Quick Definition
γεννάω v. I beget, bring forth, give birth to
Strong's Definition
from a variation of 1085; to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate
KJV Usage: bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | ἀναγεννάω · ἀρτιγέννητος · γέννημα · γέννησις · γεννητός
23.58 · Physiological Processes and States · Birth, Procreation
to be the father of, to procreate, to beget the male role in causing the conception and birth of a child
MAT 1:2 · MAT 1:2 · MAT 1:2 · MAT 1:3 · MAT 1:3 · MAT 1:3 · MAT 1:4 · MAT 1:4 · MAT 1:4 · MAT 1:5 · MAT 1:5 · MAT 1:5 · MAT 1:6 · MAT 1:6 · MAT 1:7 · MAT 1:7 · MAT 1:7 · MAT 1:8 · MAT 1:8 · MAT 1:8 · MAT 1:9 · MAT 1:9 · MAT 1:9 · MAT 1:10 · MAT 1:10 · MAT 1:10 · MAT 1:11 · MAT 1:12 · MAT 1:12 · MAT 1:13 · MAT 1:13 · MAT 1:13 · MAT 1:14 · MAT 1:14 · MAT 1:14 · MAT 1:15 · MAT 1:15 · MAT 1:15 · MAT 1:16 · MAT 1:20 · ACT 7:8 · ACT 7:29 · ACT 13:33 · 1CO 4:15 · PHM 1:10 · HEB 1:5 · HEB 5:5 · HEB 11:12 · 1JN 2:29 · 1JN 3:9 · 1JN 3:9 · 1JN 4:7 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:4 · 1JN 5:18
23.52 · Physiological Processes and States · Birth, Procreation
to bear, to give birth to give birth to a child All languages have expressions for human birth, though these are frequently in idiomatic forms, for example, ‘to drop a child’ or ‘to cause a baby to pass between the legs.’ A number of languages have a variety of terms referring to giving birth, and some of these may involve unfortunate connotations. One must therefore be careful about the selection of appropriate expressions.
γεννάω also occurs together with ἐξ αἱμάτων (JHN 1:13) and ἐκ τῆς σαρκός (JHN 3:6) in reference to physical birth. In JHN 3:5, γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος has likewise been interpreted by some scholars as referring to physical birth (compare JHN 3:6), but others understand this as referring to baptism. Certainly the occurrence of γεννηθῇ with πνεύματος in JHN 3:5 is a reference to religious rebirth, in which case γεννάω would involve a radical change of state (see 13.56). The use of the same word with two different meanings or referents is typical of the style of the Gospel of John.
MAT 1:16 · MAT 2:1 · MAT 2:4 · MAT 19:12 · MAT 26:24 · MRK 14:21 · LUK 1:13 · LUK 1:35 · LUK 1:57 · LUK 23:29 · JHN 1:13 · JHN 3:4 · JHN 3:4 · JHN 3:5 · JHN 3:6 · JHN 9:2 · JHN 9:19 · JHN 9:20 · JHN 9:32 · JHN 9:34 · JHN 16:21 · JHN 16:21 · JHN 18:37 · ACT 2:8 · ACT 7:20 · ACT 22:3 · ACT 22:28 · ROM 9:11 · GAL 4:23 · GAL 4:29 · HEB 11:23 · 2PE 2:12
13.56 · Be, Become, Exist, Happen · Change of State
to cause to be born, to be born of (a figurative extension of meaning of γεννάω[b] ‘to give birth,’ 23.52) to cause to experience a radical change, with the implication of involvement of the total personality The phrase γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος has been interpreted by some as a literal reference to physical birth (see 23.52). Others, however, interpret this phrase as referring to baptism by water. In a parallel fashion, the expression γεννηθῇ ἐξ ... πνεύματος would refer to baptism by the Spirit or rebirth made possible by the Spirit.
JHN 3:5 · JHN 3:6 · JHN 3:8 · 1JN 2:29 · 1JN 3:9 · 1JN 4:7 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:1 · 1JN 5:4 · 1JN 5:18 · 1JN 5:18
13.129 · Be, Become, Exist, Happen · Happen
to cause, to produce, to give rise to to cause to happen, with the implication of the result of existing circumstances
41.53 · Behavior and Related States · Change Behavior
Collocation: γεννάω ἄνωθεν
to be born again, to experience new birth, rebirth (an idiom, literally: to be born again) to experience a complete change in one’s way of life to what it should be, with the implication of return to a former state or relation It is also possible to understand ἄνωθεν in JHN 3:3 as meaning ‘from above’ or ‘from God’ (see 84.13), a literary parallel to the phrase ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν in JHN 1:13. In JHN 3:3, however, Nicodemus understood ἄνωθεν as meaning ‘again’ (see 67.55) and γεννάω as ‘physical birth’ (see 23.52).
1 It is possible that τεκνογονέω and τεκνογονία differ somewhat in connotation from τίκτω[a] and γεννάω[b] in being stylistically more formal, but there seems to be no significant denotative distinction in meaning.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
γεννάω, -@ ; fut. γεννήσω ; 1 aor. ἐγέννησα; pf. yeyevynka; [Pass., pres. γεννάομαι, -ῶμαι]; pf. yeyevynpar; 1 aor. ἐγεννήθην ; (fr. γέννα, poetic for γένος) ; in Grk. writ. fr. Pind. down; in Sept. for 37°; to beget; 1. properly : of men begetting children, Mt. i. 1-16; Acts vii. 8, 29; foll. by ἐκ with gen. of the mother, Mt. i. 3, 5, 6; more rarely of women giving birth to children, Lk. i. 13, 57; xxiii. 29; Jn. xvi. 215; εἰς δουλείαν to bear a child unto bondage, that will be a slave, Gal. iv. 24, ({ Xen. de rep. Lae. 1, 3]; Leian. de sacrif.6; Plut. de liber. educ. 5; al.; Sept. Is. xvi. 9; 4 Mace. x. 2, etc.). Pass. to be begotten: τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθέν that which is begotten in her womb, Mt. i. 20; to be born: Mt. ii. 1, 4 [W. 266 (250) ; B. 203 (176) ]; xix. 12; xxvi. 24; Mk. xiv. 21; Lk. i. 35; Jn. 111. 4; [Acts vii. 20]; Ro. ix. 11; Heb. xi. 23; with the addition εἰς τὸν κόσμον, Jn. xvi. 21; foll. by ἐν with dat. of place, Acts xxii. 3; ἀπό twos, to spring from one as father, Heb. xi. 12 [L WH mrg. ἐγενήθ. see Tdf. al loc.]; ἔκ twos to be born of a mother, Mt. i. 16; ἐκ πορνείας, Jn. Vili. 41; ἐξ αἱμάτων, ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρός, Jn. i. 135 ἐκ τῆς σαρκός, Jn. iii. 6 [Rec.*' γεγενημ.}; ἐν duapτίαις ὅλος, Jn. ix. 34 (see ἁμαρτία, 32 ἃ.) ; εἴς τι, to be born for something, Jn. xviii. 37; 2 Pet. ii. 12 [Tdf. γεγενημ. so Rec.*te]; with an adj.: τυφλὸς γεγέννημαι, Jn. ix. 2, 19 sq. 832; “Ῥωμαῖος to be supplied, Acts xxii. 28; τῇ διαλέκτῳ, ἐν ἡ ἐγεννήθημεν, Acts ii. 8 ; γεννηθεὶς κατὰ σάρκα begotten or born according to (by) the working of natural passion; κατὰ πνεῦμα according to (by) the working of the divine promise, Gal. iv. 29, ef. 23. 2. metaph. a. univ. to engender, cause to arise, excite: μάχας, 2 Tim. ii. 23 (βλάβην, λύπην, etc. in Grk. writ.). Ὁ. 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 Co. iv. 15; Philem. 10, (Sanhedr. fol. 19, 2 “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Seripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him”; [ef. Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 8]}). ο. after Ps. ii. 7, it is used of God making Christ his son; a. formally to show him to be the Messiah (υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ), viz. by the resurrection: Acts xiii. 38. B. to be the author of the divine nature which he possesses [but ef. the Comm. on the pass. that follow]: Heb. i. 5; v.5. da. peculiarly, in the Gospel and 1 Ep. 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; absol.: 1 Jn. v. 1; mostly in pass., ἐκ θεοῦ or ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν, γεγέννηται, γεγεννημένος, etc.: Jn. i. 13; 1 Jn. ii. 29 [Rec.*
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
γένημα genēma 4x
natural produce, fruit, increase, Mt. 26:29; Mk. 14:25; Lk. 12:18; 22:18; 2 Cor. 9:10*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
γεννάω, -ῶ
(< γέννα, poët. for γένος), [in LXX chiefly for ילד ;]
of the father, to beget: c. acc., Mt 1:1-16, Ac 7:8, 29; seq. ἐκ, Mt 1:3, 5, 6.
Of the mother, to bring forth, bear: Lk 1:13, 57 23:29, Jo 16:21; εἰς δουλείαν, Ga 4:24. Pass. to be begotten: Mt 1:20;
to be born: Mt 2:1, 4 19:12 26:24, Mk 14:21, Lk 1:35, Jo 3:4, Ac 7:20, Ro 9:11, He 11:23; seq. εἰς, Jo 16:21 18:37, II Pe 2:12; ἐν, Ac 2:8 22:3, (ἁμαρτίαις), Jo 9:34; ἀπό, He 11:12 (WH, mg., ἐγεν-); ἐκ, Jo 1:13 3:6 8:41; c. adj., τυφλὸς γ., Jo 9:2; [Ῥωμαῖος ], Ac 22:28; κατὰ σάρκα: κ. πνεῦμα: Ga 4:29. Metaph.; μάχας, II Ti 2:23; ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα, I Co 4:15, (ὅν), Phm 10; in quotation, Ps 2:7 (LXX), Ac 13:33, He 1:5 5:5; of Christians as begotten of God, born again: Jo 1:13 3:3, 5-8, I Jo 2:29 3:9 4:7 5:1, 4, 18 (cf. ἀνα-γεννάω); (Cremer, 146).
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
γεννάω. P Fay 289 (A.p. 150-1) (= Selections, p. 82) ἀπογραφόμεθα τὸν γεννηθέντα ἡμεῖν ... υἱόν : the same formula in BGU I. 111} (ii/a.p.). Ῥ Gen I. 191 (Δ... 148) μηδέ[π]ω pov yevvyO(elons), 2. 3314 (ab. 156) γεννηθέντα [τ]ῷ ts (ἔτει) ᾿Αντω[νίνου] Καίσαρος, Sy// 406° (A.D. 147) συνησθέντες μοι γεννηθέντος υἱοῦ (of civic congratulations sent to Antoninus), C. avd B. ii. 590 (p. 656) Λούκιος γυν αι]κὶ ἰδίᾳ σεμνοτάτῃ, γεννηθείσῃ ἔτους Ῥξα (=a.p. 77), BGU I. 132 11:5 (ii/A.D.) Ἥρων ἄλλος vids μη(τρὸς) τῆς α(ὐτῆς) yevνηθ(είς). The confusion of forms from γίνομαι and forms from γεννάω, which gave a start to the mixing of γένημα and γέννημα, produces in BGU I. 28'® (Ἀν. 183) and riot (A.b. 138-9) the form γενηθέντα : see Deissmann 4S p. 154. With Mk 14%! cf. OGZS 45819 διὸ ἄν τις δικαίως ὑπολάβοι τοῦτο ἁτῶι ἀρχὴν τοῦ βίου Kal τῆς ζωῆς γεγονέναι, ὅ ἐστιν πέρας καὶ ὅρος τοῦ μεταμέλεσθαι, ὅτι γεγέννηται. In MGr γεννῶ = ‘‘beget,” ‘give birth to,” and of birds ““Ἰὰγν ἢ (eggs). The derivative ἐπιγέννησις, P Gen I. 3315 (A.p. 156) al., means a “birth subsequent to” (a census, etc.). For the noun γέννα, whence this verb is derived, cf. P Leid γέννα κόσμου.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
γεννάω (gennaō) — to beget. γενν-άω, future middle γεννήσομαι in passive sense, [Refs 1st c.BC+] (but -ηθήσομαι[Refs]: (γέννα):—causal of γίγνομαι (compare γείνομαι), mostly of the father, beget, ὁ γεννήσας πατήρ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ γεννήσαντές σε your parents, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὅθεν γεγενναμένοι sprung, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the mother, bring forth, bear, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, produce from oneself, create, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. produce, grow, get, κἂν σῶμα γεννήσῃ μέγα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. metaphorically, engender, produce, λήθη τῶν ἰδίων κακῶν θρασύτητα γεννᾷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; γεννῶσι τὸν οὐρανὸν [οἱ φιλόσοφοι] call it into existence, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ ἐξ ἀσωμάτου γεννῶν λόγος[Refs 3rd c.AD+]; of numbers, produce a total, [Refs 1st c.AD+]