Lexical Summary apokueó: To give birth, to bring forth Original Word: ἀποκυέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beget, produce. From apo and the base of kuma; to breed forth, i.e. (by transference) to generate (figuratively) -- beget, produce. see GREEK apo see GREEK kuma NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom apo and kueó, an older form of kuó (to be pregnant) Definition to give birth to NASB Translation brings forth (1), brought...forth (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 616: ἀποκυέωἀποκυέω, ἀποκύω, or ἀποκύω (hence, 3 person singular present either ἀποκύει (so WH) or ἀποκύει, James 1:15; cf. Winers Grammar, 88 (84); Buttmann, 62 (54)); 1 aorist ἀπεκύησα; (κύω, or κυέῶ, to be pregnant; cf. ἔγκυος); to bring forth from the womb, give birth to: τινα, James 1:15; to produce, James 1:18. (4 Macc. 15:17; Dionysius Halicarnassus 1, 70; Plutarch, Lucian, Aelian, v. h. 5, 4; Herodian, 1, 5, 13 (5, Bekker edition); 1, 4, 2 (1, Bekker edition).) Topical Lexicon Conceptual Overview ἀποκυέω portrays the decisive moment of bringing forth life from the womb. In James it is used metaphorically in two sharply contrasting ways: evil desire culminating in death (James 1:15) and God’s sovereign action birthing believers by the word of truth (James 1:18). The same verb thus anchors both the warning against sin’s progression and the assurance of saving grace. Occurrences in the New Testament • James 1:15 – the tragic “birth-cycle” of temptation → sin → death. Old Testament and Jewish Background Hebrew thought often represents moral and spiritual realities in terms of conception and birth (e.g., Job 15:35; Psalm 7:14). James, writing to Jewish believers scattered among the nations (James 1:1), employs this familiar imagery, now filled out by the gospel. Theological Significance 1. Moral Causality: Sin is not an accidental act; it gestates. Desire, once welcomed, matures into sin, and sin, once mature, delivers death. The verb marks sin’s inevitability once its process is unchecked. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Temptation Counseling: Trace the stages—enticement, conception, gestation, birth—to help saints intervene early. Historical Interpretation Early fathers such as Augustine saw in James 1:15 the anatomy of the Fall and personal lapses, while James 1:18 reinforced doctrines of prevenient grace. Reformers highlighted the contrast between human lust generating death and divine word generating life, shaping Protestant teaching on sola Scriptura and regeneration. Intertextual Connections • John 1:13 – born “not of blood… but of God” parallels James 1:18. Practical Exhortation Believers are summoned to receive the implanted word with meekness (James 1:21), continually nurturing the life God has birthed. Conversely, they must starve illicit desires before they conceive. Thus ἀποκυέω operates as both a hope-filled and cautionary beacon, guiding the church toward maturity in Christ. Forms and Transliterations απεκυησεν απεκύησεν ἀπεκύησεν αποκυει αποκύει ἀποκυεῖ ἀποκύει apekuesen apekuēsen apekyesen apekyēsen apekýesen apekýēsen apokuei apokyei apokyeîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance James 1:15 V-PIA-3SGRK: ἁμαρτία ἀποτελεσθεῖσα ἀποκυεῖ θάνατον NAS: is accomplished, it brings forth death. KJV: when it is finished, bringeth forth death. INT: sin having been completed brings forth death James 1:18 V-AIA-3S Strong's Greek 616 |
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