3424. mogilalos
Lexical Summary
mogilalos: Mute, speech-impaired, or speaking with difficulty

Original Word: μογιλάλος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: mogilalos
Pronunciation: mo-ghee-LAH-los
Phonetic Spelling: (mog-il-al'-os)
KJV: having an impediment in his speech
NASB: spoke with difficulty
Word Origin: [from G3425 (μόγις - Hardly) and G2980 (λαλέω - speak)]

1. hardly talking, i.e. dumb (tongue-tied)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
having an impediment in his speech.

From mogis and laleo; hardly talking, i.e. Dumb (tongue-tied) -- having an impediment in his speech.

see GREEK mogis

see GREEK laleo

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from mogis and laleó
Definition
speaking with difficulty
NASB Translation
spoke with difficulty (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3424: μογγιλάλος

μογγιλάλος (from μόγος (others μόγος, cf. Chandler § 366) one who has a hoarse, hollow voice, and λάλος), speaking with a harsh or thick voice: Mark 7:32 Tdf. edition 2, Tr text; but the common reading μογιλάλος deserves the preference; cf. Fritzsche at the passage, p. 302f. (Etym. Magn. (under the word βατταρίζειν).)

STRONGS NT 3424: μογιλάλοςμογιλάλος (on its accent cf. Tdf. Proleg., p. 101), μογιλάλον (μόγις and λάλος), speaking with difficulty (A. V. having an impediment in his speech): Mark 7:32 (not Tr text). (Aët. 8, 38; Schol. ad Lucian, Jov. trag. c. 27; Bekker, Anecd., p. 100, 22; the Sept. for אִלֵּם, dumb, Isaiah 35:6.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 3424 marks a unique New Testament term applied to a single individual who struggled to form words. The rarity of the word accents the particular attention Scripture gives to Christ’s compassionate dealings with the disabled and to His authority over every human limitation.

Biblical Setting: Mark 7:32

“Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him.” (Mark 7:32)

The twofold impairment—deafness and severely hindered speech—portrays a life closed off from normal fellowship. The man hears nothing and can articulate little; in first-century society this often resulted in social isolation. The petitioners plead for a mere touch, demonstrating faith that Christ’s physical contact is enough to reverse entrenched affliction.

Connection to Isaiah’s Messianic Vision

Isaiah prophesied, “Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:6). Mark’s narrative echoes this promise both verbally and thematically: the same Greek root appears in the Septuagint at Isaiah 35:6 to describe the mute (κωφοὶ, μογιλάλων). By choosing this seldom-used word, Mark presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s eschatological restoration—God’s kingdom breaking into history through the Messiah.

Christ’s Method and Pastoral Care

After withdrawing the man from the crowd (Mark 7:33-35), Jesus:

1. Uses sign-language-like gestures—fingers in ears, spitting, touching the tongue—meeting the man on his level of perception.
2. Looks up to heaven, sighs, and commands “Ephphatha!” (“Be opened!”).

The intimate, sensory engagement demonstrates that healing is not mechanical but relational. Ministry to the disabled, therefore, should likewise combine prayerful dependence on God with personal identification and dignity-affirming contact.

Theological Implications

1. Total Authority: Christ commands sensory organs and they obey, testifying to His divine sovereignty over creation’s flaws.
2. Comprehensive Salvation: Physical healing points to the broader liberation accomplished at the cross, where both spiritual deafness and speechlessness before God are removed (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:16).
3. Eschatological Foretaste: Miraculous openings of ears and tongues anticipate the ultimate renewal when “the creation itself will be set free” (Romans 8:21).

Historical Reception

Early church fathers saw in this miracle a typology for Gentile inclusion. The man from the Decapolis represents nations long deaf to divine revelation; Jesus’ touch predicts the gospel’s spread beyond Israel (Mark 7:31-37 follows the Syrophoenician episode). Medieval commentators emphasized Christ’s sigh as a token of His humanity and sympathy with sufferers. Reformers highlighted sola fide, noting the friends’ intercession parallels believers’ role in bringing the helpless to Christ.

Practical Ministry Lessons

• Intercession: Those with communication barriers need advocates who will “bring” them to Jesus through prayer and practical help.
• Holistic Care: Churches should offer accessible worship and community life, embodying Christ’s inclusive touch.
• Evangelistic Confidence: The same Lord who opened a mute tongue still opens closed hearts; gospel proclamation should proceed with expectation of divine efficacy.

Related Passages for Study

Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22; Romans 10:14-17.

Forms and Transliterations
μογιλαλον μογιλάλον μογιλάλων mogilalon mogilálon
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Mark 7:32 Adj-AMS
GRK: κωφὸν καὶ μογιλάλον καὶ παρακαλοῦσιν
NAS: to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored
KJV: one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and
INT: a deaf man and who spoke with difficulty and they implore

Strong's Greek 3424
1 Occurrence


μογιλάλον — 1 Occ.

3423
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