John 1:37

Καὶ ἤκουσαν αὐτοῦ οἱ δύο μαθηταὶ λαλοῦντος, καὶ ἠκολούθησαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ.

RBT Greek Interlinear:

Strongs 2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

Strongs 191; ēkousan; ἤκουσαν; they heard; V-AIA-3P

Strongs 3588; hoi; οἱ; the; Art-NMP

Strongs 1417; dyo; δύο; two; Adj-NMP

Strongs 3101; mathētai; μαθηταὶ; Learners; N-NMP

Strongs 846; autou; αὐτοῦ; himself; PPro-GM3S

Strongs 2980; lalountos; λαλοῦντος; he who is chattering; V-PPA-GMS

Strongs 2532; kai; καὶ; and; Conj

Strongs 190; ēkolouthēsan; ἠκολούθησαν; accompanied; V-AIA-3P

Strongs 3588; tō; τῷ; the; Art-DMS

Strongs 2424; Iēsou; Ἰησοῦ; Salvation; N-DMS

RBT Hebrew Literal:

And the two learners heard himself, he who is chirping, and they followed the Salvation.⁵⁷

Hearing Yourself.
"The one who holds an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying..." (Rev. 2:7 RBT)

Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
And two disciples heard him speaking, and followed Jesus.

LITV Translation:
And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.

ESV Translation:
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Footnotes

57

Strongs #G2980 λαλέω, laleó,  to chatter, chirp, emit a sound, or produce musical sounds.

This word is used nearly 300 times in the NT, way more extensively than in classical Greek literature, and it is not without reason. The normal word for speak/say, is legó #G3004 which is found about 2,267 times. 

1. Primary Meanings: Chattering, Babbling

• Chattering:

  • "ἕπου ... καὶ μὴ λάλει" (Come along and don't chatter), from Aristophanes' Ecclesiazusae 1058.
  • "λαλῶν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς σεαυτῷ" (Talking to yourself on the road), from Aristophanes' Knights 348.

• Sounds of Birds:

  • Refers to birds chirping or twittering.

• Music:

  • "αὐλῷ λαλέω" (I play the flute), from Theocritus, Idylls 20.29.
  • "ἡ φωνή ... ὡς σάλπιγγος λαλούσης" (The sound as of a trumpet blaring), from the New Testament, Revelation 4:1.
  • "ὅτε ἐλάλησαν αἱ ἑπτὰ βρονταί" (When the seven thunders chattered), from the New Testament, Revelation 10:4.

2. Later Meanings:

• General Talk or Prattle:

  • "λαλῆσαι οὔπω δυνάμενον ἃ πάσχει" (Not yet able to say what ails him), from Plato's Axiochus 366d.

• Divine or Spiritual Speech:

  • "οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες ἀλλὰ τὸ πνευμα" (For it is not you who chatters, but the Spirit), from the New Testament, Matthew 10:20.
  • "λαλεῖν ἀπό τινος" (To chatter on behalf of someone), from the New Testament, 2 Peter 1:21.

The verb "λαλέω" primarily means to chatter or babble, often used in contexts involving informal or non-articulate sounds, such as those made by birds, music, or nature. The New Testament makes extensive use of this word as opposed to the normal word for speaking. In later usage, it expands to mean speaking or saying in a more general sense, including divine speech and proclaiming messages.