νήπῐος G3516
Infant, young child; figuratively, one who is spiritually immature or, rarely, gentle and tender.
Originally meaning a baby or small child, this adjective-noun spans from cradle to character. Jesus praises the Father for revealing truth to 'infants' rather than the wise (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21), and the Psalms celebrate praise from the mouths of nursing babies (Matt 21:16). Paul repurposes the word to rebuke spiritual immaturity in Corinth and Galatia (1 Cor 3:1; Gal 4:1-3). A striking outlier appears in 1 Thessalonians 2:7, where several manuscripts read 'we became gentle (nepioi) among you,' evoking a nursing mother's tenderness. Spanish 'ninos/infantes', French 'enfant/petit-enfant', and German 'Unmundige' all track the age-based core, while the metaphorical extension to immaturity or gentleness requires context to surface.
Senses
1. infant, young child — A literal infant or very young child. Jesus thanks the Father for revealing truth to 'nepioi' (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21), and Paul calls the Corinthians infants in Christ (1 Cor 3:1). Spanish 'infantes/ninos', French 'enfant', and German 'Unmundige' all converge on the image of one too young to reason. Romans 2:20 uses it of the spiritually untaught who still need a guide. 12×
AR["أَطفالًا", "أَطْفالٍ", "الأَطفالِ", "الطِّفلِ", "طِفلًا", "طِفلٍ", "طِفْلٌ", "لِأَطفالٍ", "لِأَطْفالٍ", "لِلْأَطفالِ"]·ben["শিশু", "শিশু,", "শিশু;", "শিশুদের", "শিশুদের,", "শিশুর।"]·DE["Unmundige", "νηπίοις", "νηπίων"]·EN["an-infant", "infant", "infants", "of-infants", "to-infants"]·FR["enfant", "petit-enfant"]·heb["יְלָדִים", "לְ-יוֹנְקִים", "לְעוֹלְלִים", "עוֹלְלִים", "עוֹלֵל", "פְּעוֹטִים", "תִּינוֹק", "תִּנוֹקוֹת"]·HI["बअलकोन-को", "बचचे", "बालक", "बालकों", "बालकों-का", "बालकों-पर", "शिशु"]·ID["anak-anak,", "anak-anak-kecil", "bayi", "bayi-bayi", "kanak-kanak"]·IT["bambino", "infante", "nepiois", "nepion"]·jav["bayi", "dhateng-bayi.", "jabang-bayi", "lare-alit", "lare-alit,", "laré-alit"]·KO["아기들-에게", "어린아이", "어린아이-의", "어린아이들,", "어린아이들에게", "유아들-의", "유아들과", "유아이니"]·PT["a-crianças", "criança", "criança,", "criança.", "criança;", "crianças,", "de-crianças"]·RU["младенец", "младенцам", "младенцами,", "младенцев", "младенцем", "младенческое"]·ES["a-infantes", "a-niños", "de-niños", "niño", "niños"]·SW["kwa-watoto-wachanga", "mtoto", "mtoto-mchanga", "utoto", "wa-watoto", "wanaonyonya", "watoto", "watoto-wachanga", "watoto-wadogo."]·TR["bebek", "bebekler", "bebeklere", "bebeklerin", "bebeklerin,", "gibi-", "çocuk", "şeyleri"]·urd["بچوں", "بچوں-پر", "بچوں-کا", "بچوں-کے", "بچّوں-پر", "بچپن", "بچہ", "بچے"]
2. immature, childish — Spiritual or intellectual immaturity. In Galatians 4:1-3, Paul compares the heir who is still a minor ('nepios') to believers under the old covenant's guardianship. Spanish 'nino' and French 'petit-enfant' retain the child image, but the context clearly shifts from physical age to developmental stage in understanding. The contrast with mature heirs makes the metaphor pointed. 2×
AR["قاصِرينَ", "قاصِرٌ"]·ben["শিশু", "শিশুরা,"]·DE["Unmundige"]·EN["child", "children"]·FR["petit-enfant"]·heb["קְטַנִּים", "קָטָן"]·HI["बचच", "बचचे,"]·ID["anak-anak-kecil", "anak-kecil"]·IT["infante"]·jav["alit", "alit,"]·KO["어린아이", "어린아이들,"]·PT["menino", "meninos"]·RU["младенец", "младенцами"]·ES["niño", "niños"]·SW["mtoto", "watoto"]·TR["çocuk", "çocuklar"]·urd["نابالغ"]
3. gentle, tender — Gentle and tender, like a nursing mother. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7, a textual variant yields 'we were gentle (nepioi) among you, like a nursing mother.' This sense is rare and debated, but Spanish 'tiernos' (tender) uniquely captures the nurturing warmth. Here the infant image flips: Paul becomes the baby-soft caretaker rather than the baby. Only one occurrence supports this reading. 1×
AR["لُطَفاءَ"]·ben["কোমল"]·DE["Unmundige"]·EN["gentle"]·FR["petit-enfant"]·heb["עֲדִינִים"]·HI["कोमल"]·ID["lemah-lembut"]·IT["infante"]·jav["lembut"]·KO["온유한-자들로"]·PT["gentis"]·RU["кроткими"]·ES["tiernos"]·SW["wapole"]·TR["yumuşak"]·urd["نرم"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
νήπῐος, α Refs 2nd c.AD+, Ionic dialect η, ον, also ος, ον Refs 3rd c.BC+:— infant, child, frequently in Refs 8th c.BC+; ἐκ νηπίου from a child, from infancy, [τὸ ἡδὺ] ἐκ ν. ἡμῖν συντέθραπται Refs 2nd c.BC+; infant in law, minor, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ὁ κληρονόμος ν. ἐστιν NT; of children up to puberty, αἱ τῶν ν. ἐκλάμψιες Refs 5th c.BC+; but of the foetus in its early stage, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 less…