παιδί-ον G3813
A small child, infant, or young boy/girl; diminutive of pais, used especially of the infant Jesus and children in Gospel narratives.
The diminutive of pais ('child, servant'), paidion evokes tenderness and vulnerability. It appears most memorably in the infancy narratives: the magi seek 'the young child' in Bethlehem (Matt 2:8-14), and Simeon takes the child Jesus in his arms at the Temple (Luke 2:27). Jesus sets a paidion in the disciples' midst as the model of kingdom humility (Matt 18:2-5), and in John 16:21 a woman's anguish gives way to joy when her paidion is born. The word also occurs in Hebrews 2:13-14 to describe those whom Christ shares in flesh and blood. German Kindlein ('little child') and French petit-enfant perfectly capture the affectionate, diminutive quality that distinguishes this term from the more general teknon.
Senses
1. child, young child, infant — A young child, infant, or small boy or girl, expressing the diminutive and affectionate sense of pais. Most prominent in the Gospels for the infant Jesus whom the magi sought and Herod hunted (Matt 2:8-14), for children Jesus embraced as models of kingdom entry (Matt 18:2-5; 19:13-14), and for newborns in John 16:21. German Kindlein and French petit-enfant reflect the tender, diminutive nuance. In Hebrews 2:13-14 it extends metaphorically to the children God has given to Christ, whom he redeems by sharing their mortal nature. 52×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الطِّفْلُ", "الصَّبِيَّ", "الصَّبِيُّ", "الصَّبِيِّ", "طِفلٍ", "طِفْلَ", "طِفْلُ", "طِفْلِ", "طِّفْلَةَ"]·ben["ছেলের", "শিশু", "শিশু।", "শিশুকে", "শিশুকে,", "শিশুটির;", "শিশুর", "শিশুর।"]·DE["Kind", "Kindlein"]·EN["child"]·FR["petit-enfant"]·heb["הַיֶּלֶד", "יֶּלֶד", "יֶלֶד"]·HI["आया", "बच्चे", "बच्चे-का", "बालक", "बालक-का", "बालक-के", "बालक-को"]·ID["anak", "anak,", "anak-kecil", "anak.", "anak;", "itu"]·IT["bambino"]·jav["jabang-bayi", "jabang-bayi,", "lare", "lare-alit,", "larenipun", "larenipun,", "larenipun.", "larenipun;", "laré"]·KO["아이", "아이-가", "아이-를", "아이-에-관하여", "아이-의", "아이가", "아이여", "어린아이처럼"]·PT["criança", "filhinho", "menino"]·RU["Дитя", "Младенец", "Младенца", "Младенце", "дитя", "младенца", "ребёнка"]·ES["niña", "niño"]·SW["mtoto"]·TR["çocuk", "çocuğu", "çocuğum", "çocuğun"]·urd["بچہ", "بچی-کو", "بچے", "بچے-کا", "بچے-کو", "بچے-کی", "بچے-کے"]
Matt 2:8, Matt 2:9, Matt 2:11, Matt 2:13, Matt 2:13, Matt 2:14, Matt 2:20, Matt 2:20, Matt 2:21, Matt 11:16, Matt 14:21, Matt 15:38 (+38 more)
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×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
παιδί-ον (paroxytone), τό, diminutive of παῖς (never in Trag.), little or young child (up to 7 years, accusative to Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐκ παιδίου from a child, Refs 5th c.BC+ 'chip of the old block', Refs 1st c.BC+ __II young slave, male or female, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III τὸ παιδίον, a disease of children, probably convulsions, uncertain reading in Refs 5th c.BC+ __III.3 παίδι-ος, ὁ, barbarism for {παιδιόθεν}, Refs 1st c.AD+