GENERATION (דּﯴר֮, H1887, תּﯴלֵדﯴת, H9352, [pl.]; γενέα; γένεσις, G1161; γέννημα, G1165; γένος, G1169, generation, period, race). A group of lineal descendants; a step in lineal descent. The Biblical words correspond closely to the Eng. word “generation.” A further meaning of “race,” or “nation” is possible in some cases.

The Heb. word דּﯴר֮, H1887, is of broader meaning and includes the thought of an era of time, a period and thence a generation. The word has no reference to begetting. The phrase דﯴר־וָדֹ֖ור “an age and an age” means “eternity,” “forever.” The same phrase is used in Ugaritic texts. The word is used (usually in the sing.) of many generations to come, as well as of a specific living generation, such as the one which died in the wilderness (Deut 2:14). The average length of a generation is often assumed to be forty years, for in the wilderness all the men over twenty died within that time. This would give a measure not of the period from a man’s birth to his children’s birth (more like thirty years), but would give the measure of a lifetime sixty years or more. This is apparently the meaning of Genesis 15:13, 16. Four generations equal 400 years if a generation be counted as a long lifespan. There is no statement in the Bible that the forty-year span of the rule of Solomon, of David, and of four of the judges was a round number for one generation. The forty-year figure in the Moabite Stone has also now been shown to be an accurate figure (F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Early Hebrew Orthography, American Oriental Series, vol. 36 [1952], 39, 40).

The word תּﯴלֵדﯴת, H9352, comes from the root meaning “to bear a child” and is used in many OT genealogies. It may well refer also to family history in general (Gen 2:4; 6:9; 25:19; 37:2).

In the NT, the word γενέα is usually tr. “generation” (in the KJV, thirty-six times), but is also tr. “age,” “nation,” and “time.” It is used in the genealogy of Matthew 1. Many times Jesus speaks of the faithless and perverse generation (Matt 17:17, etc.) where the reference could equally be to the Jewish nation (cf. Phil 2:15). In the RSV, such passages are tr. by “generation.”

A problem v. is Matthew 24:34 and parallels. Some argue for the strict meaning and claim that Christ mistakenly expected the end in His own time. Others note that standard lexicons and other studies allow the meaning “race” or “clan” or “nation,” and hold that the v. predicts the continuation of the Jewish people until Christ’s return. Zahn’s Commentary (in loc.) argues that “this generation” of Matthew 24:34 refers to the “this generation” of 23:36, and is in contrast to “that day and hour” of Matthew 24:36. The former expression refers to troubles applicable to the disciples’ own day; the latter refers to eschatological events.

Bibliography G. F. Moore, Judges (on the number forty), ICC, xxxviii (1903); H. L. Ellison, “Kings” (on the number forty), NBC 307; C. H. Dodd, The Authority of the Bible (Torchbook, 1958), 233; H. A. Kent, Jr., “Matthew,” WBC, 973 (on Matt 24:34).