Like "say," the word "speak" refers to thoughts and feelings moving from our more internal spiritual levels to our more external ones -- and ultimately from the Lord, who is in a sense the most internal spiritual level of all. This is generally called "influx" and "perception" in the Writings, meaning they are thoughts and feelings that flow in in a complete way from the Lord, rather than being things we have to think about and figure out. On a number of occasions "speak" and "say" are used together; in these cases "speak" refers more to intellectual instruction in matters of thought and "say" refers more to feelings and affections that flow in directly.

6683. „Und die Wehmütter sprachen zu Pharao“, 2 Mose 1:19, bedeutet die Wahrnehmung in betreff jener wißtümlichen Wahrheiten im Natürlichen.

Dies erhellt aus der Bedeutung von sprechen in den historischen Teilen des Wortes, sofern es eine Wahrnehmung bezeichnet, wovon öfters; aus der Bedeutung der Wehmütter, sofern sie die wißtümlichen Wahrheiten im Natürlichen bezeichnen, wovon Nr. 6681; und aus der vorbildlichen Bedeutung Pharaos, sofern er das falsche Wißtümliche im allgemeinen darstellt, wovon Nr. 6679, 6681.