συγγένεια (sungeneia)
sungeneia
kindred
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun suggeneia refers to kinship or the collective body of one’s relatives. Derived from the adjective suggenes, meaning "of the same tribe" or "related," it describes the bond of family ties. In the New Testament, this term appears only three times, all within the writings of Luke and Acts.
Its usage highlights personal connection rather than abstract relationship. For instance, in Luke 1:61, neighbors and relatives gather to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, illustrating a social circle bound by blood or marriage. Similarly, Stephen uses the word in Acts 7:3 and 14 when recounting how Jacob’s family moved to Egypt, emphasizing the physical descent and group identity of the patriarchs.
This term often translates the Hebrew mishpachah in the Septuagint, reinforcing its sense of a specific clan or household. It points to the tangible network of people who share ancestry, grounding biblical narratives in the reality of extended family structures that defined ancient social life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word suggeneia points to the tangible reality of family ties, reminding us that we are never truly isolated from one another. In the ancient world, kinship defined social identity and support networks. When neighbors gathered in Luke 1:61 to celebrate John’s birth, they were acting out a deep-seated cultural duty to care for their own. This word grounds our faith in community, showing that God often works through the people closest to us.
Even when God calls us away from our biological roots, as He did with Abraham in Acts 7:3, the bond of suggeneia remains significant. It is not dismissed but reoriented. The movement of Jacob’s family to Egypt in Acts 7:14 shows how these family units carried their identity across generations. For you, this means your relationships matter deeply to God. He values the connections you have and invites you to honor them while keeping your ultimate allegiance with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- kindred2×
- relatives1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- συγγενείας2×
- συγγένειαν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 1:61
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
This verse highlights how relatives actively participate in naming and blessing, showing kinship as a social circle bound by shared identity.
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Acts 7:3
and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’
Here the word marks the place Abraham must leave behind, emphasizing that physical family ties can be set aside for divine calling.
-
Acts 7:14
Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.
Stephen uses this term to quantify Jacob’s entire household moving to Egypt, underscoring the collective nature of ancestral descent.