Greek · G1080, G1537, G2316 · unreviewed
γεννάω
To beget · literal or figurative; direct or remote) · God
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
γεννάω G1080 to beget
Pronunciation gennáō
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ἐκ G1537 literal or figurative; direct or remote)
Pronunciation ek
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θεός G2316 God
Pronunciation theós
The definite article marks God as the one true God; anarthrous form emphasizes His divine nature or character.
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What does γεννάω (gennáō) mean in the Bible?
γεννάω · ἐκ · θεός is a Greek word meaning "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. Introduces the theme of new birth as the source of righteous practice. This term runs through the canonical themes of Faith, Justice.
Full entry for γεννάω (G1080, G1537, G2316) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate
Extended definition
Biological generation or spiritual rebirth; emphasizes causative origin of new life in father or mother
:--bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.
Why This Word Matters
Introduces the theme of new birth as the source of righteous practice. 1 John 2:28-29
Describes spiritual regeneration as the source of faith and transformed life. 1 John 3:4-10
Describes the transformed identity that resists habitual sin. 1 John 4:7-12
Righteous living flows from divine regeneration, not mere moral effort. 1 John 5:1-5
New birth explains the break with habitual sin and the emergence of righteous practice. 1 John 5:18-21
Love is evidence of new birth, not merely moral refinement.
New birth explains the transformation of love, obedience, and faith.
New birth defines identity and explains freedom from sin’s dominion.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 71×
Aorist Active Matt 1:2 · Matt 1:3 · Matt 1:4 · Matt 1:5 · Matt 1:6 · Matt 1:7 · Matt 1:8 · Matt 1:9 · Matt 1:10 · Matt 1:11 · Matt 1:12 · Matt 1:13 · Matt 1:14 · Matt 1:15 · Matt 1:16 · Luke 1:57 45×
Aorist Passive Matt 1:16 · Matt 26:24 · Mark 14:21 · John 9:19 · John 9:20 · John 16:21 · Acts 7:20 · Matt 19:12 · John 1:13 · Heb 11:12 · John 9:34 · Acts 2:8 12×
Perfect Passive Gal 4:23 · 1 John 2:29 · 1 John 3:9 · 1 John 4:7 · 1 John 5:1 · John 18:37 · Acts 22:28 · John 8:41 8×
Perfect Active Acts 13:33 · Heb 1:5 · Heb 5:5 3×
Present Passive Matt 2:4 1×
Future Active Luke 1:13 1×
Present Active 2 Tim 2:23 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 19×
Perfect Passive John 3:8 · Acts 22:3 · 1 John 3:9 · 1 John 5:18 · John 3:6 · 1 John 5:4 · John 9:32 · 2 Pet 2:12 · 1 John 5:1 10×
Aorist Passive Gal 4:29 · Heb 11:23 · 1 John 5:18 · Matt 1:20 · Matt 2:1 · Rom 9:11 6×
Present Passive Luke 1:35 1×
Present Active Gal 4:24 1×
Aorist Active 1 John 5:1 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 4×
Aorist Passive John 3:3 · John 3:5 · John 9:2 3×
Aorist Active John 16:21 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Aorist Passive John 3:4 · John 3:7 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 97 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 71 perfect 21 present 4 future 1
Voice
active 53 passive 44
Mood
indicative 71 participle 19 subjunctive 4 infinitive 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 1:10 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:10 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:10 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:11 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:12 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:12 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:13 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:13 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:13 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:14 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:14 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:14 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:15 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:15 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:15 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:16 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:16 ἐγεννήθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 1:2 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:2 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:2 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:20 γεννηθὲν aorist passive participle participle Matthew 1:3 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:3 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:3 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:4 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:4 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:4 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:5 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:5 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:5 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:6 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:6 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:7 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:7 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:7 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:8 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:8 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:8 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:9 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 1:9 ἐγέννησεν aorist active indicative completed
+57 more occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Faith Justice
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
1 John 2:28-29 born gennáō · ek · theós Indicative · Perfect Passive
To receive new spiritual life from God.
1 John 3:4-10 born of God gennáō · ek · theós Indicative · Perfect Passive
Regenerated by divine initiative and granted new spiritual life.
1 John 4:7-12 born of God gennáō · ek · theós Indicative · Perfect Passive
Regenerated through divine initiative.
1 John 5:1-5 born of God gennáō · ek · theós Indicative · Perfect Passive
Regenerated by divine initiative.
1 John 5:18-21 born of God gennáō · ek · theós Participle · Perfect Passive
Regenerated by divine initiative and granted new spiritual life.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
1 Corinthians 13 — The More Excellent Way of Love 1 Corinthians 8 — Knowledge, Love, and the Weak Brother in a World of Idols Acts 10 — God Opens the Gospel Door to the Gentiles Acts 14 — Through Many Hardships into the Kingdom Acts 16 — The Gospel Enters Macedonia: Opened Hearts, Broken Chains, and Household Faith Acts 18 — The Lord Strengthens the Mission in Corinth and Beyond Acts 19 — The Word of the Lord Grows Mightily in Ephesus Acts 22 — Paul’s Defense: Christ Appears, Sends, and Preserves His Witness Acts 28 — Paul in Rome: The Kingdom Proclaimed Without Hindrance Acts 6 — Word Ministry, Servant Leadership, and Stephen’s Faithful Witness Acts 7 — Stephen Testifies to Israel’s Resistance and Christ’s Glory Acts 9 — The Risen Christ Converts His Fiercest Persecutor John 10 — The Good Shepherd, the Door, and the Son One with the Father John 11 — The Resurrection and the Life, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Plot to Kill Jesus John 16 — The Spirit’s Convicting Witness, the Disciples’ Sorrow Turned to Joy, and Christ’s Victory over the World John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World John 19 — The Crucified King: Behold the Man, Behold Your King, It Is Finished, and the Pierced Son John 20 — The Risen Lord: Empty Tomb, Eyewitness Faith, Peace, Mission, Spirit, Thomas, and the Purpose of the Gospel John 21 — The Risen Lord Restores, Commissions, Shepherds, and Testifies through His Witness John 3 — New Birth, Lifted-Up Son, and the Love of God for the World John 6 — The Bread of Life, the Words of Eternal Life, and the Crisis of True Discipleship John 9 — The Man Born Blind, the Light of the World, and the Blindness of Religious Unbelief Luke 10 — The Kingdom Mission Expanded, Mercy Defined, and the Better Portion Chosen Luke 11 — Prayer, Kingdom Conflict, True Hearing, and the Exposure of Hypocrisy Luke 12 — Fear God, Confess Christ, Seek the Kingdom, and Be Ready Luke 20 — The Rejected Son, the Questioned Authority, and the Lord Who Silences His Opponents Luke 22 — The Passover Betrayal, the New Covenant Meal, and the Suffering Servant King Luke 23 — The Innocent King Condemned, Crucified with Transgressors, and Buried in Hope Luke 24 — The Risen Christ Opens the Scriptures, Commissions Witnesses, and Ascends in Blessing Luke 3 — The Way Prepared, the Son Revealed, and the Lineage Traced Luke 4 — The Spirit-Anointed Son Tested, Rejected, and Proclaiming the Kingdom Luke 5 — The Authority of Jesus to Call, Cleanse, Forgive, and Make New Luke 6 — The Lord of the Sabbath Forms a Kingdom People Luke 7 — The Compassionate Lord Who Heals, Raises, Confirms, and Forgives Luke 8 — The Word Heard, the Kingdom Revealed, and the Lord’s Authority Displayed Luke 9 — The Christ Revealed, the Cross Announced, and the Jerusalem Road Begun Mark 1 — The Beginning of the Gospel: The Servant-King Appears with Authority Mark 10 — The Way of the Servant King: Marriage, Children, Wealth, Cross, Ransom, and Sight Mark 11 — The King Comes to Jerusalem: Fig Tree, Temple Judgment, Faith, Forgiveness, and Authority Mark 12 — The Rejected Son, the Greatest Commandment, the Lord of David, and the Widow’s Offering Mark 14 — The Son of Man Handed Over: Anointing, Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial, and Denial Mark 15 — The Crucified King: Condemnation, Mockery, Death, Confession, and Burial Mark 3 — The Servant-King Confronted: Sabbath Mercy, Demonic Accusation, and the Family of God Mark 4 — The Mystery of the Kingdom: Hearing, Fruitfulness, and the Lord over the Storm Mark 5 — The Authority of Jesus over Demons, Disease, and Death Mark 7 — True Defilement and Boundary-Crossing Mercy Mark 9 — Glory, Unbelief, Suffering, Humility, and Radical Discipleship Matthew 1 — The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus the Messiah Matthew 12 — The Lord of the Sabbath, the Servant of the Lord, and the Crisis of Unbelief Matthew 14 — The Death of John, the Compassion of Jesus, and the Son of God over Bread, Sea, and Fear Matthew 15 — Tradition, the Heart, Gentile Faith, and the Compassionate Bread of the Messiah Matthew 16 — The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship Matthew 21 — The King Enters Jerusalem, Judges Fruitless Religion, and Exposes Rejected-Son Leadership Matthew 22 — The Wedding Banquet, the King’s Invitation, and the Messiah Who Is David’s Lord Matthew 26 — The Betrayal, Passover, Gethsemane, Trial, and Denial of Jesus Matthew 27 — Jesus Condemned, Crucified, Dead, Buried, and Guarded Matthew 4 — The Tested Son, the Kingdom Proclaimed, and the First Disciples Called Matthew 5 — Kingdom Blessedness, Fulfilled Law, and Heart-Level Righteousness Matthew 8 — The Authority of Jesus over Uncleanness, Sickness, Discipleship, Storms, and Demons Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience Romans 15 — Bearing with the Weak, Welcoming One Another, and Paul’s Priestly Mission to the Gentiles Romans 16 — Gospel Partnership, Holy Greeting, False-Teacher Warning, and Doxology to the God Who Establishes Romans 8 — No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and the Unbreakable Love of God in Christ
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain