Lexical Summary gennaó: To beget, to give birth, to bring forth, to produce. Original Word: γεννάω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bear, beget, conceive. From a variation of genos; to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate -- bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring. see GREEK genos HELPS Word-studies 1080 gennáō – properly, beget (procreate a descendant), produce offspring; (passive) be born, "begotten." NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom genna (descent, birth) Definition to beget, to bring forth NASB Translation bear (1), bearing children (1), became the father of (4), became...father (1), begotten (4), bore (1), born (41), Child (1), conceived (1), father (37), Father (1), gave (1), gives birth (1), produce (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1080: γεννάωγεννάω, γέννω; future γεννήσω; 1 aorist ἐγέννησα; perfect γεγέννηκά; (passive, present γεννάομαι, γεννωμαι); perfect γεγέννημαι; 1 aorist ἐγεννήθην; (from γεννᾷ, poetic for γένος); in Greek writings from Pindar down; in the Sept. for יָלַד; to beget; 1. properly: of men begetting children, Matthew 1:1-16; Acts 7:8, 29; followed by ἐκ with the genitive of the mother, Matthew 1:3, 5, 6; more rarely of women giving birth to children, Luke 1:13, 57; Luke 23:29; John 16:21; εἰς δουλείαν to bear a child unto bondage, that will be a slave, Galatians 4:24 ((Xenophon, de rep. Lac. 1, 3); Lucian, de sacrif. 6; Plutarch, de liber. educ. 5; others; the Sept. Isaiah 66:9; 4 Macc. 10:2, etc.). Passive, to be begotten: τό ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθέν that which is begotten in her womb, Matthew 1:20; to be born: Matthew 2:1, 4 (Winers Grammar, 266 (250); Buttmann, 203 (176)); 2. metaphorically, a. universally, to engender, cause to arise, excite: μάχας, 2 Timothy 2:23 (βλαβην, λύπην, etc. in Greek writings). b. in a Jewish sense, of one who brings others over to his way of life: ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα I am the author of your Christian life, 1 Corinthians 4:15; Philemon 1:10 (Sanhedr. fol. 19, 2 "If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him"; (cf. Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 8)). c. after Psalm 2:7, it is used of God making Christ his son; a. formally to show him to be the Messiah (υἱόν τοῦ Θεοῦ), viz. by the resurrection: Acts 13:33. b. to be the author of the divine nature which he possesses (but compare the commentaries on the passages that follow): Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 5:5. d. peculiarly, in the Gospel and First Epistle of John, of God conferring upon men the nature and disposition of his sons, imparting to them spiritual life, i. e. by his own holy power prompting and persuading souls to put faith in Christ and live a new life consecrated to himself; absolutely 1 John 5:1; mostly in passive, ἐκ Θεοῦ or ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν, γεγέννηται, γεγεννημένος, etc.: John 1:13; 1 John 2:29 (Rec.st γεγένηται); Strong’s 1080 gathers every New Testament use of the verb that describes the act of bringing forth life—whether physical birth, spiritual regeneration, or the unique begetting of the Messiah. The contexts cluster around four great themes: (1) covenant genealogy, (2) the Incarnation and exaltation of Jesus Christ, (3) the new birth of believers, and (4) spiritual parenthood in ministry. Covenant Genealogy and Historical Continuity Matthew opens his Gospel with a deliberate, rhythmic repetition of the verb (Matthew 1:2-16) to trace the royal line from Abraham to “Jesus, who is called Christ.” Each “he begat” ties the Lord to Israel’s story, underscoring God’s unbroken faithfulness. Stephen’s speech mirrors this concern for covenant continuity, noting that Jacob “became the father of the twelve patriarchs” (Acts 7:8) and that Moses was “born” as God’s chosen deliverer (Acts 7:20). Hebrews recalls Abraham, who, “though as good as dead, was father of many nations” (Hebrews 11:12), proving that divine promise overrides human limitation. Messianic Begetting: Incarnation and Exaltation 1. Incarnation: The angel assures Joseph that the Child “conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20), while Gabriel tells Mary, “the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The virgin birth is thus a supernatural begetting, safeguarding both Christ’s true humanity and His sinless divinity. Spiritual Rebirth and the Life of God in Believers Jesus declares, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3); “unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). John contrasts “what is born of the flesh” with “what is born of the Spirit” (John 3:6), shifting the conversation from biology to regeneration. The Apostle’s first letter applies the same verb to every believer: • “Everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him” (1 John 2:29). New birth is thus simultaneously a decisive act of God and the beginning of a transformed life characterized by faith, righteousness, love, victory, and preservation. Apostolic Fatherhood and Disciple-Making Paul appropriates the language of begetting for pastoral ministry: “In Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). Writing from prison, he calls converted Onesimus “my child whom I have begotten while in chains” (Philemon 1:10). Making disciples is seen as the spiritual counterpart to physical procreation; preaching the gospel births new believers. Ethical and Redemptive Contrasts • Flesh versus promise: Ishmael was “born according to the flesh,” Isaac “through the promise” (Galatians 4:23, 29). Eschatological Dimension Jesus tells Pilate, “For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). His mission, rooted in a unique begetting, secures the new creation into which every regenerate person is born. The consummation of that creation is foreshadowed in the triumph of those “born of God” who already overcome the world. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Evangelism aims at spiritual birth; preaching is a midwife’s work (1 Corinthians 4:15). Selected Reference Index Matthew 1:2-20; 2:1, 4 Luke 1:13, 35, 57; 23:29 John 1:13; 3:3-8; 9:19-34; 16:21; 18:37 Acts 2:8; 7:8, 20, 29; 13:33; 22:3, 28 Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; 11:12, 23 1 Peter 1:3 (conceptually related) 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-18 Revelation 12:5 (conceptually related to Messianic birth) Strong’s 1080 thus charts the sweep of Scripture from promise to fulfillment, from earthly genealogy to heavenly family, and from the cradle of Bethlehem to the new birth of every child of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 1:2 V-AIA-3SGRK: Ἀβραὰμ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰσαάκ NAS: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac KJV: Abraham begat Isaac; and INT: Abraham was father of Issac Matthew 1:2 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:2 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:3 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:3 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:3 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:4 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:4 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:4 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:5 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:5 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:5 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:6 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:6 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:7 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:7 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:7 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:8 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:8 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:8 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:9 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:9 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:9 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:10 V-AIA-3S Matthew 1:10 V-AIA-3S Strong's Greek 1080 |
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