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γενεά

geneá

G1074 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A group of people related by birth, descent, or shared ancestry; those forming a single step in a genealogical lineage (generation). By extension, refers to a contemporaneous group or cohort, often distinguished by age but sometimes by shared characteristics or actions. The term can also refer to the span or duration of a generational period, and occasionally, in a more extended sense, to an entire epoch or age.

Semantic Range

generation (genealogical or contemporary group), step in lineage, group of contemporaries, generation as a period of time, age (era or epoch), group characterized by specific traits

Root / Etymology

From the root γεν- (relating to birth, origin) and related to the noun γένος ('race, stock, kind, family').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, γενεά typically refers to a genealogical generation, as in one degree of descent (e.g., 'the next generation'), or the people living at the same time. In the Hellenistic and Septuagint usages, it can denote both a literal generation of descendants and, more broadly, a category or age by shared lineage or moral character. In the New Testament, it appears both for the physical generation (e.g., those born within a certain period) and metaphorically, for people defined by attitudes or behaviors (e.g., 'a wicked generation'). English Bible translations often render γενεά as 'generation,' but sometimes also as 'age' or 'people,' depending on the context. It does not in itself denote 'nation' in the sense of a geopolitical entity, though it may sometimes refer to an ethnically or religiously defined group. The semantic boundary between γενεά and related terms like γένος ('family, race') and αἰών ('age, epoch') is fluid; γενεά focuses on a lineage-segment or contemporaneous cohort, rather than a nation or entire historical period. The term is critical in passages discussing collective responsibility, continuity, or divine interaction with a defined group over time.

Translation Consistency

primary "generation" 42 occurrences

Most natural and common English rendering covering the primary senses: a genealogical step, a contemporaneous cohort, or a span/era. It matches the majority of occurrences in existing renderings and allows regular plural/possessive inflection (generations, generation’s) to cover the full semantic range while preserving consistency and readability.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"this" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (a presumed derivative of) γένος; a generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons):--age, generation, nation, time.

Root Family

γενεά (genea) — begetting, lineage-step, generation, age-group

Root γεν- to beget, produce, originate, bear offspring

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1074-01 γενεὰ genea N NOM F SG generation generation generation 17
G1074-05 γενεᾶς geneas N GEN F SG generation of a generation generation 13
G1074-02 γενεαὶ geneai N NOM F PL generations generations generations 5
G1074-04 γενεὰν genean N ACC F SG generation a generation generation 4
G1074-06 γενεῶν geneon N GEN F PL generations of generations generations 2
G1074-03 γενεαῖς geneais N DAT F PL generations to the generations generations 2

Occurrences in Scripture

43 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1074-02 Matthew 1:17 γενεαὶ geneai N NOM F PL generations generations generations
G1074-02 Matthew 1:17 γενεαὶ geneai-2 N NOM F PL generations generations generations
G1074-02 Matthew 1:17 γενεαὶ geneai-3 N NOM F PL generations generations generations
G1074-02 Matthew 1:17 γενεαὶ geneai-4 N NOM F PL generations generations generations
G1074-04 Matthew 11:16 γενεὰν genean N ACC F SG generation a generation generation
G1074-01 Matthew 12:39 γενεὰ genea N NOM F SG generation generation generation
G1074-05 Matthew 12:41 γενεᾶς geneas N GEN F SG generation of a generation generation
G1074-05 Matthew 12:42 γενεᾶς geneas N GEN F SG generation of a generation generation
G1074-01 Matthew 12:45 γενεᾷ genea N DAT F SG generation generation generation
G1074-01 Matthew 16:4 γενεὰ genea N NOM F SG generation generation generation
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