noun · neuter
teknem
Strong’sG5043
a child, descendent, inhabitant
stem tekn-99 times in the New Testamentin 23 of 27 books6 of 6 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
τέκνον means a child — offspring produced or born to a parent, of either sex 124. In a wider sense it can mean descendants or posterity generally, following a Hebrew idiom, and can also refer specifically to a male child 1. Used in the vocative, it serves as a warm form of address from an elder to a younger person or from a teacher to a disciple — "my child" 13.
By extension, the word is used of the inhabitants of a city or place 14.
It is also used metaphorically for those regarded as someone's spiritual offspring: of disciples, of those who imitate another and are counted as that person's spiritual children, and of believers as children of God 1. It also appears in set phrases built on a following genitive, such as "children of light," "children of obedience," "children of wrath," or "children of the curse," describing people characterized by that quality 1.
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
τέκνον, -ου, τό
(< τίκτω), [in LXX chiefly for בֵּן, also for יֶלֶד, etc.;]
SYN.: v.s. παῖς.
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G5043 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidtek'-non
a child (as produced)
Fromfrom the base of G5098;
King Jameschild, daughter, son.
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
(τίκτω,--οὐκ ἔστι μήτηρ ἡ κεκλημένου τέκνου τοκεύς, τροφὸς δὲ.. Refs 4th c.BC+, child, ἄλοχοι καὶ νήπια τέκνα Refs 8th c.BC+; γυναῖκες καὶ τ. Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.: the singular is used by Refs 8th c.BC+ only in vocative, as a form of address from elders to their youngers, my son, my child, sometimes with masculine adjective, φίλε τέκνον Refs 8th c.BC+: the relative pronoun or Participle sometimes follows in masculine or feminine, Refs 5th c.BC+:—the word is used in Prose at Cyrene, Refs 4th c.BC+ in Attic dialect Prose, LXX+5th c.BC+; rare in Comedy texts except in paratragoedic passages, Refs 5th c.BC+; in Trag. it is generally used with especially reference to the mother, ὦ τέκνον Νηρῇδος, ὦ παῖ Πηλέως Refs 5th c.BC+; Ἀγαμέμνονος παῖ (sic codices) καὶ Κλυταιμήστρας τέκνον Refs
2 of animals,young, Refs 8th c.BC+
3 metaphorically, flowers are γαίας τέκνα Refs 5th c.BC+; frogs λιμναῖα κρηνῶν τ. Refs 5th c.BC+ [The penultimate is long in Refs 8th c.BC+; it is occasionally long in Trag.(e.g. Refs 5th c.BC+, but much more frequently short, as always in old Comedy texts, e.g.Refs 5th c.BC+, except in mock Tragic passages, e.g.Refs 5th c.BC+; but sometimes long in later Comedy texts, Refs 4th 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 or object direct | teknem4×τέκνον | tekneim26×τέκνα |
| of, belonging to genitive | tekneu2×τέκνου | tekneiu7×τέκνων |
| to, for dative | tekne3×τέκνῳ | teknei8×τέκνοις |
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
tekne 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.
99 occurrences, every one of them listed
teknem“child”subject or objectdirect singular4×
Luke 1:7“child”kai ouk ate autoi teknem, kathoti ate tas Elisabet steiras, kai …But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were …
1 Corinthians 4:17… pempama vi Timotheon, hos atō mu teknem agapētem kai pistem en kurio, hos …… you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind …
Philippians 2:22“son”… dokiman autou gnōskavō, hoti hōs patro teknem sun mi douleuata eis tem euangeliem.But you know Timothy’s proven worth, that as a child with his father he has served with me to advance the gospel.
Revelation 12:5… en rabda sidēroua; kai harpazita tem teknem autau pros ton theon kai pros …… with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and …
tekneu“child”of, belonging togenitive singular2×
Acts 7:5… autou meta auton, ouk arōnteu auto tekneu.… he did not yet have a child.
Philemon 1:10parakalamō sin peri teu ēmeu tekneu, hon gennama en toi desmoi Onēsimon,I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while …
tekne“child”to, fordative singular3×
1 Timothy 1:2Timotheo gnēsie tekne en pistia; charitas, elesem, eirēnas apo …To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and …
2 Timothy 1:2“son”Timotheo agapēte tekne; charitas, elesem, eirēnas apo theou patrou …To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ …
Titus 1:4Tito gnēsie tekne kata koinan pistian; charitas kai eirēnas …To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and …
tekneim“children”subject or objectdirect plural26×
Matthew 10:21… thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim epi gonevoin kai thanatali autoin.… death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and …
Mark 13:12… thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim epi gonevoin kai thanatali autoin;… death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents and …
John 8:39… atō. legatō autoi tos Iēsus; Ei tekneim tou Abraam avō, teim ergeim tou …… father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would …
Romans 8:16… summarturatō te pneume nu hoti anō tekneim theou.… our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:17ei de tekneim, kai klēronomois; klēronomois men theou, sunklēronomois …And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of …
Romans 9:7oude hoti alō spermem Abraam, pantois tekneim, alla; En Isaak kaliti si spermem.… Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your …
Romans 9:8houtem atō, ouk teim tekneim tau sarkau houteim tekneim tou theou, …So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s …
Romans 9:8… ouk teim tekneim tau sarkau houteim tekneim tou theou, alla teim tekneim tau …… of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of …
Romans 9:8… houteim tekneim tou theou, alla teim tekneim tau epangeliau logizotō eis spermem;… God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded …
1 Corinthians 7:14… en to adelfo; epei ara teim tekneim vu akatharteim atō, nun de hagieim …… through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they …
2 Corinthians 12:14… alla vin, ouk gar ofeilatō teim tekneim toi gonevoi thēsaurizarō, alla tois gonevois …… seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up …
Galatians 4:27… tas ouk ōdinarōntar; hoti polleim teim tekneim tau erēmau mallon ē tau echarōntau …… never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of …
Galatians 4:28vis de, adelfoir, kata Isaak epangeliau tekneim avō;Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Galatians 4:31dio, adelfoir, ouk anō paidiskau tekneim alla tau eleutherau.Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of …
Ephesians 2:3… sarkau kai taiu dianoiaiu, kai one tekneim fusia orgau hōs kai tois loipois;… the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
Ephesians 5:1genovōr oun mimētois tou theou, hōs tekneim agapēteim,… imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,
Ephesians 5:8… nun de fōtem en kurio; hōs tekneim fōteu peripatavōr,… light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
Philippians 2:15hina geneveia amemptois kai akeraiois, tekneim theou amōmeim mesem geneau skoliau kai …… you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a …
1 Peter 1:14hōs tekneim hupakoau, mē suschēmatizorōntois tai proterem en …As obedient children, do not conform to the passions …
1 Peter 3:6… Abraam, kurion auton kalarōntas; hau geniva tekneim agathopoiarōntais kai mē foborōntais mēdenan ptoēsian.… him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right …
2 Peter 2:14… astēriktain, kardian gumnazorēntan pleonexiau echarōntois, katarau tekneim,… seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
1 John 3:1… agapan dōatē ni tos patros hina tekneim theou kalineia, kai anō. dia houtem …… us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what …
1 John 3:2agapētoir, nun tekneim theou anō, kai oupō fanerita tinem …Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will …
1 John 3:10en houte fanereim atō teim tekneim tou theou kai teim tekneim tou …… of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does …
1 John 3:10… teim tekneim tou theou kai teim tekneim tou diabolou; pantos tos mē poiarōntos …By this the children of God are distinguished from the …
2 John 1:13Aspazotō sin teim tekneim tau adelfau su tau eklektau.The children of your elect sister send you …
tekneiu“children”of, belonging togenitive plural7×
Matthew 15:26… atō kalem labara ton arton teiu tekneiu kai balara tei kunariei.… is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the …
Mark 7:27… kalem atō labara ton arton teiu tekneiu kai tei kunariei balara.… is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the …
Luke 7:35… dikaiita tas sofias apo panteiu teiu tekneiu autau.… wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Romans 8:21… eis tan eleutherian tau doxau teiu tekneiu tou theou.… into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Galatians 4:25… nun Ierousalēm, douleuatō gar meta teiu tekneiu autau;… she is in slavery with her children.
1 Timothy 3:12diakonois alōr henau gunaikau androis, tekneiu kalōs prostēorōntois kai toiu idioiu oikoiu;… wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household.
2 John 1:4Chairima liōs hoti heuriskamē ek teiu tekneiu su peripatarōntoin en alētheia, kathōs entolan …… overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as …
teknei“children”to, fordative plural8×
Matthew 7:11… arōntois oidavē domeim agatheim dōarō tei teknei vu, pose mallon tos patros vu …… to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father …
Luke 11:13… huparcharōntois oidavē domeim agatheim dōarō tei teknei vu, pose mallon tos patros tos …… to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father …
Acts 2:39… gar atō tas epangelias kai tei teknei vu kai pantoi toi eis makran …… promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far …
Acts 13:33hoti houtan tos theos ekplēratē tei teknei nu anastēarantos Iēsun, hōs kai en …He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it …
Acts 21:5… propemparōntoiu nin pantoiu sun gunaikai kai teknei heōs exō tau polau, kai titharantois …… the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city …
2 Corinthians 6:13tan de autan antimisthian, hōs teknei legamō, platunivar kai vis.… exchange— I speak as to my children— open wide your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 12:14… gonevoi thēsaurizarō, alla tois gonevois tei teknei.… their parents, but parents for their children.
2 John 1:1Tos presbuteros eklekta kuria kai tei teknei autau, hoin mis agapamō en alētheia, …… To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth …
tekneim36×
Matthew 2:18… kai odurmos pollos; Rachēl klaiarōntas teim tekneim autau, kai ouk thelate parakalira hoti …… great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because …
Matthew 3:9… theos ek toiu lithoiu houtoiu egerara tekneim to Abraam.… these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Matthew 18:25… pipraskira kai tan gunaikan kai teim tekneim kai panteim hoseim echatō kai apodōira.… debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
Matthew 19:29… patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim ē agroin heneken teu onomeu mu, …… father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of …
Matthew 21:28Tinem de vi dokatō? anthrōpos echate tekneim duo. prosercharantos te prōte legata; Teknem, …… was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one …
Matthew 22:24… legata; Ean tinos apothnēskateia mē echarōntos tekneim, epigambreuati tos adelfos autou tan gunaikan …… if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the …
Matthew 23:37… pros autan posakis thelama episunagara teim tekneim su, hon tropon ornias episunagatō teim …… I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her …
Matthew 27:25… autou epi nin kai epi teim tekneim nu.… be on us and on our children!”
Mark 7:27… legate auta; Afiēkasar prōtem chortazira teim tekneim, ouk gar kalem atō labara ton …“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For …
Mark 10:29… adelfain ē mētēran ē patron ē tekneim ē agroin heneken mu kai heneken …… sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and …
Mark 10:30… adelfoin kai adelfain kai mētērain kai tekneim kai agroin meta diōgmoiu, kai en …… brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions — and …
Luke 1:17… dunamia Ēliaou, epistrefara kardiain patroiu epi tekneim kai apeithoin en fronēsia dikaioiu, hetoimazara …… hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom …
Luke 3:8… theos ek toiu lithoiu houtoiu egerara tekneim to Abraam.… these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 13:34… pros autan posakis thelama episunagara teim tekneim su hon tropon ornias tan heautau …… I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her …
Luke 14:26… mētēran kai tan gunaikan kai teim tekneim kai toin adelfoin kai tain adelfain, …… father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters — yes, even …
Luke 18:29… gunaikan ē adelfoin ē gonevoin ē tekneim heneken tau basileiau tou theou,… wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom …
Luke 19:44kai edafizali sin kai teim tekneim su en si, kai ouk afiēkali …… to the ground — you and the children within your walls. They will not …
Luke 20:31… de kai tois hepta ouk kataleipala tekneim kai apothnēskala;… way all seven died, leaving no children.
Luke 23:28… epi heautain klaiavōr kai epi teim tekneim vu,… weep for yourselves and for your children.
John 1:12… de labala auton, dōata autoi exousian tekneim theou genera, toi pisteuarōntoi eis tem …… He gave the right to become children of God —
John 11:52… ethneu monem, alla hina kai teim tekneim tou theou teim diaskorpizorēnteim sunagateia eis …… nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together …
Acts 21:21… Ioudaioin, legarōntos mē peritemarō autoin teim tekneim mēde tei ethei peripatarō.… telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs.
1 Corinthians 4:14… entraparōntos vin grafamō houteim, alla hōs tekneim mu agapēteim nouthetarōntos;… to warn you as my beloved children.
Ephesians 6:4Kai tois patroir, mē parorgizavōr teim tekneim vu, alla ektrefavōr auteim en paideia …Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up …
Colossians 3:21tois patroir, mē erethizavōr teim tekneim vu, hina mē athumaleiō.Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
1 Thessalonians 2:7… hōs ean trofas thalpateiō teim heautau tekneim;… a nursing mother caring for her children.
1 Thessalonians 2:11… hōs henon hekaston vu hōs patros tekneim heautou… as a father treats his own children—
1 Timothy 3:4tou idiou oikou kalōs prostēorōnton, tekneim echarōnton en hupotaga meta pantau semnotau;… own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.
1 Timothy 5:4ei de tinas chēras tekneim ē ekgoneim echatō, mathalōr prōton ton …But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn …
Titus 1:6… tinos atō anenklētos, henau gunaikau andros, tekneim echarōntos pisteim, mē en katēgoria asōtiau …… husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are …
1 John 5:2en houte gnōskanō hoti agapanō teim tekneim tou theou, hotan ton theon agapaneiō …… we know that we love the children of God: when we love God …
3 John 1:4… echamō charan, hina akouameiō teim ēmeim tekneim en ta alētheia peripatarōnteim.… joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Revelation 2:23kai teim tekneim autau apoktenami en thanato; kai gnōskeli …Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will …
Galatians 4:19tekneim mu, hoin palin ōdinamō mechris hou …My children, for whom I am again in …
Ephesians 6:1Teim tekneim, hupakouavōr toi gonevoi vu en kurio, …Children, obey your parents in the Lord …
Colossians 3:20Teim tekneim, hupakouavōr toi gonevoi kata panteim, houtem …Children, obey your parents in everything, for …
teknem7×
Matthew 9:2… pistian autoiu legata to paralutiko; Tharsasōr, teknem; afiēkolō su tais hamartais.… said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
1 Timothy 1:18“son”Houtan tan parangelian paratithomō si, teknem Timotheor, kata tain proagarōntain epi sin …Timothy, my child, I entrust you with this command in keeping with the previous prophecies about you, so that …
2 Timothy 2:1“son”Sis oun, teknem mu, endunamosōr en ta charita ta …You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in …
Matthew 10:21… adelfos adelfon eis thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim epi gonevoin kai …… to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents …
Mark 12:19“child”… kai kataleipateia gunaikan kai mē afiēkateia teknem, hina labateia tos adelfos autou tan …… brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow …
Mark 13:12… adelfos adelfon eis thanaton kai patros teknem, kai epanastēeli tekneim epi gonevoin kai …… to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against their parents …
Revelation 12:4… mellarōntau tiktara, hina hotan tiktateia tem teknem autau katesthiateia.… give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth.
Teknem5×
Matthew 21:28… tekneim duo. prosercharantos te prōte legata; Teknem, hupagasōr sēmeron ergazosōr en to ampelōno.… to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the …
Mark 2:5… tan pistian autoiu legatō to paralutiko; Teknem, afiēkolō su tais hamartais.… faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 2:48“son”… legata pros auton tas mētēras autou; Teknem, tinem poiasa ni houtōs? idou tos …… astonished. “Child, why have You done this to us?” His mother asked. “Your …
Luke 15:31tos de legata auto; Teknem, sis pantote meta mu asō, kai …‘Son, you are always with me,’ the …
Luke 16:25legata de Abraam; Teknem, mimnēskisar hoti apolabasa teim agatheim su …But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you …
Tekneim1×
Mark 10:24… de Iēsus palin apokrinirantos legatō autoi; Tekneim, pōs duskolem atō eis tan basileian …… But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter …