Greek word · G1077

γενέσια, γενέθλιος

genesia, genethlios

birthday

In older Greek, genesia was a yearly feast remembering a dead person on their birthday. The festival for a living person's birthday was called genethlia. By the Roman period the two words had merged, and genesia commonly meant the birthday celebration of a living person, especially a ruler.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament.

What it means

γενέσια, -ων, τά, neut. pl. of adj. -ιος, -ον, relating to birth (γένεσις);

1. in Attic Gk., a commemoration of the dead.

2. In late Gk., a birthday feast (= cl. γενέθλια; so in π., see MM, Exp., x; cf. also Ῥutherford, NPhr., 184): Matthew 14:6, Mark 6:21.

† (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 14:6

Range of meaning

In older Greek, genesia was a yearly feast remembering a dead person on their birthday. The festival for a living person's birthday was called genethlia. By the Roman period the two words had merged, and genesia commonly meant the birthday celebration of a living person, especially a ruler. It names the festivities, not just the calendar date.

Against the English

English 'birthday' is accurate, but it can sound like a private family event. This was a royal state banquet: the ruler's birthday was a public occasion with officials and guests (Mark 6:21 lists courtiers, military commanders and the leading men of Galilee).

Used elsewhere in the period

Herodotus 4.26 uses genesia of a Greek festival for dead fathers, and ancient grammarians kept the distinction. Papyri from the Roman period use genesia for living people's birthdays (Moulton–Milligan). In the Greek Old Testament, Pharaoh's birthday feast (Gen 40:20) is the occasion on which he hangs the chief baker. 2 Maccabees 6:7 describes the Seleucid king's monthly birthday observance forced on Jews with sacrifices. Josephus (Against Apion 2.204) says Jewish law does not allow birth celebrations to become occasions for drunkenness. The Mishnah (Avodah Zarah 1:3) lists the 'genusia of kings' among pagan festivals, and the Talmud later argues over whether this means a birthday or the anniversary of a king's accession.

Similar words

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 14:6 Γενεσίοις [The] birthday

    On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod

    Here: A plural noun, like many festival names ('the festivities'). It means the celebration of Herod's birthday, a royal feast day, not just the date. The dative case marks the time: 'at the birthday festivities'.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 6:21 γενεσίοις birthday

    On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.