τεκνογονία
child bearing
Definition
τεκνογονία refers specifically to the act of bearing children or the process of childbearing. In its sole New Testament occurrence, it carries the sense of a woman's role in bringing forth and raising children within the family unit. The word encompasses not just the biological act of childbirth but implies the broader responsibility of nurturing and rearing a family. This full scope is seen in 1 Timothy 2:15, where it is connected with faith, love, holiness, and self-control.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in 1 Timothy 2:15. It appears in a pastoral context addressing the roles and salvation of women within the Christian community. The usage connects the concept of childbearing to a woman's continued life in faith, love, holiness, and propriety.
Etymology
Derived from the combination of two Greek words: τέκνον (teknon, G5043), meaning 'child,' and the root γον- from γίνομαι (ginomai, G1096), meaning 'to become' or 'to be born.' It is a compound noun literally meaning 'the begetting/bearing of children.'
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it appears in a complex passage (1 Timothy 2:15) concerning women, salvation, and roles within the church. It ties the physical and familial role of childbearing to the spiritual virtues of faith, love, holiness, and self-control. Understanding this Greek term helps readers see that the biblical author is not reducing womanhood to biology but is connecting a primary cultural function to a life persevering in godly character, possibly as a counterpoint to the deception mentioned in the preceding verse (1 Timothy 2:14).
In the first-century Greco-Roman world, a woman's primary social value and security were often tied to marriage and producing legitimate heirs. Childbearing was not merely a personal choice but a crucial social and economic duty. The instruction in 1 Timothy would have been heard within this framework, affirming the dignity of this role while elevating it through its connection to Christian virtue.
τέκνον (teknon, G5043) — refers to the 'child' itself, the offspring, not the act of bearing. τίκτω (tiktō, G5088) — the verb meaning 'to bear' or 'to give birth to,' focusing on the action rather than the broader concept.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
Full methodology & sources →