παιδίον

Matthew 2:8 παιδίου. Child.

And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

Here: A small child, an infant or toddler. Matthew uses this word throughout chapter 2 (2:9, 11, 13–14, 20–21), not the word for a newborn baby (brephos, used in Luke 2:12, 16). Notably, Herod does not repeat the Magi's title "king of the Jews"; he just says "the child."

Matthew 2:9 παιδίον. Child.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was.

Here: A small form of pais, 'child'. It covers ages from a newborn to a young child, so it does not mean 'newborn baby'. Herod's later order to kill boys 'two years old and under' (2:16) suggests some time had passed since the birth.

Matthew 2:11 παιδίον Child

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Here: A small-child word, built on pais ("child") with a diminutive ending. It can mean a newborn as well as a toddler, so it does not tell us his age by itself. Matthew calls Jesus "the child" again and again in this chapter.

Matthew 2:13 παιδίον παιδίον Child

When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

Here: A small child: an infant or toddler, not specifically a newborn. Herod's order covering boys “two years old and under” (2:16) fits a child some months old.

Matthew 2:14 παιδίον Child

So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

Here: A small child, anywhere from infant to toddler. Matthew uses this word throughout chapter 2 (nine times), keeping the focus on the vulnerable child at the centre of the danger.

Matthew 2:20 παιδίον παιδίου.¶ Child, Child.

“Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.”

Here: A diminutive (a 'little' form) of pais, 'child'. It covers infants and small children, so it does not have to mean a newborn. Herod's order for boys 'two years old and under' (2:16) fits a toddler.

Matthew 2:21 παιδίον Child

So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.

Here: A small child, here an infant or toddler. Matthew calls Jesus 'the child' all through chapter 2 and avoids his name.

Matthew 11:16 παιδίοις children

To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

Here: A diminutive: young children, the kind who play pretend games in the street. Here the point is not innocence. It is childish petulance.

Matthew 14:21 παιδίων.¶ children.

About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Here: Strictly a diminutive ("little child"), though often used of children in general. It covers the young ones brought along by families, from infants to children not yet counted as adults.

Matthew 15:38 παιδίων.¶ children.

A total of four thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Here: A small form of pais ("child"), used for infants up to younger children. These are the little ones who came along with their families and shared the bread and fish.

Matthew 18:2 παιδίον a child

Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.

Here: A small, dependent child. The word covers anyone from an infant up to about twelve (Mark 5:39–42), and the Greek does not say whether it is a boy or a girl. In that world a child was the least, the person with no standing, who could make no claims and had no say. That makes the child the opposite of the 'greatest' the disciples have asked about.

Matthew 18:3 παιδία, little children,

“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Here: A small child, from an infant up to the early years. In that society a small child was loved but had no rank, no legal standing, no achievements and no claim on anyone. That is the point of comparison.

Matthew 18:4 παιδίον little child

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Here: A small child, here a real one standing among them. In that world a small child had no standing: no legal power, no honor to claim, no voice in adult affairs. That is what makes the child the picture of the low place.

Matthew 18:5 παιδίον little child

And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Here: A small form of pais (child), used for an infant or young child. It is the same word as in verses 2 to 4, the actual child standing among them. In that world the word suggested a person with no standing, more than a picture of innocence.

Matthew 19:13 παιδία little children

Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Here: A small form of the word for "child". It covers ages from infancy (the baby Jesus in Matt 2) to about twelve (Jairus's daughter in Mark 5:39–42). Luke's parallel calls them babies (brephē). These were people with no social standing yet.

Matthew 19:14 παιδία little children

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Here: A diminutive (a 'small' form) of pais, 'child'. It covers ages from infancy to about pre-teen. These are children young enough to be carried or led to Jesus for a blessing, and Luke's parallel calls them 'babies' (brephē).

Mark 5:39 παιδίον child

He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”

Here: A small, affectionate word for a child (a diminutive, a form that means 'little'), used even though she is twelve (v. 42). It matches her father's 'my little daughter' in v. 23.

Mark 5:40 παιδίου παιδίον child

And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.

Mark 5:41 παιδίου child

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

Here: A tender, diminutive word ('little one'). Mark repeats it through vv. 39–41 even though she is twelve (v. 42): she is still the child of the house.

Mark 7:28 παιδίων.¶ children.

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Mark 7:30 παιδίον child

And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Mark 9:24 παιδίου child

Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

Here: A diminutive (a 'little' form) of 'child', so a tender word. The father has said the boy has suffered 'from childhood' (v.21), and the word stresses how young and helpless he is.

Mark 9:36 παιδίον a child

Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,

Mark 9:37 παιδίων little children

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

Here: A word that makes 'child' smaller, used for young children (Mark also uses it for a twelve-year-old in 5:39–42). It names someone dependent with no social standing, not a picture of innocence.

Mark 10:13 παιδία little children

Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Here: A smaller form of 'pais' (child). It covers ages from infancy up to about twelve. Here the children are small enough for Jesus to take in his arms (10:16), and Luke's parallel calls them 'babies' (18:15).

Mark 10:14 παιδία little children

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Here: A smaller form of the word for "child". It covers ages from babies to about twelve. These children are young enough to be carried or led by adults.

Mark 10:15 παιδίον, a child,

Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Here: Diminutive of pais, 'child': a small child, anything from a baby to a pre-teen. In context it is one of the children being carried to Jesus (v. 13), small enough to be taken up in his arms (v. 16): dependent, without status, unable to claim anything.

Luke 1:59 παιδίον child

On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.

Luke 1:66 παιδίον child

And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Luke 1:76 παιδίον, child,

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

Here: A small-child form of pais, 'child'. Here it is an eight-day-old baby just circumcised and named (1:59). The contrast is striking: a newborn is addressed with the title of a prophet.

Luke 1:80 παιδίον the child

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

Here: A diminutive of pais, 'child'. It is the same word Zechariah used in 1:76 ('And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High'), so the narrator picks up the hymn's own address.

Luke 2:17 παιδίου Child

After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him.

Luke 2:27 παιδίον child

Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law,

Here: A diminutive, 'little child'. Here it is a baby about forty days old (see Lev 12:2–4), small enough for Simeon to take in his arms (2:28).

Luke 2:40 παιδίον the Child

And the Child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

Here: A diminutive meaning 'little child'. Luke used it for the newborn (2:17) and the infant in the Temple (2:27), and here it covers his early childhood. By 2:43 Luke has switched to pais, 'boy', for the twelve-year-old.

Luke 7:32 παιδίοις to little children

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

Luke 9:47 παιδίον a child

But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.

Luke 9:48 παιδίον child

And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”

Here: A small child, the diminutive (smaller-sized form) of pais. In that world a child stood near the bottom of the social ladder, with no rank and nothing to offer in return. That status, not innocence, is what makes the example work.

Luke 11:7 παιδία children

And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’

Luke 18:16 παιδία little children

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Here: A diminutive meaning 'little child', used for anyone from a baby to a young child. In verse 15 Luke calls the same children 'babies' (brephē), so they are very small.

Luke 18:17 παιδίον, a child,

Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

John 4:49 παιδίον child

“Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.”

Here: A diminutive (a 'little' or affectionate form) of pais, 'child'. The narrator calls the boy 'son' (huios, vv.46–47, 50). The father, at the point of breaking, says 'my little one'. The word is tender, but it does not fix the boy's exact age.

John 16:21 παιδίον, child,

A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Here: A diminutive form: a newborn, a little one. It is a tender word.

John 21:5 παιδία, Children,

So He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” “No,” they answered.

1 Corinthians 14:20 παιδία children

Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Here: Young children, not yet able to reason well. Here it is a negative picture: thinking like a child who is drawn to what is showy and exciting rather than to what is useful.

Hebrews 2:13 παιδία children

And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”

Here: In Isaiah these were the prophet's own sons, whose names were signs. In Hebrews they are the 'many sons' God is bringing to glory (2:10), the people the Son calls 'brothers' (2:11–12). Verse 14 picks the word up straight away: 'since the children share flesh and blood…'

Hebrews 2:14 παιδία children

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

Here: Picked up from Isaiah 8:18 quoted in v. 13: the family God has entrusted to the Messiah. It is about belonging and kinship, not about being young; these are the same people called "brothers" in vv. 11–12.

Hebrews 11:23 παιδίον little child

By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.

Here: A small form of "child" that stresses a newborn, the helpless baby the edict ordered killed.

1 John 2:18 Παιδία, Little children,

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Here: An affectionate address from an older teacher to the believers in his care, not to literal children. It casts the writer as a father-figure and the readers as his household, which matters because the verse is about people who have left that household.