G1096 — γίνομαι (ginomai)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G1096
Original: γίνομαι
Transliteration: ginomai
Pronunciation: ghin'-om-ahee
Part of Speech: Verb (middle/deponent)
Root: Primary verb (prolonged middle voice form)
Occurrences: 629 in NT (668 parsed forms)
First Occurrence: Mat 1:22 — "Now all this was done (ginomai), that it might be fulfilled"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate). By extension: to become, come into being, happen, come to pass, arise, be made, be done. One of the most versatile verbs in the NT, functioning as a copula of change or transition.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - Primary Domain: 13 — Be, Become, Exist, Happen - 13.001 — State - 13.002 — Change of State - 13.003 — Exist - 13.004 — Happen - Secondary Domains: - 15.001 — Move, Come/Go - 30.005 — To Decide, To Conclude - 34.010 — Marriage, Divorce - 41.001 — Behavior, Conduct - 57.001 — Have, Possess - 85.001 — Be in a Place - 91.001 — Markers of Transition

UBS Semantic Domains: - [013] Be, Become, Exist, Happen - [015] Linear Movement - [030] Think - [034] Association - [041] Behavior and Related States - [057] Possess, Transfer, Exchange - [085] Existence in Space - [091] Discourse Markers

Tense-Voice-Mood Distribution¶

Tense	Count	%
Aorist	487	72.9%
Present	95	14.2%
Perfect	67	10.0%
Future	13	1.9%
Imperfect	4	0.6%
Pluperfect	2	0.3%

Mood	Count	%
Indicative	355	53.1%
Participle	134	20.1%
Subjunctive	64	9.6%
Infinitive	53	7.9%
Imperative	45	6.7%
Optative	17	2.5%

Dominant form: ἐγένετο (aorist middle indicative 3rd sg) — 233 of 668 forms (34.9%). This is the classic narrative transition marker. The optative μὴ γένοιτο (17x) is the strongest NT expression of denial.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
it came to pass	64	10.2%
was	49	7.8%
be	21	3.3%
was done	19	3.0%
there was	18	2.9%
was come	16	2.5%
made	16	2.5%
were	16	2.5%
God forbid	15	2.4%
came	11	1.7%
be done	10	1.6%
became	9	1.4%
come to pass	8	1.3%
there arose	7	1.1%
Other (204 translations)	350	55.6%

Total: 629 occurrences across 218 unique KJV translations — one of the most diversely translated words in the NT.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Luke	141	12.3
Acts	128	12.7
Matthew	75	7.0
Mark	57	8.4
1 Corinthians	48	11.0
Revelation	38	9.4
Romans	37	8.5
Hebrews	30	9.9
Galatians	14	9.4
1 Thessalonians	12	13.5
2 Corinthians	12	4.7
Ephesians	9	5.8
1 Peter	7	6.7
Colossians	5	5.3
2 Peter	5	8.2
1 Timothy	4	3.5
2 Timothy	4	4.8
Philemon	1	4.0
2 Thessalonians	1	2.1
Titus	1	2.2

Heavily concentrated in Luke-Acts (269 occurrences, 42.8% of total), reflecting Luke's Septuagintal narrative style with the ἐγένετο construction. Absent from John's epistles, James, Jude, and Philippians (aside from Phil 2:7). Present in all four Gospels and most epistles.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Narrative Transition / "It Came to Pass" (ἐγένετο)¶

The most distinctive use — a Semitic-style narrative marker inherited from LXX וַיְהִי (wayehi). - Mat 7:28 — "And it came to pass (egeneto), when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished" - Luk 2:1 — "And it came to pass (egeneto) in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus" - Act 5:5 — "And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came (egeneto) on all"

2. Happening / Occurring — Events Taking Place¶

Mat 8:26 — "Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was (egeneto) a great calm"
Mark 4:37 — "And there arose (ginetai) a great storm of wind"
Rev 16:18 — "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was (egeneto) a great earthquake"
Mat 24:6 — "All these things must come to pass (genesthai), but the end is not yet"

3. Becoming / Change of State¶

1 Cor 13:11 — "When I was a child, I spake as a child... but when I became (gegona) a man, I put away childish things"
1 Th 1:6 — "And ye became (egenēthēte) followers of us, and of the Lord"
Rev 6:12 — "The sun became (egeneto) black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood"
Rev 11:15 — "The kingdoms of this world are become (egeneto) the kingdoms of our Lord"

4. Being Made / Coming into Existence¶

John 1:3 — "All things were made (egeneto) by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made"
John 1:14 — "And the Word was made (egeneto) flesh, and dwelt among us"
Gal 4:4 — "God sent forth his Son, made (genomenon) of a woman, made under the law"
Heb 11:3 — "The worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made (gegonenai) of things which do appear"

5. Emphatic Denial — μὴ γένοιτο (mē genoito, "God forbid")¶

The aorist middle optative used as the strongest possible negation in NT Greek. - Rom 3:4 — "God forbid (mē genoito): yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" - Rom 6:2 — "God forbid (mē genoito). How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" - Luk 20:16 — "He shall come and destroy these husbandmen... they said, God forbid (mē genoito)" - 14 of 15 occurrences are in Paul (12 in Romans alone); 1 in Luke.

6. Imperatival: Becoming / Behaving¶

Mat 6:10 — "Thy will be done (genēthētō) in earth, as it is in heaven"
Mat 5:45 — "That ye may be (genēsthe) the children of your Father which is in heaven"
Eph 4:32 — "And be ye (ginesthe) kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another"
Mat 18:3 — "Except ye be converted, and become (genēsthe) as little children"

7. Existential / Christological Identity¶

John 8:58 — "Before Abraham was (genesthai), I am" — contrasts ginomai (coming-into-being) with eimi (absolute being)
Phil 2:7 — "Made himself of no reputation... was made (genomenos) in the likeness of men"
Heb 7:22 — "By so much was Jesus made (gegonen) a surety of a better testament"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
λέγω (legō)	G3004	90x	Narrative: "it came to pass... he said"
θεός (theos)	G2316	72x	"God forbid"; divine agency in events
ἡμέρα (hēmera)	G2250	53x	Temporal marker: "when it was day"
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)	G2424	51x	"it came to pass" in Jesus narratives
κύριος (kyrios)	G2962	44x	"that which was spoken of the Lord might be fulfilled"
πᾶς (pas)	G3956	81x	"all things were made by him"
ἐστί (esti)	G2076	44x	Contrast: ginomai (become) vs. eimi (be)

Word Family / Cognates¶

G1085 γένος (genos) — race, kind, offspring
G1078 γένεσις (genesis) — origin, birth, genealogy
G1080 γεννάω (gennaō) — to beget, give birth to
G1084 γεννητός (gennētos) — born (of women)
G3824 παλιγγενεσία (palingenesia) — regeneration, renewal
G1074 γενεά (genea) — generation, age

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1096.

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G1096.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
εἰμί (eimi) / ἦν (ēn)	G1510/G2258	"was" (176x for ēn vs. 150x for ginomai)	eimi = absolute being, continuous existence; ginomai = coming-into-being, transition, change
ποιέω (poieō)	G4160	"made" (37x vs. 56x)	poieō = active making/doing by an agent; ginomai = something comes into being (middle voice, process-focused)
γεννάω (gennaō)	G1080	"be born"	gennaō = biological birth/begetting; ginomai = broader becoming/originating

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	LXX Frequency	Notes
הָיָה (hayah)	H1961	1,236x	Primary equivalent — "to be, exist, happen"
אָמֵן ('amen)	H543	19x	"So be it" — liturgical response
דָּבָר (dabar)	H1697	224x	"word, matter" — ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου
הָוָא (hava')	H1933	4x	Aramaic "to be" — Daniel/Ezra

The overwhelming LXX connection is with H1961 הָיָה (hayah), the primary Hebrew verb of existence and occurrence. The ἐγένετο construction directly mirrors the Hebrew narrative וַיְהִי (wayehi, "and it was/happened").