5043. teknon
Lexical Summary
teknon: Child, offspring

Original Word: τέκνον
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: teknon
Pronunciation: TEK-non
Phonetic Spelling: (tek'-non)
KJV: child, daughter, son
NASB: children, child, son, children's, sons
Word Origin: [from the base of G5098 (τιμωρία - punishment)]

1. a child (as produced)

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 Origin
from 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: τέκνον

τέκνον, 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 (); 2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7; among the Persians, 'sons of the Magi,' i. e. their pupils). γ. τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, children of God —in the O. T. of 'the people of Israel' as especially dear to God: Isaiah 30:1; Wis. 16:21; — in the N. T., in Paul's writings, all who are animated by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14) and thus are closely related to God: Romans 8:16f, 21; Ephesians 5:1; Philippians 2:15; those to whom, as dearly beloved of God, he has appointed salvation by Christ, Romans 9:8; in the writings of John, all who ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν (have been begotten of God, see γεννάω, 2 d.): John 1:12; 1 John 3:1f, 10; 1 John 5:2; those whom God knows to be qualified to obtain the nature and dignity of his children, John 11:52. (Cf. Westcott on the Epistles of St. John, pp. 94, 120; "In St. Paul the expressions 'sons of God', 'children of God', mostly convey the idea of liberty (see however Philippians 2:15), in St. John of guilelessness and love; in accordance with this distinction St. Paul uses υἱοί as well as τέκνα, St. John τέκνα only" (Lightfoot); cf. υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, 4.) δ. τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου, those who in thought and action are prompted by the devil, and so reflect his character: 1 John 3:10.

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).]

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Range of Usage

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).
2. Lineage preservation: Matthew 22:24; Mark 12:19. Jewish levirate custom ensured a “name” would not perish.
3. Grief in judgment: Matthew 2:18; Luke 19:44; Revelation 2:23. Loss of children signals covenant curses foretold by the prophets.

Covenant Lineage and National Identity

1. Physical descent from Abraham—insufficient by itself (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39).
2. True seed defined by promise (Romans 9:7–8). Paul distinguishes “children of the flesh” from “children of God,” shifting the basis of covenant identity from biology to faith.
3. Restoration hope: Acts 3:25–26 cites believers as “sons of the prophets,” inheritors of blessing through the risen Servant.

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).
2. Witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16–17). Sonship confers heirship, framing suffering as the path to shared glory.
3. Moral transformation: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1); hence believers purify themselves (1 John 3:3) and practice righteousness (1 John 3:10).
4. Future unveiling: “Creation itself will be liberated… into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). Human adoption becomes a cosmic key.

Affectionate Pastoral Address

Paul and John adopt the term for disciples:
Galatians 4:19—spiritual labor likened to childbirth.
1 Thessalonians 2:11—fatherly exhortation.
• 3 John 4—joy when “my children are walking in the truth.”

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).
2. Light-bearing: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15).
3. Obedience: “As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14).
4. Peaceable wisdom: “Wisdom is vindicated by all her children” (Luke 7:35).

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.
• Counseling: ground identity in God’s fatherhood, countering orphan-spirited fears (Romans 8:15).
• Leadership: cultivate familial bonds; elders prove aptitude by managing their own “children” (1 Timothy 3:4, 12; Titus 1:6) before shepherding the household of faith.

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.

Forms and Transliterations
ετεκνοποίει ετεκνοποίησαν τεκνα τέκνα τεκνοις τέκνοις τεκνον τέκνον τεκνοποιήσατε τεκνοποιήσει τεκνοποίησομαι τεκνοποιήσουσιν τεκνοποιήσωμαι τεκνου τέκνου τεκνω τέκνω τέκνῳ τεκνων τεκνών τέκνων tekna tékna tekno teknō téknoi téknōi teknois téknois teknon teknōn téknon téknōn teknou téknou
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 2:18 N-ANP
GRK: 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
GRK: τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ
NAS: to raise up children to Abraham.
KJV: to raise up children unto Abraham.
INT: these to raise up children for Abraham

Matthew 7:11 N-DNP
GRK: διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν πόσῳ
NAS: gifts to your children, how much
KJV: unto your children, how much
INT: to give to the children of you how much

Matthew 9:2 N-VNS
GRK: παραλυτικῷ Θάρσει τέκνον ἀφίενταί σου
NAS: Take courage, son; your sins
KJV: unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer;
INT: paralytic Take courage son have been forgiven you

Matthew 10:21 N-ANS
GRK: καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται
NAS: and a father [his] child; and children
KJV: the father the child: and
INT: and father child and will rise up

Matthew 10:21 N-NNP
GRK: καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς
NAS: [his] child; and children will rise
KJV: and the children shall rise up
INT: and will rise up children against parents

Matthew 15:26 N-GNP
GRK: ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν
NAS: to take the children's bread
KJV: meet to take the children's bread, and
INT: bread of the children and to cast [it]

Matthew 18:25 N-ANP
GRK: καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα
NAS: with his wife and children and all
KJV: wife, and children, and all
INT: and the children and all

Matthew 19:29 N-ANP
GRK: μητέρα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς
NAS: mother or children or farms
KJV: wife, or children, or lands,
INT: mother or children or lands

Matthew 21:28 N-ANP
GRK: ἄνθρωπος εἶχεν τέκνα δύο καὶ
NAS: had two sons, and he came to the first
KJV: had two sons; and he came
INT: a man had sons two and

Matthew 21:28 N-VNS
GRK: πρώτῳ εἶπεν Τέκνον ὕπαγε σήμερον
NAS: to the first and said, Son, go work
KJV: to the first, and said, Son, go work
INT: first he said Son go today

Matthew 22:24 N-ANP
GRK: μὴ ἔχων τέκνα ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ
NAS: NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER
KJV: having no children, his brother
INT: not having children will marry the

Matthew 23:37 N-ANP
GRK: ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου ὃν
NAS: to gather your children together,
KJV: thy children together,
INT: have gathered together the children of you in which

Matthew 27:25 N-ANP
GRK: ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν
NAS: His blood shall be on us and on our children!
KJV: on our children.
INT: on the children of us

Mark 2:5 N-VNS
GRK: τῷ παραλυτικῷ Τέκνον ἀφίενταί σου
NAS: to the paralytic, Son, your sins
KJV: unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy
INT: to the paralytic Son have been forgiven of you

Mark 7:27 N-ANP
GRK: χορτασθῆναι τὰ τέκνα οὐ γάρ
NAS: to her, Let the children be satisfied
KJV: Let the children first
INT: to be satisfied the children not indeed

Mark 7:27 N-GNP
GRK: ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ τοῖς
NAS: to take the children's bread
KJV: meet to take the children's bread, and
INT: bread of the children and to the

Mark 10:24 N-VNP
GRK: λέγει αὐτοῖς Τέκνα πῶς δύσκολόν
NAS: and said to them, Children, how
KJV: unto them, Children, how
INT: says to them Children how difficult

Mark 10:29 N-ANP
GRK: πατέρα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς
NAS: father or children or farms,
KJV: wife, or children, or lands,
INT: father or children or lands

Mark 10:30 N-ANP
GRK: μητέρας καὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀγροὺς
NAS: and mothers and children and farms,
KJV: mothers, and children, and lands,
INT: mothers and children and lands

Mark 12:19 N-ANS
GRK: μὴ ἀφῇ τέκνον ἵνα λάβῃ
NAS: NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER
KJV: leave no children, that his
INT: not leave children that should take

Mark 13:12 N-ANS
GRK: καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται
NAS: and a father [his] child; and children
KJV: and the father the son; and children
INT: and father child and will rise up

Mark 13:12 N-NNP
GRK: καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς
NAS: [his] child; and children will rise
KJV: and children shall rise up
INT: and will rise up children against parents

Luke 1:7 N-NNS
GRK: ἦν αὐτοῖς τέκνον καθότι ἦν
NAS: no child, because
KJV: had no child, because that Elisabeth
INT: there was to them a child inasmuch as was

Luke 1:17 N-ANP
GRK: πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀπειθεῖς
NAS: BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient
KJV: to the children, and
INT: of fathers to children and [the] disobedient

Strong's Greek 5043
99 Occurrences


τέκνα — 63 Occ.
τέκνῳ — 3 Occ.
τέκνων — 7 Occ.
τέκνοις — 8 Occ.
τέκνον — 16 Occ.
τέκνου — 2 Occ.

5042
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