γίνεσθε

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 γίνεσθε

   GI-nes-the

   be
2. sentence🔊 Ἀδελφοί μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν τέλειοι γίνεσθε

   a-del-PHOI MÊ pai-di-A GI-nes-the tais phre-SIN al-LA têi ka-KI-a nê-pi-A-dze-te tais de phre-SIN TE-lei-oi GI-nes-the

   Brothers not children be in the minds but in the evil be infants in the but minds mature be

Exegesis

The first clause μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε uses the negative particle mē {μὴ | mē} with the present imperative ginesthe {γίνεσθε | gínesthe}, expressing an ongoing prohibition, “stop becoming” or “do not be.”

The final segment, tais de phresin {ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν | taîs dè phresìn} reintroduces the sphere of the mind with a contrastive de {δὲ | dè}, setting mental life over against moral evil, and culminates in the parallel imperative phrase teleioi ginesthe {τέλειοι γίνεσθε | téleioi gínesthe}. Here teleioi functions as a predicate adjective meaning “mature” or “fully developed,” paired again with ginesthe to express an ongoing pursuit of growth. The Greek parallelism—negative command about the mind, positive command about evil, and then a renewed positive command about the mind—creates a chiastic tension between mental maturity and moral naivety, which the translation mirrors by repeating “in your understanding / in your thinking” and “be infants / be mature.”