ᾠόν (ōon)
ōon
an egg
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun ōon refers simply to an egg. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Luke 11:12, where Jesus uses it as part of a rhetorical question about parental care.
In this context, the word highlights the absurdity of a father giving his child a snake instead of food or an egg. The image relies on the universal understanding that an egg is a basic, harmless gift from a parent to a young one. This single usage underscores the reliability of God’s provision by contrasting it with human failings.
The term has no complex theological baggage or debated nuances. It serves as a concrete, everyday object in Jesus’ teaching, grounding spiritual truths in familiar domestic life. Its brevity in Scripture reflects its role as a simple illustrative prop rather than a subject of doctrinal study.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Jesus mentions an egg in Luke 11:12, He uses a simple household item to teach about God’s character. In that culture, an egg was a basic, harmless gift from a parent to a child. It represented safety and nourishment, nothing dangerous or surprising.
This image helps us see how much more our Heavenly Father cares for us than any human parent. If earthly fathers know to give good gifts like food or eggs instead of harm, God’s provision is even more reliable. You can trust that He gives what is truly good for your life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- an egg,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ᾠόν,1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 11:12
Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he?
This verse uses the egg to illustrate the absurdity of a father giving a scorpion instead of a harmless, nourishing gift.