Greek · G3816

παῖς

Child

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παῖς G3816

Pronunciation paîs

What does παῖς (paîs) mean in the Bible?

Παῖς can mean child, boy, servant, or attendant. Its range requires close attention because English must often choose one sense where Greek preserves the same form.

Reader summary

Full entry for παῖς (G3816) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does παῖς (paîs) mean in the Bible?

Παῖς can mean child, boy, servant, or attendant. Its range requires close attention because English must often choose one sense where Greek preserves the same form.

How does the BSB render G3816?

The BSB source-word alignment has 24 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include servant (12), boy (4), servants (2), [he] (1), boys (1).

Where does παῖς (paîs) appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (9), Matthew (8), Acts (6), John (1).

What This Word Actually Means

Παῖς can mean child, boy, servant, or attendant. Its range requires close attention because English must often choose one sense where Greek preserves the same form. Matthew uses it for the boys killed under Herod's violent order. A royal official's παῖς is his boy in John 4, while the centurion's suffering παῖς may be understood as a servant or dependent. Mary's song calls Israel God's servant, and Acts proclaims Jesus as God's glorified Servant, drawing on the scriptural servant pattern.

The noun does not make “child” and “servant” interchangeable theological ideas. Relationship, age, social setting, possessive construction, and Old Testament echoes guide translation. The shared range can illuminate dependence and belonging, but it must not hide exploitation or blur Jesus' unique servant identity.