γείτων (G1069) — Greek Lexicon

γείτων

geítōn

G1069 noun

SILEX Entry

Root γειτ- to be near, to adjoin, to be a neighbor

Definition

A person who lives near or adjacent to another, specifically a neighbor or someone dwelling in proximity; by extension, someone closely associated due to residence or locality. Usage includes both literal spatial adjacency (a person whose dwelling shares a boundary or is nearby) and, less commonly, a fellow inhabitant of a shared area (e.g., village, city).

Semantic Range

neighbor, adjoining resident, nearby inhabitant; fellow local, neighbor in a village or city

Root / Etymology

From the noun γῆ ('earth, land, ground') combined with the relational suffix -των, indicating a person related by locality; literally, 'one of the land' or 'one of shared ground.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, γείτων primarily denotes a literal neighbor—someone living nearby or next door. The term highlights spatial proximity rather than social or ethnic association. It is attested in classical authors (e.g., Homer, Herodotus), often describing domestic or agricultural neighbors. In the Septuagint and New Testament (Luke 14:12; Luke 15:6, 9), it retains its concrete sense of a local neighbor and is not typically loaded with broader social or metaphorical nuances found in terms like πλησίον. English translations as 'neighbor' generally capture the literal sense, though γείτων is less broad than πλησίον, which may also denote moral or social proximity regardless of physical nearness. There is no inherent implication of friendship, kinship, or religious connection in γείτων; its central meaning is rooted in adjacency or locality.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from γῆ; a neighbour (as adjoining one's ground); by implication, a friend:--neighbour.

Root Family

γείτων (geitōn) — neighbor, adjoining resident, nearby inhabitant, one of shared ground

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1069-01`	γείτονας	geitonas	`N ACC M PL`	neighbors	adjoining neighbors	neighbors	3
`G1069-02`	γείτονες	geitones	`N NOM M PL`	neighbors	adjoining residents	neighbors	1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1069-01`	Luke 14:12	γείτονας	geitonas	`N ACC M PL`	neighbors	adjoining neighbors	neighbors
`G1069-01`	Luke 15:6	γείτονας	geitonas	`N ACC M PL`	neighbors	adjoining neighbors	neighbors
`G1069-01`	Luke 15:9	γείτονας	geitonas	`N ACC F PL`	neighbors	adjoining neighbors	neighbors
`G1069-02`	John 9:8	γείτονες	geitones	`N NOM M PL`	neighbors	adjoining residents	neighbors

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