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βρέφος

bréphos

G1025 noun

SILEX Entry

Root βρεφ- infant, unborn child, newborn

Definition

An infant or very young child; specifically, one still in the womb (an embryo or fetus) or a newborn. The term can refer to a child in the earliest stages of life, both before and just after birth. Contextually, it may also be used more broadly to denote very young children, especially in narratives involving nativity, infancy, or vulnerability.

Semantic Range

unborn child (fetus, embryo); newborn infant; very young baby; figuratively, one in an immature or new state

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. The term βρέφος is not clearly connected to any known Greek root and has no obvious cognates within Greek. Some scholars suggest a possible onomatopoeic origin (imitating the sounds babies make), but this is speculative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, βρέφος is rare and typically denotes a newborn or an infant. Its usage becomes clearer in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, especially in Jewish and Christian contexts. In the Septuagint, βρέφος translates Hebrew terms such as עוּל ('infant') and עֹלֵל ('suckling'), emphasizing youth and defenselessness. In the New Testament, βρέφος is used for both unborn (Luke 1:41, referring to John in the womb) and newly born infants (Luke 2:12, 2:16, referring to the newborn Jesus). It never refers to older children. English translations may render it as 'babe,' 'infant,' or 'baby,' but they sometimes obscure the overlap in Greek between pre-natal and post-natal infancy. Other Greek terms for child (such as παιδίον) can refer to broader or slightly older age ranges; βρέφος is distinctively applied to the earliest phase of human life. Notably, the word’s use in metaphor (e.g., referring to spiritual immaturity as in 1 Peter 2:2) mirrors this literal sense of immaturity or newness. The term carries specific connotations of vulnerability and dependence, especially in infancy.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; an infant (properly, unborn) literally or figuratively:--babe, (young) child, infant.

Root Family

βρέφος (brephos) — infant, unborn child, newborn

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
G1025-02 βρέφος brephos N NOM N SG baby infant 4
G1025-01 βρέφη brephe N ACC N PL babes infants 3
G1025-03 βρέφους brephous N GEN N SG infancy of an infant 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
G1025-02 Luke 1:41 βρέφος brephos N NOM N SG baby infant
G1025-02 Luke 1:44 βρέφος brephos N NOM N SG baby infant
G1025-02 Luke 2:12 βρέφος brephos N ACC N SG baby infant
G1025-02 Luke 2:16 βρέφος brephos N ACC N SG babe infant
G1025-01 Luke 18:15 βρέφη brephe N ACC N PL babies infants
G1025-01 Acts 7:19 βρέφη brephe N ACC N PL infants infants
G1025-03 2 Timothy 3:15 βρέφους brephous N GEN N SG infancy of an infant
G1025-01 1 Peter 2:2 βρέφη brephe N NOM N PL babes infants
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