Greek word · G3502

νεοσσός

neossos

nestling

A young bird, nestling, chick. νοσσός is the shortened form used in everyday Greek.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

νοσσός (νεοσσός, Rec., as in cl. Att.. -ττός; Phryn. rejects the dissyl. form), -οῦ, ὁ

(νόος), [in LXX chiefly for בֵּן ;]

a young bird: Luke 2:24 (LXX).†

(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 Luke 2:24

Range of meaning

A young bird, nestling, chick. νοσσός is the shortened form used in everyday Greek.

Against the English

"Young pigeons" is accurate. The Hebrew behind it, bene yonah, is literally "sons of a dove."

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX Lev 1:14; 5:7, 11; 12:6, 8. Papyri show νοσσός in ordinary speech. Manuscripts of Luke vary between the two spellings.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 2:24 νοσσοὺς young

    and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

    Here: A young bird still close to the nest. It translates the Hebrew idiom "sons of a dove" (bene yonah), meaning young pigeons.

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