What does γεννάω · ἐκ · θεός mean in the Bible?
γεννάω · ἐκ · θεός: Biological generation or spiritual rebirth; emphasizes causative origin of new life in father or mother
Greek · G1080, G1537, G2316
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: Biological generation or spiritual rebirth; emphasizes causative origin of new life in father or mother
Full entry for γεννάω (G1080, G1537, G2316) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for G1080, G1537, G2316?
G1080, G1537, G2316 is connected to 97 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
FaithJustice
Greek phrase. Biological generation or spiritual rebirth; emphasizes causative origin of new life in father or mother
Strong's G1080, G1537, G2316
Lexical occurrences 97 verses Word forms 4 forms 97 references Study link 1 John 2:28-29 Source Gloss
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.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 97 Tenses Aorist, Perfect, Present, Future Voices Active, Passive
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)
Sampled Scripture Occurrences
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
New Testament Witnesses
To receive new spiritual life from God.
Regenerated by divine initiative and granted new spiritual life.
Regenerated through divine initiative.
Regenerated by divine initiative.
Regenerated by divine initiative and granted new spiritual life.
Additional Occurrences
1-john Born of God gennáō · ek · theós
to be begotten from God
1-john Born of God gennáō · ek · theós
regenerated by divine initiative
1-john Born gennáō · ek · theós
to be begotten or brought forth
Word Origins
γεννάω is built from this root:
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.
Canonical Themes
Faith Justice
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain