3516. népios

Strong's Lexicon

népios: Infant, child, immature, simple-minded

Original Word: νήπιος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: népios
Pronunciation: NAY-pee-os
Phonetic Spelling: (nay'-pee-os)
Definition: Infant, child, immature, simple-minded
Meaning: unlearned, unenlightened; noun: an infant, child.

Word Origin: Derived from a compound of the negative particle "νη" (nē, meaning "not") and "ἔπος" (epos, meaning "word" or "speech"), indicating a lack of speech or understanding.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often used in similar contexts is "טַף" (taf, Strong's H2945), which refers to children or little ones.

Usage: The term "νήπιος" is used in the New Testament to describe someone who is an infant or child, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. It often conveys the idea of immaturity, simplicity, or lack of understanding. In a spiritual context, it can refer to those who are immature in their faith or understanding of spiritual matters.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, children were often seen as lacking in reason and understanding, which is reflected in the use of "νήπιος" to describe those who are not yet mature. The term could also imply a need for growth and development, both physically and spiritually. In Jewish culture, children were valued as a blessing from God, yet they were also expected to grow into maturity and wisdom.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
an infant, fig. a simple-minded or immature person
NASB Translation
child (5), childish (1), children (2), immature (1), infant (1), infants (4).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3516: νήπιος

νήπιος, νήπια, νήπιον (from νή, an insep. neg. prefix (Latinnefas, nequam, nisi, etc. cf. Curtius, § 437), and ἔπος); as in Greek writers from Homer down,

a. an infant, little child: Matthew 21:16 (from Psalm 8:3); 1 Corinthians 13:11; the Sept. especially for עולֵל and עולָל.

b. a minor, not of age: Galatians 4:1 (cf. Lightfoot at the passage).

c. metaphorically, childish, untaught, unskilled (the Sept. for פְּתִי, Psalm 18:8 (); Psalm 118:130 (); Proverbs 1:32): Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; Romans 2:20; Galatians 4:3; Ephesians 4:14; opposed to τέλειοι, the more advanced in understanding and knowledge, Hebrews 5:13f. (Philo de agric. § 2); νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ, in things pertaining to Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:1. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 L WH (cf. the latter's note at the passage) have hastily received νήπιοι for the common reading ἤπιοι.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

an infant, child

From an obsolete particle ne- (implying negation) and epos; not speaking, i.e. An infant (minor); figuratively, a simple-minded person, an immature Christian -- babe, child (+ -ish).

see GREEK epos

Forms and Transliterations

νήπια νήπιά νηπιοι νήπιοι νηπιοις νηπίοις νήπιον νηπιος νηπίος νήπιος νήπιός νηπιότητος νηπιότητός νηπιου νηπίου νηπίους νηπιων νηπίων nepioi nēpioi nḗpioi nepiois nepíois nēpiois nēpíois nepion nepíon nēpiōn nēpíōn nepios nēpios nḗpios nḗpiós nepiou nepíou nēpiou nēpíou

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 11:25 Adj-DMP
GRK: ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις
NAS: and have revealed them to infants.
KJV: hast revealed them unto babes.
INT: did reveal them to little children

Matthew 21:16 Adj-GMP
GRK: Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων
NAS: OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES
KJV: the mouth of babes and
INT: Out of [the] mouth of little children and infants

Luke 10:21 Adj-DMP
GRK: ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις ναί ὁ
NAS: and have revealed them to infants. Yes,
KJV: them unto babes: even so,
INT: did reveal them to little children yes

Romans 2:20 Adj-GMP
GRK: ἀφρόνων διδάσκαλον νηπίων ἔχοντα τὴν
NAS: a teacher of the immature, having
KJV: a teacher of babes, which hast
INT: of [the] foolish a teacher of infants having the

1 Corinthians 3:1 Adj-DMP
GRK: σαρκίνοις ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ
NAS: but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
KJV: [even] as unto babes in
INT: to fleshly as to little children in Christ

1 Corinthians 13:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος ἐλάλουν ὡς
NAS: When I was a child, I used to speak
KJV: When I was a child, I spake as
INT: When I was a child I spoke as

1 Corinthians 13:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐλάλουν ὡς νήπιος ἐφρόνουν ὡς
NAS: like a child, think
KJV: I spake as a child, I understood as
INT: I spoke as a child I thought as

1 Corinthians 13:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐφρόνουν ὡς νήπιος ἐλογιζόμην ὡς
NAS: think like a child, reason like
KJV: I understood as a child, I thought as
INT: I thought as a child I reasoned as

1 Corinthians 13:11 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐλογιζόμην ὡς νήπιος ὅτε γέγονα
NAS: reason like a child; when I became
KJV: I thought as a child: but when
INT: I reasoned as a child but when I became

1 Corinthians 13:11 Adj-GMS
GRK: τὰ τοῦ νηπίου
NAS: I did away with childish things.
KJV: a man, I put away childish things.
INT: the things of the child

Galatians 4:1 Adj-NMS
GRK: ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν οὐδὲν
NAS: as the heir is a child, he does not differ
KJV: he is a child, differeth
INT: the heir a child is nothing

Galatians 4:3 Adj-NMP
GRK: ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι ὑπὸ τὰ
NAS: we, while we were children, were held in bondage
KJV: when we were children, were in bondage
INT: when we were children under the

Ephesians 4:14 Adj-NMP
GRK: μηκέτι ὦμεν νήπιοι κλυδωνιζόμενοι καὶ
NAS: we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves
KJV: no more children, tossed to and fro,
INT: no longer we might be infants being tossed and

1 Thessalonians 2:7 Adj-NMP
GRK: ἀλλὰ ἐγενήθημεν νήπιοι ἐν μέσῳ
INT: but we were gentle in [the] midst

Hebrews 5:13 Adj-NMS
GRK: λόγου δικαιοσύνης νήπιος γάρ ἐστιν
NAS: of righteousness, for he is an infant.
KJV: for he is a babe.
INT: in [the] word of righteousness an infant indeed he is

Strong's Greek 3516
15 Occurrences

νηπίων — 2 Occ.
νήπιοι — 3 Occ.
νηπίοις — 3 Occ.
νήπιος — 6 Occ.
νηπίου — 1 Occ.