paidion · little child

What it means

paidion (παιδίον) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “little child”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A child of few years, boy or girl.
2. "Little children": a loving way to address disciples.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Little child, little girl; it is a diminutive of παῖς, ‘boy, servant’ (G3816). It is used for a newborn or a child of few years, and as an affectionate word to address others.

• The child Jesus Matthew 2:11Luke 2:40
• “Become like children” Matthew 18:3Mark 10:14Luke 18:17
• A sick or dead girl Mark 5:39Mark 7:30
• Children counted with the women Matthew 14:21
• “Children”: affectionate address John 21:51 John 2:18

How we translate it

“Child” 33 times and “children” 19, for boys and girls alike (“The child has not died, but is sleeping”, Mark 5:39). It is kept also when the risen Jesus calls the disciples “Children” (John 21:5) and in 1 John, and in Hebrews 2:13, in the quotation of Isaiah (“I and the children whom God has given me”).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• child ×33
• children ×19

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×18
• Mark×12
• Luke×13
• John×3
• 1 Corinthians×1
• Hebrews×3
• 1 John×2

• Matthew 2:8

  And sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and inquire precisely about the child; and when you find him, report to me, so that I too may come and bow down before him.”

• Matthew 2:9

  And they, having heard the king, went on their way; and look, the star that they had seen at its rising was going ahead of them until it came and stopped over where the child was.

• Matthew 2:11

  And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell and bowed down before him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

• Matthew 2:13

  And when they had withdrawn, look, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.”

• Matthew 2:14

  And he got up, took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

• Matthew 2:20

  saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life have died.”

• Matthew 2:21

  And he got up, took the child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel.

• Matthew 11:16

  But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the others,

• Matthew 14:21

  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

• Matthew 15:38

  And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

• Matthew 18:2

  And calling to him a child, he set him in their midst

• Matthew 18:3

  and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

• Matthew 18:4

  Whoever then humbles himself like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

• Matthew 18:5

  And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

• Matthew 19:13

  Then children were brought to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them.

• Matthew 19:14

  But Jesus said, “Let the children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

• Mark 5:39

  And going in, he says to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is sleeping.”

• Mark 5:40

  And they were laughing at him. But he, having put them all out, takes along the child’s father and mother and those with him, and goes in where the child was.

• Mark 5:41

  And taking the child’s hand, he says to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.”

• Mark 7:28

  But she answered and says to him, “Lord, even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

• Mark 7:30

  And going away to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone out.

• Mark 9:24

  At once the father of the child cried out and was saying, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

• Mark 9:36

  And taking a child, he set it in the middle of them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,

• Mark 9:37

  “Whoever receives one of such children in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives not me but the one who sent me.”

• Mark 10:13

  And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.

• Mark 10:14

  But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such as these belongs the kingdom of God.

• Mark 10:15

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

• Luke 1:59

  And it happened on the eighth day that they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zechariah.

• Luke 1:66

  and all who heard laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was indeed with him.

• Luke 1:76

  And you too, child, will be called prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

• Luke 1:80

  And the child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

• Luke 2:17

  And when they saw this, they made known the word that had been spoken to them about this child.

• Luke 2:27

  And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, for them to do for him according to the custom of the law,

• Luke 2:40

  And the child grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.

• Luke 7:32

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

• Luke 9:47

  But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their heart, took a child and set it beside himself,

• Luke 9:48

  and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all, this one is great.”

• Luke 11:7

  and that one from inside answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything’?

• Luke 18:16

  But Jesus called them to himself, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

• Luke 18:17

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

And 12 more times.