Λέγω Melding in the Septuagint and New Testament 29 καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες ὅτι Ὁ υἱός σου Ιωσηφ ζῇ. and they announced to him, “Your son Joseph is alive” (Gen 45:26) καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς νομικοὺς καὶ Φαρισαίους λέγων, Ἔξεστιν τῷ σαββάτῳ θεραπεῦσαι ἢ οὔ; and Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it permitted or not [permitted] to heal on the Sabbath?” (Luke 14:3). The 77 occurrences of λέγω melding associated with the remaining five verbs of direct discourse consistently appear with lexical realizations for their second complement that differ from those of the previous eight verbs: δέομαι; ἐπερωτάω; ἐρωτάω; ὁρκίζω; and παρακαλέω. Each of these verbs, however, may be translated by an English verb whose lexical realizations for the second complements are in accord with those of the previous eight verbs. As a result, the distinction between the first eight and these five verbs does not carry over into English. Thus, these verbs may be translated by a single verb according to the rules for the first group with the additional rule that (#4) redundant second complements are reduced to a single second complement, with the more specific lexical realization of the second complement being maintained if they differ in specificity. Again, two examples illustrate the application of these rules:18 ἐδεήθη αὐτοῦ λέγων. Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς... he begged him, “Lord, if you wish...” (Luke 5:12) ἐπηρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων αὐτοῖς, Τίνα με λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι; he was asking his disciples, “Who do human beings say that I am?” (Mark 8:27) The remaining fifteen occurrences of λέγω melding appear with eight Greek verbs that are restricted elsewhere to the expression of indirect discourse. All of these verbs, however, may be translated by English verbs that accommodate both direct and indirect discourse. As a result, the dis- tinction among these and the first two groups of Greek verbs disappears. Thus, they too may be translated according to the same four rules:19 The remaining three verbs follow the same rules of translation: e.g., καὶ ἠρώτησαν 18 αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες, Ῥαββί, τίς... (and his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned...?”, John 9:2); καὶ ὥρκισεν Ιωσηφ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ λέγων, Ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ ... (and Joseph begged the sons of Israel, “On the visitation...”, Gen 50:25); and οἱ δὲ δαίμονες παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Εἰ ἐκβάλλεις ἡμᾶς... (but the demons were urging him, “If you cast us out...”, Matt 8:31). The remaining six verbs follow the same rules of translation: e.g., ᾐτήσατο λέγουσα, 19 Θέλω ἵνα ἐξαυτῆς δῷς μοι... (she asked, “I want that you give me immediately...”, Mark 6:25); διεσάφησεν Μωυσῆς λέγων, Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ παρακληθήσεται (Moses stated clearly, “And he will comfort his slaves”, 2 Macc 7:6); νῦν δὲ ἐπήγγελται λέγων, Ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐγὼ σείσω... (but now he has promised, “Once again I will shake...”, Heb 12:26); καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐκέλευον τῷ δήμῳ παντὶ λέγοντες, Ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη ἁγία, μὴ λυπεῖσθε (and the