Divine Nourishment: ᾠόν (Strong's G5609: ōon) Reveals Heavenly Father's Care

Strong’s G5609: A noun referring to an egg, symbolizing life, sustenance, and parental provision. In Biblical context, it appears in Jesus’ teaching about the Father’s goodness in giving good gifts to His children, contrasting earthly and heavenly provision.

U- Unveiling the Word

The Greek word ᾠόν carries profound significance in its simplicity. As a basic noun meaning “egg,” it represents more than just a food item – it symbolizes life, nourishment, and parental care. In Luke 11:12, Jesus uses this word in His teaching about prayer and the Father’s goodness. The comparison between earthly parents giving good gifts and our Heavenly Father’s perfect provision emphasizes divine care. Early church fathers often used this imagery to discuss God’s nurturing nature and the life-giving power of His Spirit. Today, this word continues to illustrate God’s protective and providing character.

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N – Necessary Information

Greek Word: ᾠόν, ōon, /oh-ON/
Detailed pronunciation: oh as in “go,” ON as in “on” with stress on second syllable
Part of Speech: Noun

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Etymology:

Root: Indo-European *ōw-yo-m
Related to Latin “ovum” and English “egg”
Second declension neuter noun

D – Defining Meanings

An egg, particularly a bird’s egg
A symbol of provision and sustenance
A metaphor for potential and new life

Translation Options:

Egg – most direct and common translation
Bird’s egg – more specific in certain contexts
Oval – in certain classical contexts referring to shape

E – Exploring Similar Words

βρῶμα (brōma, /BROH-mah/) – food in general. See G1033
τροφή (trophē, /troh-FAY/) – nourishment. See G5160
σῖτος (sitos, /SEE-tos/) – grain, food. See G4621

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological Features:

Case: Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative
Number: Singular, Plural
Gender: Neuter
Declension: Second

Examples:

Nominative/Accusative singular: ᾠόν
Genitive singular: ᾠοῦ
Dative singular: ᾠῷ
Nominative/Accusative plural: ᾠά

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The lexical evidence for ᾠόν shows remarkable consistency across ancient sources. BDAG confirms its basic meaning as “egg,” while Thayer’s emphasizes its use in Jesus’ teaching about prayer. LSJ provides extensive classical references, showing its common usage in daily life and medical texts. Vine’s notes its singular appearance in the New Testament as significant in teaching about God’s character. Moulton and Milligan’s papyri findings demonstrate its regular use in domestic contexts, particularly in food-related documents and household accounts, confirming its everyday significance in ancient life.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
“If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?” Luke 11:12

Additional References:
This is the only occurrence in the New Testament.

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

Author: Work	Text
Aristotle: Historia Animalium	“The eagle lays an egg and hatches it in thirty days.”
Hippocrates: On Generation	“The development within the egg proceeds in an orderly manner.”
Aesop: Fables	“The farmer discovered a golden egg in his goose’s nest.”

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word ᾠόν appears just once in the New Testament, yet its context reveals profound truth about our Heavenly Father’s character. Jesus uses this simple word to illustrate God’s perfect parental care, showing that if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our Father give good things to those who ask Him. This teaching point reflects the gospel’s emphasis on God’s loving nature and His desire to provide for His children, encouraging believers to approach Him with confidence in prayer.

D – Did You Know?

The word ᾠόν is one of the few Greek words whose spelling has remained virtually unchanged for over 2,500 years
It appears in ancient medical texts as a symbol of perfect proportion and natural design
Classical authors often used ᾠόν metaphorically to represent potential and new beginnings

Strong’s G5609: A noun denoting an egg, used in Scripture to illustrate God’s faithful provision and care for His children. It appears in Jesus’ teaching about prayer, demonstrating the contrast between earthly and heavenly fathers’ giving of good gifts, emphasizing divine benevolence and perfect provision.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: provision, sustenance, parental care, divine provision, prayer, eggs, food, gifts, father’s love, Luke’s Gospel, teaching of Jesus