παιδιόθεν (paidiothen)
paidiothen
from childhood
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb paidiothen means "from childhood" or "from early boyhood." It appears only once in the New Testament, in Mark 9:21, where a father describes his son’s long struggle with seizures. The word emphasizes that this condition is not recent but has plagued the boy since he was very young.
Its etymology traces back to pais, meaning "child," combined with an ablative suffix indicating origin or source. This construction highlights the duration and deep-rooted nature of the suffering. By specifying that the affliction began in childhood, the text underscores the severity and chronic nature of the illness, distinguishing it from a sudden or temporary ailment.
Translators typically render paidiothen simply as "from childhood," capturing the straightforward temporal sense. The word serves to ground the narrative in the reality of long-term suffering, showing how deeply entrenched the problem is for the family involved.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paidiothen appears just once in Scripture, tucked into a desperate conversation between a father and Jesus. It translates simply to "from childhood," yet it carries the heavy weight of years. This single adverb tells us that the boy’s suffering was not a sudden accident but a long, chronic reality that had shaped his entire life.
When we encounter such enduring hardship, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by its permanence. The father’s use of this word highlights the depth of his exhaustion and hope. It reminds us that Jesus meets us not only in brief moments of crisis but also in the long, weary seasons of ongoing struggle.
This passage invites us to bring our persistent burdens to Christ. Whether a challenge began recently or has been part of your life since childhood, He is present in the depth of your pain. You do not have to carry the weight of time alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- childhood.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παιδιόθεν.1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 9:21
He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has been happening to him?” He said, “From childhood.
The father uses this term to clarify that the boy's affliction is a lifelong condition rather than a recent illness, highlighting the chronic nature of his suffering.