Greek word · G2877

κοράσιον

korasion

girl

Originally a diminutive of korē ('girl, maiden'), but in Koine Greek a common, sometimes slightly informal word for a girl. It covers young girls through to girls of marriageable age. Mark uses it for Herodias' dancing daughter (6:22, 28).

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κοράσιον, -ου, τό

(dimin. of κόρη), [in LXX chiefly for נַעֲרָה, Ruth 2:8, al.; in Joel 4:3, Zechariah 8:5 for יַלְדָּה ;]

a colloquial word which survives in MGr. (Kennedy, Sourcs, e154), girl, maiden: Matthew 9:24-25 14:11, Mark 5:41-42 6:22, 28.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Mark 5:41

Range of meaning

Originally a diminutive of korē ('girl, maiden'), but in Koine Greek a common, sometimes slightly informal word for a girl. It covers young girls through to girls of marriageable age. The Greek Old Testament uses it for Ruth's fellow workers (Ruth 2:8) and the young women gathered for the king (Esther 2:9). Mark uses it for Herodias' dancing daughter (6:22, 28).

Against the English

'Little girl' (BSB, NIV, ESV) brings out the diminutive but may make English readers picture a small child. 'Damsel' (KJV) and 'girl' (WEB) better suggest an adolescent.

How it drifted

Diminutive endings in Koine had largely lost their 'small' force. English 'little' adds a size image that the word does not necessarily carry.

Used elsewhere in the period

BDAG s.v. κοράσιον. Frequently found in papyri and in the Greek Old Testament for young women and girls.

From the study of Matthew 9:24

Range of meaning

Little girl, girl, young maiden. A diminutive of korē. In Koine Greek it was largely an ordinary word for a girl, often with a note of tenderness.

Against the English

KJV "maid" and YLT "damsel" now sound archaic, and "maid" may suggest a servant. "Girl" is accurate.

How it drifted

"Maid" changed in English from meaning "young unmarried woman" to chiefly meaning "female servant."

Used elsewhere in the period

Used of Herodias' daughter (Matt 14:11). Common in papyri and the LXX (e.g., Ruth 2:8; Esther 2:2) for young women.

From the study of Mark 6:22

Range of meaning

A diminutive of κόρη ('girl'), meaning 'little girl' or 'young girl.' In the Koine period it was used of girls from childhood up to about marriageable age, and of young female servants. In the LXX it is used of Ruth's young fellow-workers (Ruth 2:8) and of Esther and the other young women (Esther 2).

Against the English

KJV 'damsel' and WEB 'young lady' make her sound older and more refined than the Greek does. BSB 'girl' is closer. The diminutive suggests youth.

How it drifted

Paintings and plays turned her into a grown, worldly seductress. Mark's word presents a young girl who, two verses later, has to run to her mother to ask what she should request.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mark 5:41–42 (Jairus's daughter, 'about twelve years old'); Matt 9:24–25; LXX Ruth 2:8, 22; Esther 2:2–12. If the girl is Josephus's Salome, she would probably have been in her early teens around AD 28–29 and soon after married Philip the tetrarch (died AD 34).

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

  1. Matthew 9:24 κοράσιον girl

    “Go away,” He told them. “The girl is not dead, but asleep.” And they laughed at Him.

    Here: A diminutive (a "little" form) of korē, "girl." In everyday Koine Greek it meant simply a young girl, with some warmth. Mark 5:42 says she was twelve, at the edge of marriageable age.

  2. Matthew 9:25 κοράσιον. girl.

    After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.

  3. Matthew 14:11 κορασίῳ, girl,

    John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

    Here: A diminutive (a 'little' form) of the word for girl. It is used for Jairus's twelve-year-old daughter (Mark 5:42; Matt 9:24-25). It points to a girl near puberty or a young unmarried woman, not a grown woman acting on her own.

Mark · 5

  1. Mark 5:41 κοράσιον, Little girl,

    Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

    Here: A diminutive of korē ('girl, maiden'). By Koine times it was an ordinary word for a girl, including one old enough to marry (Herodias' daughter, 6:22; Ruth and Esther in the Greek Old Testament). Mark's Greek rendering of talitha.

  2. Mark 5:42 κοράσιον girl

    Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). And at once they were utterly astounded.

  3. Mark 6:22 κορασίῳ· girl;

    When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”

    Here: 'The girl.' This is a diminutive form for a young girl, used for girls from childhood to early marriageable age. Mark used the same word for Jairus's twelve-year-old daughter in the previous chapter (5:41–42).

  4. Mark 6:28 κορασίῳ, κοράσιον girl,, girl

    The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.