Lexical Summary teknon: Child, offspring Original Word: τέκνον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance child, daughter, son. From the base of timoria; a child (as produced) -- child, daughter, son. see GREEK timoria HELPS Word-studies 5043 téknon – properly, a child; (figuratively) anyone living in full dependence on the heavenly Father, i.e. fully (willingly) relying upon the Lord in glad submission. This prompts God to transform them into His likeness. 5043 /téknon ("a child living in willing dependence") illustrates how we must all live in utter dependence upon the Lord (moment-by-moment), drawing guidance (care, nurture) from our heavenly Father. 5043 (téknon) emphasizes the childlike (not childish) attitude of heart that willingly (gladly) submits to the Father's plan. We profoundly learn this as we are receptive to Christ speaking His rhēma-word within to impart faith (cf. Ro 8:16,17 with Ro 10:17, Gk text). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tiktó Definition a child (of either sex) NASB Translation child (13), children (76), children's (2), son (8), sons (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5043: τέκνοντέκνον, τέκνου, τό (τίκτω, τεκεῖν), from Homer down, the Sept. chiefly for בֵּן, sometimes for יֶלֶד, offspring; plural children; a. properly, α. universally and without regard to sex, child: Mark 13:12; Luke 1:7; Acts 7:5; Revelation 12:4; plural, Matthew 7:11; Matthew 10:21; Matthew 15:26; Mark 7:27; Mark 12:19; Luke 1:17; Luke 14:26; Acts 21:5; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 2:7, 11; 1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 1:6; 2 John 1:1, 4, 13, and often; with emphasis: to be regarded as true, genuine children, Romans 9:7; τέκνα ἐπαγγελίας, children begotten by virtue of the divine promise, Romans 9:8; accounted as children begotten by virtue of God's promise, Galatians 4:28; τά τέκνα τῆς σαρκός, children by natural descent, Romans 9:8. in a broader sense (like the Hebrew בָּנִים), posterity: Matthew 2:18; Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8; Acts 2:39; Acts 13:33(32). with emphasis: genuine posterity, true offspring, John 8:39; (of women) to be regarded as children, 1 Peter 3:6. β. specifically, a male child, a son: Matthew 21:28; Acts 21:21; Revelation 12:5; in the vocative, in kindly address, Matthew 21:28; Luke 2:48; Luke 15:31. b. metaphorically, the name is transferred to that intimate and reciprocal relationship formed between men by the bonds of love, friendship, trust, just as between parents and children; α. in affectionate address, such as patrons, helpers, teachers, and the like, employ; vocative child (son), my child, children. (Latinfili, mi fili, etc., forcarissime, etc.): Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5; Mark 10:24 (here Lachmann τεκνία, which see). β. just as in Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, Persian, so in the N. T., pupils or disciples are called children of their teachers, because the latter by their instruction nourish the minds of their pupils and mould their characters (see γεννάω, 2 b.): Philemon 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:2; 3 John 1:4; in affectionate address, Galatians 4:19 L text T Tr WH marginal reading; 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:1; with ἐν κυρίῳ added, 1 Corinthians 4:17; ἐν πίστει, 1 Timothy 1:2; κατά κοινήν πίστιν, Titus 1:4 (הַגְּבִיאִים בְּנֵי, sons i. e. disciples of the prophets, 1 Kings 21:35 ( c. metaphorically, and Hebraistically, one is called τέκνον, of anything "who depends upon it, is possessed by a desire or affection for it, is addicted to it; or who is liable to any fate"; thus in the N. T. we find α. children of a city, i. e. its citizens, inhabitants (Jeremiah 2:30; Joel 2:23; 1 Macc. 1:38; υἱοί Σιών, Psalm 149:2): Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; Luke 19:44; Galatians 4:25. β. τέκνα τῆς σοφίας, the votaries of wisdom, those whose souls have, as it were, been nurtured and moulded by wisdom: Matthew 11:19 (where T Tr text WH have hastily adopted ἔργων for τέκνων; cf. Keim, ii, p. 369 (English translation, iv., p. 43f; per contra, see Tdf.s note and WH's Appendix at the passage)); Luke 7:35; τέκνα ὑπακοῆς, those actuated by a desire to obey, obedient, 1 Peter 1:14; τοῦ φωτός, both illumined by the light and loving the light, Ephesians 5:8. γ. κατάρας τέκνα, exposed to cursing, 2 Peter 2:14; τῆς ὀργῆς, doomed to God's wrath or penalty, Ephesians 2:3; cf. Steiger on 1 Peter 1:14; Winers Grammar, 238 (223); (Buttmann, 161 (141)). In the same way ἔκγονος is used sometimes in Greek writings; as, ἔκγονος ἀδικίας, δειλίας, Plato, legg. 3, p. 691 c.; 10, p. 901 e. [SYNONYMS: τέκνον, υἱός: τέκνον and υἱός while concurring in pointing to parentage, differ in that τέκνον gives prominence to the physical and outward aspects, υἱός to the inward, ethical, legal. Cf. b. γ. above; υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, at the end; παῖς, at the end and references (especially that to Höhne).] Strong’s 5043 speaks of persons springing from another—whether by blood, covenant, or spiritual rebirth. The term may carry literal, figurative, or vocational overtones, depending on context. Children in the Natural Sense 1. Everyday family life: Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13; Colossians 3:20–21. The noun portrays dependence, vulnerability, and the duty of parents to provide and guide (Ephesians 6:4). Covenant Lineage and National Identity 1. Physical descent from Abraham—insufficient by itself (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39). Children of God: Adoption and Regeneration 1. Right bestowed through faith in Christ: “To all who received Him… He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Affectionate Pastoral Address Paul and John adopt the term for disciples: Timothy, Titus, and Onesimus are called τέκνον (1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philemon 10), underscoring relational mentorship. Ethical and Spiritual Traits Expected of God’s Children 1. Imitation of the Father: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). Contrasting Lineages: Children of the Devil John 8:44 and 1 John 3:10 mark a stark antithesis. Works, not claims, reveal true paternity. False teachers display “eyes full of adultery… accursed children” (2 Peter 2:14). Eschatological Hope of the Children Revelation 12:4–5 pictures the dragon seeking to devour the Messianic child, yet the Son is enthroned and the woman’s offspring preserved, guaranteeing triumph for all who “hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Christ and the Children Jesus calls a paralytic “Child” (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5), combining authority to forgive with tender compassion. He defends covenant priority—“Let the children be fed first” (Mark 7:27)—yet extends mercy beyond Israel to the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Evangelism: proclaim the privilege of adoption. Historical and Cultural Background In Greco-Roman society, “child” implied both rights of inheritance and expectation of conformity to the paterfamilias. Biblical writers harness these notions: believers gain the Father’s wealth (heirship) and bear the Father’s likeness (holiness), while God retains disciplinary prerogative (Hebrews 12, cf. conceptually related). Summary Strong’s 5043 traces a storyline from natural birth to supernatural rebirth, from ethnic privilege to multi-ethnic family, from infancy to maturity, and from present struggle to future glory. Every occurrence deepens the Bible’s revelation of a God who births, names, disciplines, and ultimately glorifies His children. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 2:18 N-ANPGRK: κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ NAS: WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED KJV: weeping [for] her children, and would INT: weeping [for] the children of her and Matthew 3:9 N-ANP Matthew 7:11 N-DNP Matthew 9:2 N-VNS Matthew 10:21 N-ANS Matthew 10:21 N-NNP Matthew 15:26 N-GNP Matthew 18:25 N-ANP Matthew 19:29 N-ANP Matthew 21:28 N-ANP Matthew 21:28 N-VNS Matthew 22:24 N-ANP Matthew 23:37 N-ANP Matthew 27:25 N-ANP Mark 2:5 N-VNS Mark 7:27 N-ANP Mark 7:27 N-GNP Mark 10:24 N-VNP Mark 10:29 N-ANP Mark 10:30 N-ANP Mark 12:19 N-ANS Mark 13:12 N-ANS Mark 13:12 N-NNP Luke 1:7 N-NNS Luke 1:17 N-ANP Strong's Greek 5043 |