γεννητός (gennētos)
gennētos
born
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective gennētos simply means "born" or "begotten." It serves as a straightforward descriptor for anyone who has come into existence through birth. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both times in parallel passages within the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Its most notable usage occurs when Jesus speaks about John the Baptist. In Matthew 11:11 and Luke 7:28, Jesus refers to John as one "born of a woman." This phrase acts as a periphrasis for all humanity, emphasizing that even the greatest prophet remains part of the human race, subject to the same natural origins as everyone else.
The term carries no hidden theological weight beyond its literal sense. It highlights the physical reality of human birth. By using this common word, the text grounds John’s significance in his shared humanity with all people.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gennētos simply means "born." It is a plain, honest term for anyone who has entered the world through natural birth. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, both times when Jesus speaks about John the Baptist. He calls John one "born of women," a phrase that marks him as fully human, sharing our common origins and limitations.
This reminder is deeply comforting. Even the greatest prophet among us was subject to the same physical reality as everyone else. Yet Jesus also notes that the least in the Kingdom is greater than he. This contrast shows that while we are all gennētos, our standing before God comes not from our birth, but from His grace. We are valued not for who we were born as, but for who we are becoming in Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- born1×
- [those] born1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- γεννητοῖς2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 11:11
Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
Jesus uses this term to ground John the Baptist’s humanity, showing that even the greatest prophet shares our common origin as those born of women.
-
Luke 7:28
“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”
The parallel account reinforces that John’s greatness lies in his role, yet his status as one born of women keeps him within the bounds of ordinary human experience.