γενετή (genetē)
genetē
birth
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun genetē means simply "birth." It is a rare word in the New Testament, appearing only once in John 9:1 to describe the man born blind. The text notes that he was blind "from birth" (ek genetēs), emphasizing that his condition was present from the very beginning of his life.
This term serves as an Ionian variant of the more common Greek word genē, which also means birth or generation. Its singular usage here highlights a specific point in time rather than a lineage or ancestry. Translators render it straightforwardly as "birth," capturing the literal fact that the man’s blindness was not acquired later but was his state from the start.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word genetē appears just once in the New Testament, found in John 9:1 where it describes a man who was blind from birth. This simple term anchors the story in a specific reality: the man’s condition was not something that happened to him later in life, but part of his existence from the very start.
When we encounter this word, we are reminded that some struggles are deep-rooted and long-standing. The Gospel does not shy away from these permanent-seeming hardships. Instead, it meets people exactly where they are, bringing light into situations that may have defined their entire lives. This offers comfort to anyone who feels their difficulties are too old or too fixed to ever change.
God’s work often begins in the midst of our most entrenched circumstances. The fact that this rare word highlights a lifelong condition shows that no situation is beyond the reach of divine grace. We can trust that He sees us in our deepest struggles and brings hope where there seems to be none.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- birth.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- γενετῆς.1×
Key Verses
-
John 9:1
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
This verse uses genetē to specify that the man’s blindness was a congenital condition present from his very beginning, setting the stage for Jesus’ demonstration of power over lifelong disability.