ζωογον-έω G2225
to preserve alive, give life to, keep alive; to produce or generate living creatures
This Greek verb captures the divine act of preserving and sustaining life. It appears in Luke 17:33 where Jesus promises life to those who lose their earthly existence, in Acts 7:19 describing Pharaoh's cruel command against Hebrew infants, and in 1 Timothy 6:13 ascribing to God the power to give life to all things. The multilingual evidence spans 'giving life' to 'preserving alive,' reflecting both the causative sense (bringing into life) and the preservative sense (keeping alive). While classical usage includes biological generation, the New Testament focuses on God's sovereign power over life and death.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The single sense encompasses both preservation and vivification—keeping alive what might otherwise die, and imparting life itself. Spanish 'dar vida' and French 'vivifier' emphasize the life-giving aspect, while the German rendering captures the causative force 'lebendig machen.' The three occurrences span Jesus' paradoxical teaching on losing life to save it, the historical oppression of Israel in Egypt, and a doxology affirming God as the universal life-giver, showing the word's range from preservation through crisis to the fundamental divine attribute of vivification. 3×
AR["الَّذي-يُحْيي", "يَعِيشُوا", "يُحيي"]·ben["জীবন-দেবে", "জীবনদাতা", "বাঁচানো।"]·DE["lebendig-machen", "ζωογονήσει", "ζωογονεῖσθαι"]·EN["giving-life-to", "to-be-kept-alive", "will-preserve-alive"]·FR["donner-la-vie", "vivifier"]·heb["יְחַיֶּה", "יִחְיוּ", "מְחַיֶּה"]·HI["जिलाएगा", "जीवित-रहना", "जेएवित-करने-वअले"]·ID["akan-menghidupkan", "dipertahankan-hidup.", "yang-menghidupkan"]·IT["rendere-vivo", "zoogonesei", "zōogonountos"]·jav["badhe-nglestantunaken", "gesang.", "nguripaken"]·KO["살리기-를", "살리시는-자-의", "살릴-것이다"]·PT["que-vivifica", "viverem", "vivificá-la-á"]·RU["дать-жить", "животворящим", "сохранит-живой"]·ES["la-dará-vida", "que-da-vida", "ser-mantenidos-vivos"]·SW["anayehuisha", "ataihifadhi", "kuishi"]·TR["-o", "kurtaracak", "yaşatan"]·urd["زندہ-رکھنا", "زندہ-کرنے-والے", "زندہ-کرے-گا"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ζωογον-έω, propagate or engender living creatures, of inanimate substances, ἡ φύσις ζ. Refs 4th c.BC+ (so in middle, Refs 4th c.BC+; of animals, breed, like{ζωοτοκέω}, Refs 1st c.BC+:—passive, Refs 4th c.BC+: generally, engender [στοιχεῖον] ἕκαστον ἀπὸ ἑτέρου -εῖται Refs 2nd c.AD+ __II to be viviparous, Refs 4th c.BC+; produce alive, Refs 2nd c.AD+; ζ. παρθένον, of Zeus, producing Pallas alive…