Greek Form Guide

Βαβυλῶνος. (Babulonos) in Matthew 1:11: Noun Genitive Singular Feminine

Βαβυλῶνος. (Babulonos) in Matthew 1:11

Textual Witness

Βαβυλῶνος. Babulonos Noun Genitive Singular Feminine

The witness reads Βαβυλῶνος in Matthew 1:11, within the phrase ἐπὶ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

The form strengthens the verse's historical anchor by linking the genealogy to Babylonian exile, while leaving the exact nuance to the full phrase and context.

How To Communicate It

In teaching or translation, this form can be rendered as a clear reference to Babylon in the deportation setting, without overstating what the case alone proves.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • Genitive case indicates relation, but the exact relationship must come from the phrase and verse context.
  • Grammatical gender here is a language feature, not a theological gender claim.

What Does The Label Mean?

Part of Speech

Noun: the word names a place, reality, or historical referent, and here it functions as a substantive term.

Case

Genitive: the form usually marks a related noun, and here it most naturally expresses the relation linked to the phrase about the deportation.

Number

Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, referring to Babylon as one place or collective referent.

Gender

Feminine: the noun belongs to the feminine grammatical class, which does not by itself create any theological or personal gender claim.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

ἐπὶ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος.

Governed By

The form is governed by the nearby phrase and works with the genitive construction after ἐπὶ, so it marks the related setting of the migration or deportation.

Role In The Phrase

It identifies Babylon as the place connected with the deportation event, helping locate the historical reference in the verse.

What It Is Not Doing

It does not by itself state the direction of travel, the cause of the exile, or a separate action of Babylon.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

Moderate: The genitive place name anchors the genealogy to the Babylonian deportation.

Syntax Profile

Noun genitive singular feminine. identifies Babylon as the place associated with the deportation. Attached to the deportation phrase in Matthew 1:11. Governed by the historical reference phrase. The form locates the historical marker without making Babylon the subject of the clause.

Reader Question

What historical place is tied to the deportation? Babylon is the place associated with the deportation marker.

Translation Effect

Direct: The genitive place name directly supports of Babylon or Babylonian in context.

Where Caution Is Needed

Genitive relation should be read with deportation. Feminine gender is grammatical and not a theological claim. The exile's meaning comes from the genealogy and biblical context, not the case ending alone.

Fallacies To Avoid

Place genitive supplies exile theology: The genitive identifies the place relation; the genealogy and Scripture context carry the larger meaning. Babylon name creates a separate action: The noun locates the deportation phrase and does not add a new verb.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

The witness reads Βαβυλῶνος in Matthew 1:11, within the phrase ἐπὶ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος.

Lexical Identity

The lemma is Βαβυλών, meaning Babylon, the named place associated with exile and historical judgment in the biblical memory.

Grammar In Context

Its genitive form ties Babylon to the deportation phrase, so the grammar helps the reader see a linked historical setting rather than an isolated place name.

Passage Meaning

The verse locates Josiah's line in relation to the Babylonian deportation, a key marker in the genealogy's historical flow.

Canonical Fit

This fits the broader scriptural theme of exile and return, and the artifact notes that Babylon reinforces the exile identity frame.

Communication Use

For readers, the form supports a compact reference to the Babylonian deportation and helps the genealogy carry historical memory with economy.

Do Not Derive

Do not derive more than the context supports, and do not make the genitive alone decide every nuance of the historical relation.