What Does Begat Mean in the Bible? Genealogies Explained
What does begat mean in the Bible? Begat is an older English past form of beget.
Last updated October 15, 2026
Contents9
- What Does Begat Mean in the Bible? Genealogies Explained: source entries
- Genesis 5: the direction of the relation
- Matthew 1: a genealogy has an argument
- Begat, begotten and beget
- Wording and context in three editions
- FAQ
- Related meanings
- Continue this study
- Verdict: What Does Begat Mean in the Bible? Genealogies Explained
What does begat mean in the Bible? Begat is an older English past form of beget. In a genealogy it usually says that one person fathered another or stands in that person's line of descent. It is not a second personal name and does not mean that the named son gave birth to the father.
Read a genealogy as a sequence: identify the parent, then the child. KJV begat often corresponds to became the father of in WEB Classic. Genesis 5 also reports ages and other children. Matthew 1 arranges a line for a stated literary purpose. The repeated verb does not supply every missing detail of a modern family record.
What Does Begat Mean in the Bible? Genealogies Explained: source entries
| Term | Entry ID | Historical entry wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| yalad | 3205 | […] a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage: […] | Strong original Hebrew |
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| Term | Entry ID | Historical entry wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gennao | 1080 | […] to procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate: […] | Strong original Greek |
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Genesis 5: the direction of the relation
Genesis 5 places Seth after Adam in the selected scene. The verb joins a father to a son, then the passage continues with years and other sons and daughters. Identify the grammatical subject before following the next link. A long chain is easier to read when each link retains that direction.
The older form can sound unfamiliar, but the relation is ordinary family language. WEB Classic's wording makes the father relation more explicit for a modern reader. ASV often keeps begat. An old form in one edition is not proof that its family relation differs from the other edition.
Matthew 1: a genealogy has an argument
Matthew begins with a heading that names Jesus Christ, David and Abraham. The list then moves toward the birth account. Its arrangement is part of the book's introduction. A genealogy can state lineage while also framing a narrative about identity.
Do not use the repeated word alone to calculate an exhaustive chronology. Such a calculation would need separate evidence about the list's completeness and the way generations are arranged. This word explanation makes no such claim. The closing wording about Mary should also be read carefully; a repeated pattern can change at a significant point.
Begat, begotten and beget
Begat is a past form; beget is the base form; begotten is a participle in older English usage. Their function depends on the sentence. A genealogy is one use of this language, not the only possible context for related forms.
A passage using birth language in a figure of speech needs its own explanation. A word does not require a physical genealogy in every setting just because it can express one in Genesis. Keep literal descent, literary arrangement and later metaphor as distinct questions.
Wording and context in three editions
Genesis 5:3-5
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
3 ¶ And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
3 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.
5 All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
3 And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 and the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters.
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Before (WEB Classic): 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God’s likeness. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them. On the day they were created, he named them Adam.
After (WEB Classic): 6 Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.
Matthew 1:1-17
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.
3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
4 Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.
6 Jesse became the father of King David. David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.
7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.
8 Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.
9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.
13 Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.
14 Azor became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.
15 Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.
16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren;
3 and Judah begat Perez and Zerah of Tamar; and Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram;
4 and Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon;
5 and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 and Jesse begat David the king. And David begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah;
7 and Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa;
8 and Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Uzziah;
9 and Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah;
10 and Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah;
11 and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, at the time of the carrying away to Babylon.
12 And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel;
13 and Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.
After (WEB Classic): 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
FAQ
Does every begat line list a complete modern family tree?
The verb supplies a relation in the given list. It does not by itself prove that every possible generation or child is listed. Check the purpose and structure of that genealogy before making a chronology.
Related meanings
Continue this study
- Hesed: Bible meaning and source context
- What the word Bible means: origin and usage
- Use concordances and lexicons in context
Verdict: What Does Begat Mean in the Bible? Genealogies Explained
What begat means in the Bible is clearest in the direction of the genealogy. Follow parent to child, compare the edition wording and resist using the verb alone as proof of an exhaustive chronology.