Word study
Child
13 Hebrew and 10 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: children, child. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “child” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- בֵּן bênsontranslated this way 191 times of its 4,587 uses · Strong’s H1121Noun · Translated: son 1,843, sons 892, Israelites 422, descendants 358Full study and all 3,473 verses →
Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
- יֶלֶד yeledchild, son, boy, youthtranslated this way 52 times of its 88 uses · Strong’s H3206Noun · Translated: child 26, children 25, young men 10, boy 7Full study and all 76 verses →
Genesis 21:8 So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
Exodus 2:3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
- טַף ṭaphchildrentranslated this way 27 times of its 42 uses · Strong’s H2945Noun · Translated: children 21, little 11, young children 2Full study and all 41 verses →
Genesis 34:29 They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
Exodus 12:37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
- יָלַד yâladbear, bring forth, begettranslated this way 14 times of its 484 uses · Strong’s H3205Verb · Translated: father 111, born 57, bore 52, gave birth 44Full study and all 395 verses →
Genesis 17:17 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”
Judges 13:2 Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.
- עוֹלֵל ôlêlchildtranslated this way 13 times of its 20 uses · Strong’s H5768Noun · Translated: children 11, infants 4Full study and all 20 verses →
1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
Psalm 8:2 From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.
- נַעַר naara shaking, scatteringtranslated this way 13 times of its 227 uses · Strong’s H5288Noun · Translated: boy 48, young men 30, young man 27, servant 25Full study and all 214 verses →
1 Kings 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
2 Kings 5:14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
- זֶרַע zerasowing, seed, offspringtranslated this way 10 times of its 220 uses · Strong’s H2233Noun · Translated: descendants 78, offspring 45, seed 34, children 10Full study and all 201 verses →
Genesis 48:11 “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.”
Leviticus 18:21 You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- שָׁכֹל shâkôlbe bereavedtranslated this way 3 times of its 22 uses · Strong’s H7921Verb · Translated: miscarry 3, bereaved 2, childless 2, bereave 2Full study and all 20 verses →
Leviticus 26:22 I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.
Deuteronomy 32:25 Outside, the sword will take their children, and inside, terror will strike the young man and the young woman, the infant and the gray-haired man.
- יָחִיד yâchîdonly one, solitarytranslated this way 3 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H3173Adjective · Translated: your only 3, child 3, precious life 2, lonely 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Judges 11:34 And when Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, there was his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing! She was his only child; he had no son or daughter besides her.
Proverbs 4:3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
- נֶפֶל nepheluntimely birth, abortiontranslated this way 3 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H5309Noun · Translated: stillborn child 2, like a stillborn child 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Job 3:16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
Psalm 58:8 Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.
- שְׁכוֹל shekôlbereavement, loss of childrentranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H7908Noun · Translated: loss of children 2, bereavement 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Isaiah 47:8 So now hear this, O lover of luxury who sits securely, who says to herself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children.’
Isaiah 47:9 These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
- גָּמַל gâmaldeal fully or adequately with, deal out totranslated this way 2 times of its 35 uses · Strong’s H1580Verb · Translated: weaned 8, rewarded 5, done 3, repay 2Full study and all 31 verses →
Psalm 131:2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
- הָרֶה hârehpregnanttranslated this way 2 times of its 16 uses · Strong’s H2030Adjective · Translated: pregnant 7, conceive 2, pregnant women 2Full study and all 16 verses →
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
Isaiah 26:17 As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
Greek words (New Testament)
- τέκνον téknona child, descendent, inhabitanttranslated this way 94 times of its 99 uses · Strong’s G5043Noun · Translated: children 77, child 15, Son 4, children's 2Full study and all 91 verses →
Matthew 2:18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Mark 7:27 “First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
- παιδίον paidíona little child, an infanttranslated this way 49 times of its 50 uses · Strong’s G3813Noun · Translated: child 20, children 10, little child 8, little children 7Full study and all 47 verses →
Matthew 2:8 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.”
Mark 5:39 He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”
- νήπιος nḗpiosan infant, child, unlearnedtranslated this way 9 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s G3516Adjective · Translated: child 5, infants 3, little children 2, children 2Full study and all 11 verses →
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- τεκνίον tekníona little childtranslated this way 8 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G5040Noun · Translated: Little children 8Full study and all 8 verses →
John 13:33 Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
- σπέρμα spérmaseed, offspringtranslated this way 6 times of its 42 uses · Strong’s G4690Noun · Translated: seed 10, offspring 10, descendants 10, children 5Full study and all 39 verses →
Matthew 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.
Mark 12:20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
- παῖς paîsa boy or girl childtranslated this way 3 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s G3816Noun · Translated: servant 12, boy 4, servants 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Matthew 21:15 But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Luke 8:54 But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”
- υἱός huiósa son, descendenttranslated this way 3 times of its 365 uses · Strong’s G5207Noun · Translated: Son 301, sons 53, guests 3, people 3Full study and all 334 verses →
Acts 7:23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
Acts 13:10 and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
- τίκτω tíktōI bear, bring forth, producetranslated this way 3 times of its 18 uses · Strong’s G5088Verb · Translated: give birth 4, gave birth 4, born 2Full study and all 17 verses →
Luke 1:57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son.
Galatians 4:27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
- γεννάω gennáōI beget, bring forth, give birth totranslated this way 2 times of its 96 uses · Strong’s G1080Verb · Translated: father 39, born 37, become your father 3Full study and all 65 verses →
John 8:41 You are doing the works of your father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”
Galatians 4:24 These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.
- ἔχω échōI have, hold, possesstranslated this way 2 times of its 624 uses · Strong’s G2192Verb · Translated: has 63, have 52, with 35, you have 29Full study and all 560 verses →
Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.