βρέφος (G1025) — Greek Lexicon

βρέφος

bréphos

G1025 noun

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "baby" 0 occurrences

"Baby" is the most natural, everyday English noun that covers the full range of βρέφος — unborn or newly born child and very young infant. It reads well in nativity and vulnerability contexts, is widely used for both in‑womb and newborn senses, and is more natural than clinical alternatives like "fetus" or more formal "infant."

Alternatives (8 occurrences):

"infant" (4x) "infants" (3x) "infancy" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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

Root Family

βρεφ- (bréphos) — infant, unborn child, newborn

Root βρεφ- infant, unborn child, newborn

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1025-02`	βρέφος	brephos	`N NOM N SG`	baby	infant	infant	4
`G1025-01`	βρέφη	brephe	`N ACC N PL`	babes	infants	infants	3
`G1025-03`	βρέφους	brephous	`N GEN N SG`	infancy	of an infant	infancy	1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1025-02`	Luke 1:41	βρέφος	brephos	`N NOM N SG`	baby	infant	infant
`G1025-02`	Luke 1:44	βρέφος	brephos	`N NOM N SG`	baby	infant	infant
`G1025-02`	Luke 2:12	βρέφος	brephos	`N ACC N SG`	baby	infant	infant
`G1025-02`	Luke 2:16	βρέφος	brephos	`N ACC N SG`	babe	infant	infant
`G1025-01`	Luke 18:15	βρέφη	brephe	`N ACC N PL`	babies	infants	infants
`G1025-01`	Acts 7:19	βρέφη	brephe	`N ACC N PL`	infants	infants	infants
`G1025-03`	2 Timothy 3:15	βρέφους	brephous	`N GEN N SG`	infancy	of an infant	infancy
`G1025-01`	1 Peter 2:2	βρέφη	brephe	`N NOM N PL`	babes	infants	infants

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