noun · feminine
geneas
Strong’sG1074
a generation
stem gene-43 times in the New Testamentin 8 of 27 books9 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
γενεά refers most often to a generation — the people alive at a given time, thought of together. It can mean the members of a family living at the same time 1, or, more broadly, all the people of a particular period, especially the Jewish people addressed in the Gospels 1; used this way it is often applied with a critical edge, to describe people alike in character, as in the phrase "faithless generation" 1. Strong's and Dodson likewise gloss the word simply as a generation 24.
The word also denotes an age in the sense of a stretch of time — the span covered by one generation's lifetime, used loosely of successive ages, as in phrases like "from generation to generation" or "for all generations" 12.
In wider Greek usage outside the Bible the word could also mean race, stock, or family — a line of descent or breed — but the New Testament expresses that sense with a different word instead 13.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
γενεά, -ᾶς, ἡ
(< γίγνομαι), [in LXX chiefly for דּוֹר, דֹּר (Cremer, 148);]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G1074 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidghen-eh-ah'
a generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons)
Fromfrom (a presumed derivative of) G1085;
King Jamesage, generation, nation, time.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Ionic dialect γενεή, ῆς, ἡ, Epic dialect dative γενεῆφι Refs 8th c.BC+: (γενέσθαι):
I of the persons in a family,
I.1 race, family, Πριάμου γ. Refs 8th c.BC+; γενεῇ ὑπέρτερος higher by birth or blood, Refsyounger in Refs 7th c.BC+; ταύτης εἶναι γ. καὶ αἵματος of this race and blood, Refs 8th c.BC+; γενεῇ by birthright, Refs 8th c.BC+; Αἰτωλὸς γενεήν by descent, Refs 8th c.BC+; γενεὴ ἔκ τινος descent from..,Refs 5th c.BC+; of horses, breed, stock, Refs 8th c.BC+ families, Refs 1st c.AD+; γενεὰν ποιεῖσθαι to have issue, Refs: hence, tribe, nation, Περσῶν γ., Τυρρηνῶν γ., Refs 5th c.BC+
I.2 race, generation, οἵηπερ φύλλων γ. τοιήδε καὶ ἀνδρῶν Refs 8th c.BC+; age, γ. ἀνθρωπηΐη the historical, opposed to to the mythical, age, Refs 5th c.BC+
I.3 offspring, Refs 8th c.BC+; of a single person, Τυροῦς γ. (i. e. Pelias) Refs 5th c.BC+
I.4 metaphorically, class, kind, τὸ σύμμετρον καὶ καλὸν καὶ ὁπόσα τῆς γ. ταύτης ἐστίν Refs 5th c.BC+
II of Time or Place,
II.1 birthplace, γ. ἐπὶ λίμνῃ Γυγαίῃ Refs 8th c.BC+; of an eagle's evrie, Refs
II.2 age, time of life, γενεῆφι νεώτατος Refs 8th c.BC+
II.3 after Refs 8th c.BC+, time of birth, ἐκ γενεῆς Refs 5th c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | geneas8×γενεὰ | geneais5×γενεαὶ |
| object accusative | genean4×γενεὰν | geneain3×γενεὰς |
| direct address vocative | genear3×γενεὰ | geneair |
| of, belonging to genitive | geneau10×γενεᾶς | geneaiu2×γενεῶν |
| to, for dative | genea6×γενεᾷ | geneai2×γενεαῖς |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
genea is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
43 occurrences, every one of them listed
geneas“generation”subjectnominative singular8×
Matthew 12:39tos de apokrinirantos legata autoi; Geneas ponēras kai moichalidas sēmem epizētatō, kai …Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will …
Matthew 16:4Geneas ponēras kai moichalidas sēmem epizētatō, kai …A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will …
Matthew 24:34… vi hoti ouk mē parerchateia tas geneas houtas heōs an panteim houteim geneteia.Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all …
Mark 8:12… te pneume autou legatō; Tinem tas geneas houtas zētatō sēmem? amēn legamō vi, …… spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell …
Mark 13:30… vi hoti ouk mē parerchateia tas geneas houtas mechris hou houteim panteim geneteia.Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all …
Luke 11:29“generation”… de ochloiu epathroizorōntoiu archeta legarō; Tas geneas houtas geneas ponēras atō; sēmem zētatō, …As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none …
Luke 11:29… epathroizorōntoiu archeta legarō; Tas geneas houtas geneas ponēras atō; sēmem zētatō, kai sēmem …… Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none …
Luke 21:32… vi hoti ouk mē parerchateia tas geneas houtas heōs an panteim geneteia.Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all …
genean“generation”objectaccusative singular4×
Matthew 11:16Tine de homoiami tan genean houtan? homoias atō paidiei kathorōntei en …To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in …
Matthew 23:36… vi, hēkati houteim panteim epi tan genean houtan.… these things will come upon this generation.
Luke 16:8“generation”… toin huioin teu fōteu eis tan genean tan heautoiu alō.… more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.
Acts 8:33“generation”… tapeinōsia tas krisias autou airita; tan genean autou tinos diēgeti? hoti airotō apo …In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
genear“generation”direct addressvocative singular3×
Matthew 17:17apokrinirantos de tos Iēsus legata; Ō genear apistar kai diastreforēntar, heōs pote meta …“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I …
Mark 9:19tos de apokrinirantos autoi legatō; Ō genear apistar, heōs pote pros vin emi? …“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I …
Luke 9:41apokrinirantos de tos Iēsus legata; Ō genear apistar kai diastreforēntar, heōs pote emi …“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I …
geneau“generation”of, belonging togenitive singular10×
Matthew 12:41… anastēeli en ta krisia meta tau geneau houtau kai katakrinali autan; hoti metanoala …… stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented …
Matthew 12:42… egeriti en ta krisia meta tau geneau houtau kai katakrinati autan; hoti erchata …… rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came …
Luke 7:31Tine oun homoiami toin anthrōpoin tau geneau houtau, kai tine alō homoiois?… I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?
Luke 11:31… ta krisia meta toiu androiu tau geneau houtau kai katakrinati autoin; hoti erchata …… judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came …
Luke 11:32… anastēeli en ta krisia meta tau geneau houtau kai katakrinali autan; hoti metanoala …… stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented …
Luke 11:50… ekchorēntem apo katabolau kosmou apo tau geneau houtau,As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood …
Luke 11:51… nai, legamō vi, ekzētiti apo tau geneau houtau.… it will be charged to this generation.
Luke 17:25… polleim paschara kai apodokimazira apo tau geneau houtau.… things and be rejected by this generation.
Acts 2:40… parakalate autoin legarōntos; Sōzivar apo tau geneau tau skoliau houtau.… them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”
Philippians 2:15… kai akeraiois, tekneim theou amōmeim mesem geneau skoliau kai diastreforēntau, en hoi fanovō …… fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights …
genea“generation”to, fordative singular6×
Matthew 12:45… teiu prōteiu. houtōs eti kai ta genea houta ta ponēra.… will it be with this wicked generation.”
Mark 8:12… amēn legamō vi, ei dōiti ta genea houta sēmem.… sign will be given to this generation.”
Mark 8:38… kai toin ēmoin logoin en ta genea houta ta moichalida kai hamartōla, kai …… words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also …
Luke 11:30… kai tos huios tou anthrōpou ta genea houta.… will be a sign to this generation.
Acts 13:36David men gar idia genea hupēretarantos ta tou theou boula koimita …… served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was …
Hebrews 3:10tesserakonta eteim; dio prosochthizama ta genea houta kai legama; Aei planolō ta …Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are …
geneais“generations”subjectnominative plural5×
Matthew 1:17“generations”Pantais oun tais geneais apo Abraam heōs David geneais dekatessares, …In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to …
Matthew 1:17… tais geneais apo Abraam heōs David geneais dekatessares, kai apo David heōs tau …In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from …
Matthew 1:17“generations”… apo David heōs tau metoikesiau Babulōnau geneais dekatessares, kai apo tau metoikesiau Babulōnau …… fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Matthew 1:17“generations”… tau metoikesiau Babulōnau heōs tou christou geneais dekatessares.… to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
Luke 1:48… tou nun makarizali min pantais tais geneais;… His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.
geneain“generation”objectaccusative plural3×
Luke 1:50kai tem elesem autou eis geneain kai geneain toi foborōntoi auton.… to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50… tem elesem autou eis geneain kai geneain toi foborōntoi auton.… who fear Him, from generation to generation.
Ephesians 3:21… en Christo Iēso eis pantain tain geneain tou aiōnou toiu aiōnoiu; amēn.… and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
geneaiu“generations”of, belonging togenitive plural2×
Acts 15:21“generations”Mōusos gar ek geneaiu archaiaiu kata polan toin kērussarōntoin auton …For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and …
Colossians 1:26… apo toiu aiōnoiu kai apo taiu geneaiu, nun de fanerita toi hagioi autou,… that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His …
geneai“generations”to, fordative plural2×
Acts 14:16hos en tai paroichorēntai geneai easata panteim teim ethneim poreuorō tai …In past generations, He let all nations go their …
Ephesians 3:5hem heterai geneai ouk gnōrizita toi huioi toiu anthrōpoiu …… made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed …