γενεαλογέω
genealogéō
G1075 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To recount or trace descent, to record or reckon the lineage of individuals or groups by generations. Primary meaning: to lay out a genealogy or to trace family lines, either for documentary or rhetorical purposes. In biblical contexts, especially the New Testament and Septuagint, it involves the systematic enumeration or construction of ancestral lines, often to establish legitimacy, inheritance, or ethnic identity. The term can be used in reference to either formal written pedigrees or oral recitation of ancestry.
Semantic Range
to enumerate ancestral lines, to draw up or compose a genealogy, to calculate descent, to count by generations, to recite or record family lineage
Root / Etymology
Compound formed from γενεά ('generation, family, descent') and the verb suffix derived from λέγω ('to say, recount, narrate'), with influence from λόγος ('word, statement, account'). It means 'to make a genealogy.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
γενεαλογέω is a rare verb that appears infrequently in extant Greek literature. It occurs in the New Testament only in the passive participle (Matthew 1:17), describing the organization of the ancestry of key figures (e.g., David, Abraham, the Messiah). The verb is directly connected to the practice of genealogical enumeration, important in Israelite and Judean contexts for purposes such as tribal affiliation, levitical purity, inheritance, and fulfillment of prophetic expectation. In classical and Hellenistic Greek, the verb is scarcely attested, with the practice more often described by nouns (e.g., γενεαλογία, stemmata). English translations like 'to reckon by descent' or 'to trace genealogy' are accurate for the biblical usage but the verb's technical and formulaic aspect may be missed. Related terms include γενεαλογία (the noun, 'genealogy') and διαγράφω ('to record, write down').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from γενεά and λόγος; to reckon by generations, i.e. trace in genealogy:--count by descent.
Root Family
γενεαλογέω (genealogeō) — to trace descent, to recount generations, to record genealogy
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1075-01 |
γενεαλογούμενος | genealogoumenos | V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG |
whose genealogy is traced | being recorded by genealogy | being recorded by genealogy | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1075-01 |
Hebrews 7:6 | γενεαλογούμενος | genealogoumenos | V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG |
whose genealogy is traced | being recorded by genealogy | being recorded by genealogy |