In the Septuagint (LXX), the word ἐγένετο (egeneto)—the 3rd person singular aorist middle indicative of ginomai (meaning “to become,” “to happen,” or “to be made”)—is incredibly common. It frequently functions as a rigid, literal translation of the Hebrew narrative marker וַיְהִי (wayyehî).
The Septuagint uses egeneto in two primary ways: existential/creative (something came into being) and impersonal narrative markers (the phrase kai egeneto meaning “and it came to pass”)
In the New Testament the Greek verb form egeneto (ἐγένετο), meaning “came to be,” “became,” or “happened,” appears around 168 times in 164 verses:
Examples in the New Testament
- Matthew 7:28 – And it came to pass (egeneto) when Jesus had finished these sayings, the people were astonished at his teaching.
- Matthew 8:24 – And, behold, there came to pass (egeneto) a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
- Matthew 8:26 — “…and he awoke and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was (egeneto) a great calm.”
- Matthew 17:2 – And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his clothing became (egeneto) as white as light.
- Matthew 21:42 – Jesus said to them, Didn’t you ever read in the scriptures, “The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become (egeneto) the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing (egeneto), and it is marvellous in our eyes”?
- Mark 1:9 — “And it came to pass (egeneto) In those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
- Luke 2:42 – And when he became (egeneto) twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
- Luke 13:19 – It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and became (egeneto) a great tree; and the birds of the air lodged in the branches of it.
- John 1:3 — “All things came into being (egeneto) through it…”
- John 1:14 — “And the Word became (egeneto) flesh and dwelt among us.”
- Hebrews 5:9 – And being made perfect, he became (egeneto) the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him;
- Revelation 8:8 – And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became (egeneto) blood;
- Revelation 18:12 – And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become (egeneto) the habitation of demons, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
As can be seen from several of the examples in the phrase “A B egeneto” it means “A became B”. This is the case in “the word became flesh” or “the word was made flesh”.
However that leaves the question of what word and flesh mean in the Bible.
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