What does γένεσις (génesis) mean in the Bible?
γένεσις (génesis): Origin or birth; in James, refers to one's essential created nature or divinely-intended character.
Greek · G1078
γένεσις
Nativity; figuratively, nature
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
γένεσιςG1078
Pronunciationgénesis
What does γένεσις (génesis) mean in the Bible?
γένεσις (génesis): Origin or birth; in James, refers to one's essential created nature or divinely-intended character.
Full entry for γένεσις (G1078) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1078?
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include birth (2), of [the] genealogy (1), of his life {on fire} (1), vvv (1).
Where does γένεσις (génesis) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:1. Its strongest book concentrations include James (2), Matthew (2), Luke (1).
Are there verse guides for γένεσις (génesis)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itbirth2×Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:14
of [the] genealogy1×Matthew 1:1
of his life {on fire}1×James 3:6
vvv1×James 1:23
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 1:1γενέσεωςtoof [the] genealogyNoun - Genitive Feminine SingularMatthew 1:18γένεσιςtobirthNoun - Nominative Feminine SingularLuke 1:14γενέσειtobirthNoun - Dative Feminine SingularJames 1:23γενέσεωςtovvvNoun - Genitive Feminine SingularJames 3:6γενέσεωςtoof his life {on fire}Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMatthew 1:1
Aligned rows5
Books represented3
Matthew2Luke1James2
Source forms
γενέσεως3xgeneseōsMatthew 1:1, James 1:23, James 3:6
γενέσει1xgeneseiLuke 1:14
γένεσις1xgenesisMatthew 1:18
Parsing patterns
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular3xMatthew 1:1, James 1:23, James 3:6
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular1xLuke 1:14
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular1xMatthew 1:18
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Origin or birth; in James, refers to one's essential created nature or divinely-intended character.
Source Gloss
nativity; figuratively, nature
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Origin or birth; in James, refers to one's essential created nature or divinely-intended character.
(γίγνομαι), [in LXX chiefly for תּוֹלֵדֹת ;]
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
3 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
genesewv
birth, lineage
Read verseJames 1:23Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
γενέσεωςgenesewv
birth, lineage
Read verseJames 3:6Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
γενέσεως,genesewv
birth, lineage
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns3Aligned forms5Case patternGenitive (3)Number patternSingular (5)
Nominative · Singular · FeminineMatt 1:181×
Dative · Singular · FeminineLuke 1:141×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Book of origin, lineage, ancestral record from Abraham onward
The nativity or birth circumstances of Jesus Christ
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
γένεσις is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.