G1077 G1077
birthday celebration, birthday feast, anniversary of one's birth
This neuter plural noun denotes a birthday celebration or feast commemorating someone's birth. Classical Greek distinguished genesia (memorial feasts for the dead) from genethlia (birthday celebrations for the living), though the words could overlap. In the New Testament, both occurrences describe the same event: Herod Antipas's birthday feast where Herodias's daughter danced and John the Baptist was beheaded. Matthew records 'Herod's birthday' being celebrated (Matt 14:6), while Mark specifies 'his birthday' when Herod made a feast (Mark 6:21). This notorious celebration became infamous as the occasion when a rash oath led to the martyrdom of Jesus's forerunner.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Matthew 14:6 states that 'when Herod's birthday (genesiois) was being celebrated,' Herodias's daughter danced before him, leading to John's execution. Mark 6:21 describes 'an opportune day' coming 'when Herod on his birthday (genesiois) made a supper' for his officials. Spanish 'cumpleaños', French 'anniversaire', and German 'Geburtstag/γενεσίοις' all reference birthday celebrations. Both accounts use the dative plural, probably indicating 'on his birthday' (dative of time). The shared narrative makes this birthday feast one of Scripture's most tragic celebrations: a festive occasion turned into the judicial murder of a prophet through Herod's foolish oath and moral weakness. 2×
AR["-عيدِ ميلادِهِ", "عِيدِ-مِيلَادِ"]·ben["জন্মদিনে"]·DE["Geburtstag", "γενεσίοις"]·EN["birthday"]·FR["anniversaire"]·heb["יוֹם-הֻלֶּדֶת"]·HI["अपने", "जनम-दिन-पर"]·ID["ulang-tahun"]·IT["genesiois"]·jav["Pahargyan-lair", "ambal-warsa"]·KO["생일", "생일에"]·PT["aniversário"]·RU["рождению", "рождения"]·ES["cumpleaños"]·SW["siku-ya-kuzaliwa", "sikukuu-yake-ya-kuzaliwa"]·TR["doğum-günü", "doğum-gününde"]·urd["سالگرہ", "سالگرہ-پر"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Included with: γενέσι-ος, ον, ={γενέθλιος},{θεός} Refs 1st c.AD+; epithet of Posidon, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II Γενέσιον, τό, shrine of Posidon Γ., Paus. [prev. cited] __III γενέσια, τά, day kept in memory of the birthday of the dead, Refs 5th c.BC+; to be distinguished from γενέθλια birthday-feast, though used for it in NT+5th c.BC+; so ἡ γ. ἡμέρα, ={ἡ γενέθλιος}, Refs; ἡ γ. alone, Refs; τῇ τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ ἐμμήνῳ γ. Refs 2nd c.AD+