γονεύς
goneús
G1118 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A biological or legal parent; one who begets or brings forth offspring. In extension, refers collectively to one's parents (i.e., father and mother), and occasionally to ancestors in a broader sense. The word's primary sense is that of 'parent', but it does not specify gender and may refer either to the father, the mother, or both.
Semantic Range
parent, parents, progenitor, ancestor (rare or extended), begetter
Root / Etymology
Derived from the stem γον- (relating to begetting or birth), itself connected with γίγνομαι ('to become, to be born, to happen').
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used in both singular and plural, more commonly in the plural (γονεῖς) to denote 'parents.' The word is attested in Classical Greek, where it often refers collectively to both parents, but can sometimes refer broadly to forebears or ancestors. In Koine and New Testament usage, γονεύς typically denotes one's immediate biological parents, as in references to honoring one's parents (e.g., Matthew 15:4, Ephesians 6:1). In certain Hellenistic and Second Temple Jewish contexts, can also encompass adoptive or legal parents, but the usual meaning is the literal parent. Some English translations render it with the plural 'parents,' as the singular 'parent' is much less common in English usage. The term is distinguished from πατήρ ('father') and μητήρ ('mother'), which specify gender.
Translation Consistency
Primary SILEX sense is a biological or legal parent; word is gender-neutral and naturally covers father, mother, or both. Using the singular base “parent” allows consistent inflection to singular/plural forms (parent, parents) while matching the common translation pattern and typical usage in English translations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of γίνομαι; a parent:--parent.
Root Family
γονεύς (goneus) — begetter, parent, progenitor, one who brings forth
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1118-01 |
γονεῖς | goneis | N ACC M PL |
parents | parents | parents | 14 |
G1118-03 |
γονεῦσιν | goneusin | N DAT M PL |
parents | to parents | to parents | 5 |
G1118-02 |
γονέων | goneon | N GEN M PL |
parents | of parents | parents | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1118-01 |
Matthew 10:21 | γονεῖς | goneis | N ACC M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Mark 13:12 | γονεῖς | goneis | N ACC M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Luke 2:27 | γονεῖς | goneis | N ACC M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Luke 2:41 | γονεῖς | goneis | N NOM M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Luke 2:43 | γονεῖς | goneis | N NOM M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Luke 8:56 | γονεῖς | goneis | N NOM M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
Luke 18:29 | γονεῖς | goneis | N ACC M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-02 |
Luke 21:16 | γονέων | goneon | N GEN M PL |
parents | of parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
John 9:2 | γονεῖς | goneis | N NOM M PL |
parents | parents | parents |
G1118-01 |
John 9:3 | γονεῖς | goneis | N NOM M PL |
parents | parents | parents |