BEGOTTEN (BEGETTING). Various forms of the roots ילד and γεννάω, G1164, “beget,” are frequent in the OT both in the literal sense (Deut 23:8) and the metaphorical (Job 38:28; of the deposit of dew). Psalm 2:7 uses the word of God’s relationship to the Messianic king. Perhaps, in its application to a Davidic king, this was originally divine “adoption” to sonship; if so, cf. Galatians 4:5. When understood prophetically of Christ, the word passes far beyond the adoptionist sense. In the NT, the literal sense is still common (e.g. Matt 1:1-16) but the metaphorical use is greatly extended. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 4:15 an evangelist may be said to have “begotten” his converts to new spiritual life. Corresponding to this “begotten” is the usual word to describe the relation of the believers to God (John 1:13, 1 Pet 1:3, etc.) This means that Christians are τέκνα, “children” of God (John 1:12).

Christ, by contrast, is ὑιός, “son” of God, to John, but this verb is not used in the NT to describe God’s relationship to Him. “Only-begotten” (1:14, etc.) is a mistranslation in older VSS of μονογενής, G3666, “only,” “unique” prob. corresponding to Heb. יָחִיד, H3495, of which “beloved” is another NT tr. See also Son of God.

Bibliography G. Abbot-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT (1937); W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the NT (1957).