γενέσια, γενεσίων, τά (cf. Winer's Grammar, 176 (166)) (from the adjective γενέσιος from γένεσις), a birthday celebration, a birth-day feast: Mar_6:21; Mat_14:6; (Alciphron epistles 3, 18 and 55; Dio Cassius, 47, 18, etc.; ἡ γενέσιος ἡμέρα, Josephus, Antiquities 12, 4, 7). The earlier Greeks used γενέσια of funeral commemorations, a festival commemorative of a deceased friend (Latinferiaedenicales), see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 103f; (Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 184; Winers Grammar, 24 (23)). Cf. Keim, ii., p. 516 (iv. 223 English translation).

γενέσια genesia 2x pr. a day observed in memory of the dead; in NT equivalent to γενέθλια , celebration of one s birthday, birthday-festival, Mat_14:6 ; Mar_6:21

* γενέσια , -ων , τά , neut. pl. of adj. -ιος , -ον , relating to birth ( < γένεσις ); 1. in Attic Gk ., a commemoration of the dead . 2. In late Gk ., a birthday feast ( = cl . γενέθλια ; so in Papyri, v. MM , Exp., x; cf. also Rutherford, NPhr. , 184): Mat_14:6 , Mar_6:21 .†

γενέσια [page 123] The distinction between τὰ γενέσια , the commemoration of the dead, and τὰ γενέθλια , the birthday feast of a living man, disappears in late Greek (cf. Lob. Phryn. p. 103, Rutherford NP , p. 184); and in the papyri τὰ γενέσια is always birthday feast. Thus P Fay 114 .20 (A.D. 100) τὴν εἰκθυὶν ( l. ἰχθὺν ) πέμσις ( l. πέμψεις ) τῆι κδ εἲ ( l. ἢ ) κ̄ε̄ εἰς τὰ γενέσια Γεμέλλης , send the fish on the 24th or 25th for Gemella s birthday feast, for which other dainties are ordered in ib. 119 .30 ff. P Fay 115 .8 , a year later, says that pigs are going to be sacrificed on the birthday feast (εἰς τὰ γενέσια ) of Sabinus. Cf. BGU I. 1 .9 (iii/A.D.) an account of various outlays connected with the γενεσί [οις ] τῶν [θεῶ ]ν Σεβαστῶν , and Preisigke 1525 (A.D. 131 dedication of a statue) γενέσια Ἁδριανοῦ β̄ ἡ πόλις . So for the birthdays of private persons BGU I. 333 .5 (iii/iv A.D.) (= Chrest. I. 489) π ]άντως ποιήσατε , ἐὰν ᾖ δυνατό [ν ], κ [α ]τελθεῖν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰ γενέσια τοῦ υἱοῦ ἡ [μῶ ]ν Σαραπίωνος . So in accounts of expenditure, as P Oxy IV. 736 .58 ( c. A.D. 1) γενεσίοις Τρυφᾶτος στεφά (νων ) (ὀβολοὶ δύο ), P Giss I. 31 .6 (ii/A.D.) γενεσίοις Διογενίδ (ος ) δ̄ . For γενεθλία used in the same sense we may cite P Oxy III. 494 .24 (A.D. 156) εἰς εὐωχίαν αὐτῶν ἣν ποιήσονται πλησίον τοῦ τάφου μου κατ᾽ ἔτος τῇ γενεθλίᾳ μου , for a feast which they shall celebrate at my tomb on my birthday every year (Edd.), BGU I. 149 .15 (ii/iii A.D.) γε [νε ]θλίο [ις Σοκνοπαίου ] θεοῦ μεγάλου μεγάλ [ου , P Oxy I. 112 .4 (iii/iv A.D.) τοῖς γενεθλίοις τοῦ θεο [ῦ , ib , VIII. 1144 .4 (i/ii A.D.), etc. From the inscriptions note OGIS 90 .46 (the Rosetta Stone B.C. 196) ἐν ἧι τὰ γενέθλια τοῦ βασιλέως ἄγεται , ib. III .29 (after B.C. 163) τὴν γενέθλιον ἡμέ [ραν τὴν Βοή ]θου , and Priene 105 .22 ( c. B.C. 9) τὴν τοῦ θηοτάτου Καίσαρο [ς γ ]ενέθλιον . In the last inscription, l. .40 , if the restoration can be trusted, we have the remarkable statement ἦρξεν δὲ τῶι κόσμωι τῶν δι᾽ αὐτὸν εὐανγελί [ων ἡ γενέθλιος ] τοῦ θεοῦ , but the birthday of the god [the Emperor Augustus] was for the world the beginning of tidings of joy on his account : cf. Deissmann LAE , p. 371. For ἡ γενέσιος ( sc. ἡμέρα ) see OGIS 583 .15 (i/A.D.) τῆι γενεσίῳ , Cagnat IV. 353 b. 4, 13 (ii/A.D.), of a monthly celebration, γενεσίῳ Σεβαστοῦ , and ἐνμήνῳ γενεσίῳ . Similarly Michel 544 .10 (B.C. 114) ἐποιήσατο δὲ καὶ γε [νεθ ]λίας τοῖς τε παισὶν καὶ παιδευταῖ [ς , of a hospitable Phrygian gymnasiarch. Both these adjectives are replaced by the noun in Gen_40:20 , where the birthday of Pharaoh is ἡμέρα γενέσεως . We find in P Cairo Preis 31 .23 (A.D. 139 40) the compound, παι ]δίου πρωτογενεσίοις .

γενέσια, -ων, τά, neut. pl. of adj. -ιος, -ον, relating to birth (γένεσις); __1. in Attic Gk., a commemoration of the dead. __2. In late Gk., a birthday feast (= cl. γενέθλια; so in π., see MM, Exp., x; cf. also Ῥutherford, NPhr., 184): Mat.14:6, Mrk.6:21. † (AS)