Denotes a generation of people (those living at a given time), a period of time (an age), or a dwelling / habitation. It derives from a root meaning to move in a circle or revolve, capturing the cyclical succession of human life — one generation rises as another passes. The plural dōrôt (generations) spans the sweep of history.
The concept of dôr structures biblical time and identity. God's covenant faithfulness extends 'to a thousand generations' (Deut 7:9), while human sin may be visited 'to the third and fourth generation' (Exod 20:5) — a striking asymmetry emphasizing grace. Each generation bears responsibility to transmit the faith: 'One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts' (Ps 145:4). The tragedy of Judges — 'there arose another generation which knew not the LORD' (Judg 2:10) — illustrates the catastrophic cost of failed transmission. The genealogies in Genesis and Matthew serve the same theological function: tracing God's faithfulness across generations from creation to Christ.