Greek word · G3515
νηπιάζω
nēpiazō
be childlike
To be (or act like) a nēpios, an infant or small child too young to speak or reason. Nēpios is the classic Greek word for the 'babe' in contrast to the adult (teleios).
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
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 1 Corinthians 14:20
- Range of meaning
To be (or act like) a nēpios, an infant or small child too young to speak or reason. Nēpios is the classic Greek word for the 'babe' in contrast to the adult (teleios).
- Against the English
KJV uses 'children' for both paidia and this verb, which loses Paul's step down from 'child' to 'baby'. BSB/ESV/NASB 'infants' and WEB/YLT 'babies/babes' keep it.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The verb is found only here in the New Testament. Paul uses nēpios as the opposite of teleios in 1 Cor 2:6 and 3:1, 13:11, and Eph 4:13–14. Philo of Alexandria also contrasts milk for nēpioi with solid food for the teleioi (On Husbandry 9), and Heb 5:13–14 does the same. This shows the pairing was a familiar teaching picture.
Where it appears
1 Corinthians · 1
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1 Corinthians 14:20 νηπιάζετε, do be little children,
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
Here: A rare verb found only here in the New Testament: 'be a baby'. It goes further down the scale than 'children' (paidia). In malice they should be not merely young but infants, too young to know how to scheme.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.