Lexicon
γένος
genos
G1085G
G:N-N Greek

family: descendant

20
Occurrences
9
Books
Greek
Language

genos denotes a lineage or people defined by descent, and in some contexts a kind or class of things.

The dominant usage marks descent, family, ethnic identity, or a people-group, whether identifying individuals by ancestry or speaking of offspring and descendants. A smaller cluster uses the plural for kinds or classes, including tongues and voices, and a singular instance identifies a particular kind that cannot be expelled except by prayer.

Senses in use

  1. Lineage, descent, or people-group · dominant

    In Acts 13:26 the genitive singular occurs in the address to those identified with Abraham’s family, while Acts 18:24 uses the dative singular in identifying Apollos by descent. In Acts 17:28 and Acts 17:29, the nominative singular frames people as God’s offspring; Revelation 22:16 similarly includes David’s descendant in Jesus’ self-description.

  2. Kinds or classes · occasional

    The nominative and accusative plural forms occur among varieties of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and 1 Corinthians 12:28, and 1 Corinthians 14:10 speaks of many kinds of voices in the world. In Mark 9:29, the nominative singular identifies a particular kind in the statement that it cannot come out except by prayer.

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB presents the relevant clauses with expressions such as “family,” “offspring,” “by descent,” “descendant,” and “kinds.” Because it is a whole-verse translation, these expressions show the clauses’ presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture