Bible Encyclopedias
Babe

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bāb :

(1) נער , na‛ar ; παῖς , paı́s of a male infant 3 months old (Exodus 2:6 ) translated elsewhere "boy" or "lad."

(2) עולל , ‛ōlēl , תּעלוּלים , ta‛ălūlı̄m , in the general sense of "child" (Psalm 8:2; Psalm 17:14; Isaiah 3:4 ).

(3) βρέφος , bréphos an unborn or newborn child (King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) of Luke 1:41 , Luke 1:44; Luke 2:12 , Luke 2:16; 1 Peter 2:2 and the Revised Version (British and American) of Luke 18:15 [AV "infants"; Acts 7:19 [King James Version, "young children" and 2 Timothy 3:15 [King James Version, "child").

(4) νήπιος , nḗpios = Latin infans , "a child that cannot speak." (King James and the Revised Version (British and American) of Matthew 11:25; Matthew 21:16; Luke 10:21; Romans 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:1; Hebrews 5:13 ) the same word is translated "child," plural "children" (in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) of 1 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 4:1 , Galatians 4:3; Ephesians 4:14 ) the verb nēpiázete is translated in the King James Version "be ye children" and in the Revised Version (British and American) "be ye babes" (1 Corinthians 14:20 ). Nēpios is used metaphorically of those who are like children, of simple and single minds, as opposed to the "wise and understanding" ( Matthew 11:25 = Luke 10:21; compare 1 Corinthians 14:20 ). "Babes in Christ" are men of little spiritual growth, carnal as opposed to spiritual (1 Corinthians 3:1; compare Hebrews 5:13; Ephesians 4:14 ). Nēpios is also used of a child as a minor or infant in the eye of the law ( Galatians 4:1 , Galatians 4:3 ).