In Heaven". H^7. Chap. xix.1-16. The final heavenly Utterances
and Actions. ... H^7 P xix.1-10. The Final Heavenly Utterances. Q xix.11-16. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the seventh vision in heaven.htm

Utterances (9 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Utterances (9 Occurrences). ... (WEY). 1 Thessalonians
5:20 Do not think meanly of utterances of prophecy; (WEY NAS). ...
/u/utterances.htm - 8k

Oracle (57 Occurrences)
... The use in this passage seems to indicate that at an early period oracular utterances
were sought from Yahweh by the Israelites, but the practice certainly ...
/o/oracle.htm - 26k

Beatitudes
... in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms (Psalm 32:1, 2; Psalm 41:1; Psalm
65:4, etc.), and Jesus on various occasions threw His utterances into this ...
/b/beatitudes.htm - 16k

Burden (111 Occurrences)
... both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) massa'
is translated "burden," as applied to certain prophetic utterances; but both ...
/b/burden.htm - 46k

Nahum (3 Occurrences)
... with growing unanimity, denied the originality of Nahum 1:2-2:2 (Hebrew 2:3), with
the exception of 2:1, which is considered the beginning of Nahum's utterances...
/n/nahum.htm - 21k

Preacher (27 Occurrences)
... 13). Of course the agnostic and pessimistic utterances in Ec are to be
regarded as the presentation of one side of an argument. ...
/p/preacher.htm - 48k

Ecclesiastes (1 Occurrence)
... 13). Of course the agnostic and pessimistic utterances in Ec are to be
regarded as the presentation of one side of an argument. ...
/e/ecclesiastes.htm - 27k

Gift (148 Occurrences)
... MYSTERY). In order to make the utterances comprehensible to the congregation,
the services of an "interpreter" were needed. Such ...
/g/gift.htm - 59k

Logia
... LOGIA, THE. 1. The Word "Logia" and Its History: The word logion, which is a
diminutive of logos, was regularly used of Divine utterances. ...
/l/logia.htm - 19k

Sayings (134 Occurrences)
... of Moses the revelation comes direct in the shape of the naked truth without the
mediation of figures of speech or obscure utterances requiring elucidation ...
/s/sayings.htm - 41k

What is glossolalia? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Church of Almighty God / Eastern Lightning? | GotQuestions.org

What is Montanism? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus