Exploring the Meaning of Gennao in Greek

γεννάω means “to beget.” In the passages cited here, it appears in the structured genealogy that opens Matthew, where the verb marks each link of descent from Abraham through the post-exilic line.

Occurrences

Matthew 1:2: “Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.”

Here γεννάω supplies the repeating action that builds a chain of ancestry. Each short clause (“became the father of”) is a discrete begetting that moves the line forward from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, then to Judah; the final phrase “and his brothers” widens the immediate family around Judah while still keeping the begetting verb focused on the named ancestor-to-son succession.

Matthew 1:3: “Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.”

The verb continues the genealogical rhythm, but the verse also shows how Matthew can attach family particulars to a begetting statement. “By Tamar” anchors Perez and Zerah’s begetting in a specific maternal connection, while the subsequent clauses return to the pared-down pattern that drives the line onward: Perez → Hezron → Ram.

Matthew 1:4: “Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.”

γεννάω functions here as a formal connector across three generations. The verse’s content is almost entirely the verb’s repeated assertion of descent: it does not describe events of birth or upbringing, but simply establishes the relational fact that one named man begets the next named man.

Matthew 1:5: “Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.”

The begetting formula persists, and the added phrases “by Rahab” and “by Ruth” again place particular mothers alongside the paternal begetting statement. In this way γεννάω is not only a biological claim but a literary device for stitching the line together with occasional identifying details, moving from Salmon to Boaz to Obed to Jesse.

Matthew 1:6: “Jesse became the father of King David. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.”

This occurrence shows how γεννάω can carry both straightforward lineage and a heightened narrative weight in a genealogy. “Jesse became the father of King David” uses the begetting verb to introduce a figure marked by title. The next clause keeps the same verb but expands the identifying note: “by her who had been Uriah’s wife,” a relational description that situates Solomon’s begetting within a remembered marital context while the genealogy continues its descent.

Matthew 1:7: “Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.”

γεννάω resumes its steady cadence without added qualifiers. The verse demonstrates the genealogy’s method: the verb repeatedly asserts the begetting link as the primary information, with the named individuals functioning as anchors in a continuous line.

Matthew 1:8: “Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.”

Here the verb continues to mark successive descent across three generations. Because each clause is parallel in structure, γεννάω is the engine of progression: it creates movement by turning a list of names into a sequence of father-to-son transitions.

Matthew 1:9: “Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.”

As in the surrounding verses, γεννάω is used to state lineage succinctly. The verse’s repeated “became the father of” keeps attention on continuity—each begetting statement serves as a link that depends on the previous one and prepares for the next.

Matthew 1:10: “Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.”

These clauses show γεννάω operating in a simple, cumulative way: begetting is presented as an ordered chain, and the genealogy advances by repeating the same verbal assertion. The verb’s contribution is to convert a historical sequence into a familial line of descent.

Matthew 1:11: “Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon.”

This occurrence pairs the begetting verb with a time marker. γεννάω still performs the genealogical function (“Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers”), but the clause “at the time of the exile to Babylon” frames that begetting within a remembered historical period, making the begetting statement a hinge between family lineage and a larger communal disruption.

Matthew 1:12: “After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.”

γεννάω here begins the post-exile continuation of the line. The temporal phrase “After the exile to Babylon” sets the stage, and the verb then carries the same genealogical force as before, asserting that the line persists through successive begettings: Jechoniah → Shealtiel → Zerubbabel.

Matthew 1:13: “Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.”

The final cited verse continues the pattern with three more begetting links. γεννάω remains the organizing verb that keeps the genealogy moving forward, presenting descent as a sequence of begettings that connect each named figure to the next.

Sense and Usage

Across these verses γεννάω functions as the fixed verbal spine of a genealogy: it states who stands in a fathering relationship to whom, and it does so in a way that is designed for repetition. The form “became the father of” is concise and formulaic, allowing Matthew to pile up generations without pausing for narrative development; the result is an ordered line where each person’s primary role in the sentence is to be the begetter of the next.

Within that formula, the passages show two recurring ways the begetting statement can be expanded. First, maternal or marital identifiers can be attached (“by Tamar,” “by Rahab,” “by Ruth,” “by her who had been Uriah’s wife”), which grounds the begetting in recognizable family relationships while leaving the verb’s genealogical function intact. Second, a begetting clause may be situated within a time reference (“at the time of the exile to Babylon,” “After the exile to Babylon”), using the same fathering link to bridge a family line across a significant historical boundary. In both cases, γεννάω remains the decisive predicate: the added details qualify the begetting without replacing it as the sentence’s main assertion.

The sequence also illustrates how the genealogy balances individual and collective reference. Sometimes the begetting focuses on one named successor (“Abraham … Isaac”), while in other places it pairs a principal heir with a broader sibling group (“Judah and his brothers”; “Jechoniah and his brothers”). Even there, the begetting verb continues to drive the lineage forward by highlighting the principal generational transfer, with the mention of brothers providing family context around the central line.

Genealogical Imagery

In these verses γεννάω evokes continuity through repeated transitions: one generation gives rise to the next, and the line proceeds through names linked by the same brief statement. The occasional insertion of mothers’ names and the markers of exile give the chain texture—family descent is portrayed not as an abstract list but as a succession that moves through particular relationships and through a remembered time of displacement and return.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).